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
water: 0 sq km
land: 245,857 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
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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

Land use
arable land: 4%
permanent crops: 2%
other: 94% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 950 sq km (1998 est.)

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, 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

NOTE: The information regarding Guinea on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guinea Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guinea Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.