Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Guinea

The Republic of Guinea (French: République de Guinée) is a coastal sovereign state in , bordering the to the west and sharing land boundaries with (421 km), (363 km), (1,062 km), Côte d'Ivoire (816 km), (590 km), and (794 km). Covering a total area of 245,857 square kilometers, the country features diverse geography including coastal plains, the highlands, plateaus, and rainforests in the southeast. Its population is estimated at 13,986,179 as of 2024, with the majority comprising Fulani (33.4%), Malinke (29.4%), and Susu (21.2%) ethnic groups. Guinea declared independence from on 2 October 1958, rejecting membership in the under President , who proceeded to implement a Marxist-Leninist characterized by nationalizations, collectivized agriculture, and suppression of dissent, resulting in and mass . Touré's regime persisted until his death in 1984, after which under introduced multiparty in 1993 but was marred by corruption and authoritarian tendencies until Conté's death in 2008. Subsequent transitions, including the election of in 2010 as the country's first democratically elected president, ended with a military coup in 2021 led by Colonel , establishing a national committee to oversee a transitional government amid ongoing delays in returning to civilian rule. Endowed with the world's largest reserves—comprising about 23 percent of global totals—along with substantial , , and deposits, Guinea's economy is dominated by , which accounts for over 75 percent of exports, yet the nation grapples with low GDP , high rates affecting over half the , and underinvestment in and due to political volatility and challenges. employs the majority of the workforce, producing , , pineapples, and palm kernels, while services and contribute modestly to a GDP estimated at $59.439 billion in 2024. Despite resource wealth, empirical indicators reveal systemic underdevelopment, with around 62 years and limited access to and , underscoring causal links between extractive institutions and persistent economic underperformance.

Etymology

Origins of the Name

The name "Guinea" originates from the term Guiné, which European explorers applied to the coastal region of starting in the mid-15th century during naval expeditions that facilitated early trade and colonization efforts. This usage stemmed from pre-existing North African linguistic roots, particularly the word aginaw (or variants like Ghinawen), denoting "" or "land of the blacks," reflecting descriptors for dark-skinned populations of the . Portuguese traders adopted and adapted the term from Berber intermediaries, extending it broadly to encompass territories from present-day to , without precise geographic boundaries tied to local ethnic or political divisions. The toponym's African precedence underscores its non-European invention, as Berber speakers interacted with sub-Saharan groups via routes centuries before Iberian contact, predating colonial impositions. Over time, the name's application fragmented along colonial lines: the Republic of Guinea (formerly ) retained it for the inland and coastal areas around , distinct from (now ) and (now ), where partitions followed European spheres of influence rather than indigenous topography or cultural unity. These distinctions arose from 19th-century treaties, such as the of 1884–1885, which formalized boundaries without regard for pre-colonial ethnolinguistic realities. In local West African languages, the term evolved phonetically, appearing as Gine in Fulani (), a major in Guinea's highlands, facilitating its integration into regional nomenclature despite the overlay of . Post-independence in 1958, Guinea's leaders under adopted the full name République de Guinée, preserving the root amid pan-Africanist efforts to assert sovereignty, though brief proposals for alternatives like "Soudan Occidental" were rejected in favor of historical continuity. This retention highlights the name's entrenched utility as a neutral geographic identifier, transcending colonial legacies while rooted in pre-colonial African lexical traditions.

History

Pre-Colonial Empires and Societies

The region encompassing modern Guinea featured a mosaic of ethnic groups and polities shaped by migrations, trade, and conflict prior to European colonization. Mande-speaking peoples, including Mandinka and Susu, established early kingdoms influenced by the trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and ivory, with networks extending from the Sahel to coastal forests. These societies often operated through decentralized village clusters rather than centralized states, fostering localized governance amid frequent intertribal raids. The , emerging around 1235 from the upper Niger valley near Guinea's highlands, projected influence into the area's forested zones through military campaigns and tribute extraction. Sundiata Keita's successors controlled routes channeling from Guinea's interior mines to northern markets, integrating local rulers via alliances or . By the , the succeeded Mali, extending its reach westward to the fringes of the highlands via Gao-based expansions under rulers like , who severed Mali's provincial ties in regions now part of Guinea around 1464. This imperial oversight was indirect in the highlands, relying on vassalage and commerce rather than direct administration, leaving room for autonomous local entities. In the , Fulani (Fulbe) clerics launched a in the highlands around 1725, overthrowing Jalonke rulers and establishing a theocratic governed by Muslim elites. This revolution, culminating in the late , imposed Islamic law, reorganized society into clerical and warrior classes, and expanded slave-raiding to fuel agricultural labor and external trade. Coastal and southern groups like the Baga maintained animist, stateless societies organized in small, self-governing villages focused on cultivation and fishing, resisting centralized authority through ritual and kinship networks. Similarly, Kissi communities in forested areas operated via compact villages under elder councils, emphasizing subsistence farming without hierarchical kingdoms. Intertribal warfare and slave raids permeated these societies, serving as mechanisms for resource acquisition and . Warfare, often fueled by demands for to supply trans-Saharan and emerging Atlantic , institutionalized raiding among groups like the Susu and Fulani, capturing non-Muslims or rivals for labor or export. Such conflicts exacerbated ethnic divisions, with victorious polities like exporting thousands of annually, embedding patterns of and enmity that outlasted pre-colonial eras. Gold and ivory trades, while enriching elites, disproportionately burdened peripheral communities through and plunder, underscoring the coercive foundations of regional economies.

French Colonial Period

The French protectorate of Rivières du Sud, encompassing coastal territories of modern Guinea, was formalized in 1882 and redesignated as in 1891, marking the onset of direct colonial administration under a dedicated governor. In 1895, French Guinea was incorporated into the newly formed federation of Afrique Occidentale Française (AOF), with established as the territorial capital and chief export port to facilitate resource extraction and trade links to . This integration centralized administrative control from while prioritizing coastal access for commodities, laying the groundwork for economic orientations that persisted beyond . Colonial governance enforced corvée labor systems, compelling thousands of Guineans into unpaid work on infrastructure like the Conakry-Niger railway (constructed 1904–1914) and European-managed plantations, often under harsh conditions that exacerbated local hardships and population displacements. Concurrently, French initiatives promoted cash crop cultivation—such as rubber in Upper Guinea and palm products along the coast—shifting subsistence economies toward export monocultures, which generated revenue for the metropole but fostered dependencies on volatile global markets and imported goods. These developments, while extractive, introduced rudimentary modern education (primarily for évolués or assimilated elites) and grid-based urban planning in Conakry, surpassing pre-colonial infrastructural capacities in scale and connectivity, though access remained severely restricted by race and class. To consolidate control, French authorities suppressed residual Islamic jihads in regions like Futa Jallon, where 19th-century theocratic states had challenged earlier expansions, while adopting that co-opted local chiefs (chefs de canton) as intermediaries, thereby entrenching ethnic-based authority structures over meritocratic or centralized alternatives. This preservation of chiefly powers, rather than wholesale administrative overhaul, reinforced tribal identities and decentralized power dynamics, causally contributing to post-colonial by institutionalizing divisions that pre-colonial jihads had partially transcended through religious unity. Guinea's AOF territories rallied to the Free French cause in late 1940 following Dakar’s resistance to Vichy, supplying troops, raw materials, and logistics that bolstered Allied efforts, with Guinean conscripts serving in North African and European campaigns. The 1946 Lamine Guèye Law extended French citizenship rights to all subjects in overseas territories, including Guinea, enabling greater electoral representation (two deputies to the French National Assembly) and union activity, which amplified demands for autonomy within the French Union framework. These reforms, amid rising nationalist sentiments, culminated in the 1958 constitutional referendum across French West Africa, offering territories the choice between loose federation with France or full sovereignty, amid tensions over retained economic and military influences.

Independence and Sékou Touré's Regime

On September 28, 1958, Guinea held a referendum on the proposed French constitution, with over 95% of voters rejecting membership in the French Community, leading to full independence on October 2, 1958, under Ahmed Sékou Touré as president. France responded by withdrawing all administrative and technical aid, removing equipment, furniture, and even telephone lines from public buildings, which severely hampered the new government's initial operations. Touré, leader of the Democratic Party of Guinea (PDG), immediately consolidated power, declaring a one-party state aligned with Marxist-Leninist principles and rejecting continued French influence. Touré's regime pursued aggressive of foreign-owned enterprises, including and , alongside centralized modeled partly on Soviet and Cuban systems. These policies, intended to achieve , resulted in widespread inefficiencies due to the lack of incentives and expertise, as initiative was supplanted by state control. Agricultural collectivization, enforced through state farms and cooperatives, led to sharp declines in output; for instance, banana production fell from 64,000 tons in to 20,000 tons by the early 1970s, while coffee output dropped from 16,000 tons to 2,000 tons over the same period. Border closures with neighboring countries, implemented to prevent perceived , isolated Guinea economically, exacerbating shortages and contributing to chronic insecurity without inducing outright but severely straining subsistence farming. Repression intensified under Touré to suppress dissent, with the establishment of in as a primary detention facility from 1960 onward, where tens of thousands were held, tortured, and executed during periodic purges in the and . Estimates indicate thousands perished in these campaigns, including high-profile mass executions such as the 1971 hangings of alleged plotters. The regime's paranoia, fueled by real and fabricated conspiracies, prompted an exodus of over one million citizens—roughly a quarter of the —to seek refuge in , , and other neighbors, depriving Guinea of skilled labor and further crippling economic productivity. Touré ruled until his death from a heart attack on March 26, 1984, in Cleveland, , amid unverified rumors of a coup plot; he left behind an economy marked by stagnation, mounting external debt from bloc aid dependencies, and infrastructural decay, with barely advancing from levels. His policies exemplified the pitfalls of central planning, where state monopolies on production and distribution eroded incentives for output, leading to verifiable contractions in key sectors despite abundant natural resources.

Lansana Conté's Rule and Economic Stagnation

Following the death of on March 26, 1984, Colonel , a Soussou military officer, led a bloodless on April 3, 1984, assuming the presidency and establishing the Military Committee for National Recovery (CMRN) to govern Guinea. In response to an attempted counter-coup by northern rival Diarra Traoré in July 1985, Conté announced measures, including the promotion of free enterprise, private ownership, and foreign investment, marking a shift from Touré-era . However, these reforms fostered , as revenues—Guinea's primary export, accounting for over 80% of mining output—were largely captured by regime elites and military loyalists rather than invested in broad infrastructure or diversification, perpetuating networks that prioritized loyalty over productive growth. Conté's rule entrenched ethnic favoritism toward the Malinke group, from which he drew key allies, exacerbating tensions in the multi-ethnic region dominated by Kissi and other groups, who perceived systemic exclusion from power and resources. This favoritism contributed to the Forestier rebellions of 2000–2001, where armed insurgents in southeastern Guinea challenged central authority amid grievances over marginalization and inequities, prompting military crackdowns that highlighted the regime's reliance on force to maintain control. To consolidate power, Conté orchestrated a , 2001, constitutional that removed presidential term limits, extended the term from five to seven years, and garnered 98.4% approval amid opposition boycotts and restricted freedoms. Widespread discontent over corruption and stagnation fueled general strikes in 2006–2007, organized by unions demanding 's resignation and economic reforms; responded with lethal force, killing at least 22 protesters in early 2007 and dozens more in subsequent clashes, underscoring the military's role in suppressing dissent to protect structures. Economic performance under reflected mismanagement, with GDP averaging around $600–700 USD from 1986 to 2008, stagnating below $1,000 and shrinking in the due to , fiscal deficits, and failure to leverage mineral wealth for human development. 's death from illness on , 2008, after 24 years in power, triggered immediate succession chaos, as the absence of a clear plan exposed the fragility of his personalized , paving the way for a takeover.

Transition to Democracy and Alpha Condé Era

Following the death of President on December 22, 2008, elements of the Guinean military seized power in a bloodless coup on December 23, establishing the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) under Captain . Camara promised a transition to civilian rule but faced international pressure after a 2009 stadium massacre of opposition protesters, in which security forces killed at least 150 people, mostly women and children. An assassination attempt on Camara in December 2009 left him incapacitated and exiled; Vice President assumed leadership, facilitating a power-sharing agreement with Camara's agreement to remain abroad and paving the way for multiparty elections. Presidential elections in and 2010 marked Guinea's first democratic in 52 years, with opposition leader of the (RPG) defeating Cellou Dalein Diallo of the Union of Democratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG) in a runoff, securing 52.5% of the vote amid irregularities and between Condé's Malinke supporters and Diallo's Peul (Fulani) base, which dominates northern Guinea demographically. Condé was inaugurated on December 21, 2010, under a new adopted via in May 2010 during the transitional period, which limited presidents to two five-year terms but included provisions that opposition critics later argued enabled power consolidation. Initial reforms emphasized multiparty competition, but persistent military influence and electoral disputes undermined democratic consolidation, with the RPG leveraging state resources to marginalize rivals. Condé's tenure saw authoritarian tendencies intensify through constitutional maneuvers, culminating in a March 2020 referendum approving a new that reset term limits, effectively allowing him to seek a third term despite the 2010 constitution's restrictions. The , boycotted by major opposition as a ploy to extend rule, triggered nationwide protests met with lethal force, killing at least 50 demonstrators by security forces using live ammunition and resulting in hundreds of arrests. Ethnic dimensions exacerbated clashes, as Peul communities, viewing the changes as Malinke favoritism, faced targeted repression, including home invasions and extrajudicial killings, fostering perceptions of governance as ethnically skewed patronage rather than inclusive . Condé's October 2020 reelection, with 59.5% of votes per the electoral commission, sparked further violence claiming over 30 lives in post-poll clashes, with opposition alleging and security forces accused of suppressing Peul-majority areas. Resource deals defined Condé's economic legacy, with exports surging from under 20 million tonnes annually pre-2010 to over 80 million by 2020, driven by new concessions to firms like Société Minière de Boké, yet local communities reported minimal and rising , as contributed only 17% to GDP despite comprising 90% of exports, with rates stagnant above 50%. The Simandou project, holding the world's largest untapped reserves, faced repeated delays from 2011 contract renegotiations, including Guinea's revocation of Rio Tinto's blocks (restored after a ) and disputes over costs exceeding $20 billion, stalling production amid allegations and bureaucratic hurdles. These opaque deals prioritized elite contracts over transparent , exacerbating grievances. Escalating crackdowns on , including mass arrests of opposition figures and restrictions, alienated broad segments by 2021, as third-term protests highlighted failures like electoral manipulation and resource mismanagement, culminating in Condé's ouster on September 5, 2021, by citing the need to end "" from authoritarian overreach. This exposed multipartyism's fragility, where formal elections masked underlying and ethnic fractures unresolved by institutions.

