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| Overview | People | Geography | Economy | Government | Communications | Transport | Military | Map |
| Country | Guinea |
| Flag |  |
| Capital | name: Conakry geographic coordinates: 9 33 N, 13 42 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Population | 10,057,975 (July 2009 est.) |
| GMT | GMT |
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone see map |
| Area | total: 245,857 sq km land: 245,857 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Ethnic groups | Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% |
| Religions | Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% |
| Languages | French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language |
| Government type | republic |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 2 October (1958) |
| Constitution | 23 December 1990 (Loi Fundamentale) |
| Legal system | based on French civil law system, customary law, and decree; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Background | Guinea has had a history of authoritarian rule since gaining its independence from France in 1958. Lansana CONTE came to power in 1984 when the military seized the government after the death of the first president, Sekou TOURE. Guinea did not hold democratic elections until 1993 when Gen. CONTE (head of the military government) was elected president of the civilian government. He was reelected in 1998 and again in 2003, though all the polls were marred by irregularities. History repeated itself in December 2008 when following President CONTE's death, Capt. Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seizing power and suspending the constitution as well as political and union activity. Guinea has maintained some semblance of internal stability despite spillover effects from conflict in Sierra Leone and Liberia. As those countries have rebuilt, however, Guinea's own vulnerability to political and economic crisis has increased. Declining economic conditions and popular dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006, and a third nationwide strike in early 2007. |
| Internet country code | .gn |
