Guinea

Country	Republic of Guinea
Capital	Conakry
Independence	2 October 1958 (from France)
National holiday	Independence Day, 2 October (1958)
Population	11,176,026 (July 2013 est.)
Sex ratio	1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Nationality	Guinean(s)
Religions	Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Languages	French (official)
Literacy	age 15 and over can read and write total population: 41% male: 52% female: 30% (2010 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates	11 00 N, 10 00 W
Map references	Africa
Area	total: 245,857 sq km land: 245,717 sq km water: 140 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries	total: 3,399 km border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Coastline	320 km
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain	generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Natural resources	bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
Industries	bauxite, gold, diamonds, iron; alumina refining; light manufacturing, and agricultural processing
Exports - commodities	bauxite, alumina, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products
Imports - commodities	petroleum products, metals, machinery, transport equipment, textiles, grain and other foodstuffs
Land use	arable land: 4.47% permanent crops: 2.64% other: 92.89% (2005)
Irrigated land	950 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	226 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 1.51 cu km/yr (8%/2%/90%) per capita: 161 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
Environment - current issues	deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands