Guinea

In brief

Guinea is a country in West Africa. Its capital is Conakry. With 15.1 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 74th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 245,857 km². It shares land borders with Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone.

GDP per capita stands at $1,877 (2025), 158th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 60.9 years (2024). 39% of the population lives in cities.

History of Guinea

Part of the Mali Empire and later shaped by the Fouta Djallon imamate, the region long resisted the French conquest, notably under Samory Touré until 1898. In 1958 Guinea was the only French colony in Africa to vote “no” in General de Gaulle’s referendum: it became independent on 2 October 1958. Ahmed Sékou Touré ruled until his death in 1984. Since 2021 the country has been governed by a military junta.

Geography of Guinea

Nicknamed the “water tower of West Africa”, Guinea is where the Niger, Senegal and Gambia rivers rise, on the Fouta Djallon plateau. Its Atlantic coast is lined with mangroves. It has the world’s largest bauxite reserves.

Map of Guinea

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Flag of Guinea

The flag of Guinea is red, green and yellow. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• Red33%
• Yellow33%
• Green33%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Red, yellow and green vertical bands: red for the blood of the martyrs and for labour, yellow for the sun and gold, green for vegetation. They echo the motto “Work, Justice, Solidarity”.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Guinea” and “Flag of Guinea”.

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Fact file

Economy and society