2021 Coup and Military Junta Under Mamady Doumbouya

On September 5, 2021, Colonel , commander of the elite Group, led a group of military officers in seizing the presidential palace in , arresting incumbent President , dissolving the government, suspending the constitution, and closing borders. The coup perpetrators formed the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development (CNRD) as the transitional authority, with Doumbouya proclaimed interim president; they cited Condé's alleged , economic mismanagement, and disputed 2020 election as justifications, though these claims echoed long-standing opposition grievances without independent verification of coup motives beyond anti-corruption rhetoric. The promptly imposed media restrictions, including blackouts and arrests of journalists critical of the regime, while pledging to organize elections within a short period to restore civilian rule. Compared to the Condé era, which saw recurrent deadly protests over electoral disputes and governance—resulting in hundreds of deaths since 2010—the Doumbouya regime has maintained relative street-level calm through heightened security measures, though this stability derives from suppression rather than resolved grievances, with sporadic crackdowns on demonstrations persisting into 2025. ECOWAS issued ultimatums for a swift return to civilian governance, imposing initial sanctions and setting a transition deadline of late 2024, but these pressures yielded no compliance as the extended its mandate repeatedly, citing logistical and security needs; by mid-2025, had not escalated to further measures despite the missed timeline. Concurrently, the regime secured economic lifelines through expanded mining concessions, particularly with firms in bauxite and sectors like Simandou, which provided revenue streams insulating the from external isolation and funding infrastructure projects to build domestic support. In September 2025, a constitutional on September 21 approved a new charter by 89.38% of votes cast, per official tallies validated by the , which critics argued was manipulated through low turnout reporting and opposition boycotts; the document resets presidential term limits, potentially allowing Doumbouya—previously barred from candidacy under pacts—to elections. On September 29, 2025, the decreed presidential and legislative elections for December 28, 2025, but imposed a candidacy deposit of 875 million Guinean francs (approximately $100,000 USD), alongside a 40 billion GNF campaign spending cap, measures decried by opposition figures as prohibitive barriers favoring incumbency and well-resourced allies over broad participation. These steps, amid ongoing suspensions of opposition parties and arrests, underscore delays in and efforts to entrench influence despite initial coup promises.

Geography

Physical Features and Borders

Guinea encompasses 245,857 square kilometers of territory in , characterized by a narrow along the Atlantic Ocean, the central highlands rising to over 1,000 meters, northern plateaus, and southeastern forested highlands. The transitions from low-lying mangroves and estuaries in the coastal zone, known as Maritime Guinea, to the dissected plateaus and escarpments of the interior, with the highest elevations reaching 1,752 meters at Mount Nimba on the southeastern border. The highlands, a lateritic plateau averaging 800-1,000 meters in elevation, function as the water tower of , originating the headwaters of the , , , and several other rivers that sustain regional agriculture and . In the southeast, the Guinea Highlands form a rugged, densely forested that extends across borders, featuring steep slopes, deep valleys, and hotspots amid equatorial rainforests. Guinea maintains a 320-kilometer Atlantic coastline, indented with rias and dominated by the Tombo where is situated, providing the nation's primary maritime access. Land borders total approximately 3,400 kilometers with six neighbors: (386 km), (363 km), (982 km), Côte d'Ivoire (610 km), (563 km), and (466 km). These frontiers, traversing varied terrain including rivers, mountains, and savannas with minimal formal crossings, exhibit that has enabled illicit of goods, arms, and personnel, as well as spillover from insurgencies in adjacent conflict zones like Sierra Leone's civil war and jihadist expansions.

Climate and Natural Resources

Guinea exhibits a characterized by distinct wet and s, with regional variations influenced by its topography and proximity to . The rainy season spans from May to , delivering annual ranging from 1,500 mm in the northern regions to over 4,000 mm along the coastal zones. The , from to April, features the winds—dry, dust-laden northeasterly gusts originating from the —that lower humidity and can elevate temperatures to 40°C in the northeast while moderating coastal heat. In the highlands, cooler temperatures prevail due to elevation, supporting , though seasonal dryness in the north periodically constrains water availability for . Guinea possesses substantial natural resource endowments, including the world's largest reserves, estimated at 7.4 billion metric tons as of 2023, concentrated in the Kindia and Boké regions. Other minerals include alluvial gold along the and its tributaries, as well as gem-quality . The country's rivers, such as the Konkouré, offer significant potential; the Souapiti facility on the Konkouré River, for instance, provides 450 MW of capacity as part of cascade developments. The southeastern forest regions form part of the , harboring approximately 390 terrestrial mammal species amid high . However, hunting exerts pressure on populations. Coastal fisheries in the Atlantic support artisanal operations targeting small pelagic species in the .

