Guinea Geography Profile 2009

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

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