| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Guinea conventional short form: Guinea local long form: Republique de Guinee local short form: Guinee former: French Guinea etymology: the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel |
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Conakry geographic coordinates: 9 30 N, 13 42 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: according to tradition, the name derives from the fusion of the name "Cona," a Baga wine and cheese producer who lived on Tombo Island (the original site of the present-day capital), and the word "nakiri," which in Susu means "the other bank" or "the other side"; supposedly, Baga's palm grove produced the best wine on the island and people traveling to sample his vintage, would say: "I am going to Cona, on the other bank (Cona-nakiri)," which over time became Conakry |
| Administrative divisions | 7 regions administrative and 1 gouvenorat*; Boke, Conakry*, Faranah, Kankan, Kindia, Labe, Mamou, N'Zerekore |
| Independence | 2 October 1958 (from France) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 2 October (1958) |
| Constitution | history: previous 1958, 1990; latest promulgated 19 April 2010, approved 7 May 2010 amendments: proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; consideration of proposals requires approval by simple majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires approval in referendum; the president can opt to submit amendments directly to the Assembly, in which case approval requires at least two-thirds majority vote; revised in 2020 |
| Legal system | civil law system based on the French model |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Guinea dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: na |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Alpha CONDE (since 21 December 2010) note: on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup by a National Committee of Rally and Development that arrested President CONDE, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the government head of government: Prime Minister Ibrahima FOFANA (since 22 May 2018) note: on 5 September 2021, Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA led a military coup by a National Committee of Rally and Development that arrested President CONDE, suspended the constitution, and dissolved the government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 October 2020 (next to be held in October 2025); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Alpha CONDE reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Alpha CONDE (RPG) 59.5%, Cellou Dalein DIALLO (UFDG) 33.5%, other 7% |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral People's National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale Populaire (114 seats; 76 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote and 38 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 21 March 2020 (next to be held 1 March 2027) election results: In parliamentary elections, the Rally of the Guinean People-Rainbow wins 57.5% of the vote (79 of 114 seats), the Democratic Union of Guinea 5.3% (4), the Democratic Popular Movement of Guinea 4.1% (3), and the New Democratic Forces 2.8% (3). Turnout is 58.0%. |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Administrative Chamber and Civil, Penal, and Social Chamber; court consists of the first president, 2 chamber presidents, 10 councilors, the solicitor general, and NA deputies); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court first president appointed by the national president after consultation with the National Assembly; other members appointed by presidential decree; members serve until age 65; Constitutional Court member appointments - 2 by the National Assembly and the president of the republic, 3 experienced judges designated by their peers, 1 experienced lawyer, 1 university professor with expertise in public law designated by peers, and 2 experienced representatives of the Independent National Institution of Human Rights; members serve single 9-year terms subordinate courts: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; High Court of Justice or Cour d'Assises; Court of Account (Court of Auditors); Courts of First Instance (Tribunal de Premiere Instance); labor court; military tribunal; justices of the peace; specialized courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Bloc Liberal or BL [Faya MILLIMONO] National Party for Hope and Development or PEDN [Lansana KOUYATE] Rally for the Guinean People or RPG [Alpha CONDE] Union for the Progress of Guinea or UPG Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea or UFDG [Cellou Dalein DIALLO] Union of Republican Forces or UFR [Sidya TOURE] Ruling party
Opposition parties
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| International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Kerfalla YANSANE (since 24 January 2018) chancery: 2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 986-4300 FAX: [1] (202) 986-3800 email address and website: http://guineaembassyusa.org/en/welcome-to-the-embassy-of-guinea-washington-usa/ |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven KOUTSIS (since September 2020) embassy: Transversale No. 2, Centre Administratif de Koloma, Commune de Ratoma, Conakry mailing address: 2110 Conakry Place, Washington DC 20521-2110 telephone: [224] 65-10-40-00 FAX: [224] 65-10-42-97 email address and website: ConakryACS@state.gov https://gn.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of red (hoist side), yellow, and green; red represents the people's sacrifice for liberation and work; yellow stands for the sun, for the riches of the earth, and for justice; green symbolizes the country's vegetation and unity note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the colors from left to right are the reverse of those on the flags of neighboring Mali and Senegal |
| National symbol(s) | elephant; national colors: red, yellow, green |
| National anthem | name: "Liberte" (Liberty) lyrics/music: unknown/Fodeba KEITA note: adopted 1958 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