Environmental Degradation from Resource Extraction

Open-pit bauxite in Guinea's Boké region has led to significant , with national forest cover declining by approximately 10% since 2000, largely driven by mining activities that clear vast areas for . In Boké specifically, tree cover loss reached 347,000 hectares from 2001 to 2024, representing 37% of the area's 2000 baseline, exacerbating and through the removal of vegetative cover essential for stabilizing lateritic soils. This contributes to river , as exposed mine pits and overburden dumps allow silt-laden runoff to enter waterways like the Kaba and Fatala rivers during rainy seasons, reducing and aquatic productivity. Dust pollution from blasting, loading, and operations further degrades air quality, settling on nearby farmland and settlements, though empirical measurements remain limited due to inadequate government monitoring stations. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), prevalent in regions like Siguiri and Kouroussa, introduces mercury contamination into rivers and soils, with miners using the chemical for amalgamation releasing an estimated contribution to global ASGM mercury emissions that poison fish stocks and groundwater. In northern Guinea, ASGM sites exhibit elevated mercury levels in sediments and biota, leading to bioaccumulation in local food chains, yet formal testing is sporadic, allowing unregulated practices to persist. The Société Minière de Boké (SMB) project, a major bauxite operator, has been linked to localized water pollution through red mud tailings and sediment discharge, contaminating streams used for drinking and irrigation in communities downstream of its Dapilon and Foulaya concessions. Health impacts near mining sites include elevated respiratory issues, such as chronic coughs and exacerbations, attributed by Boké residents to dust inhalation, with reports of increased visits for pulmonary complaints since mining in the mid-2010s. These effects are underreported, as Guinea lacks systematic epidemiological , with only anecdotal from NGOs filling gaps in official records hampered by understaffed facilities. Government enforcement of environmental regulations remains weak, undermined by in permit issuance and royalty collection, which prioritizes over measures like revegetation or containment, allowing in mining-adjacent highlands to accelerate without mandatory reclamation bonds. Lax oversight, including uninspected illegal ASGM sites and delayed environmental impact assessments for industrial operations, stems from systemic graft rather than inherent mining technologies, as evidenced by repeated audit failures in tracking that divert funds from regulatory capacity-building.

Administrative Regions and Urban Centers

Guinea's administrative structure consists of eight regions subdivided into 33 prefectures, with designated as a special zone equivalent to a region. This framework emerged from initiatives launched in the early , intended to transfer authority over local services such as , , and to subnational entities, though progress has remained limited due to inconsistent implementation and capacity constraints. Prefectures frequently correspond to historical ethnic territories, facilitating aligned with cultural and social patterns; for instance, those in the region encompass the highlands, a core area for Fulani communities, while Kankan prefecture in the northeast serves as a commercial nexus in Maninka-dominated Upper Guinea. Conakry functions as the paramount urban center, concentrating administrative, port, and commercial activities as the nation's capital. Regional hubs like Kindia, situated along the , support agricultural processing and connectivity to the capital, whereas Nzérékoré anchors the southeastern zone with roles in timber and mining oversight. Kankan, a rural-oriented , thrives on cross-border trade and serves as a vital inland distribution point for goods from and Côte d'Ivoire. Local faces persistent hurdles in fiscal management, as revenue-sharing mechanisms between and subnational levels remain underdeveloped, with communes relying heavily on transfers that are often delayed or insufficient to fund devolved responsibilities. dominance in resource allocation, particularly from royalties, exacerbates these issues, hindering prefectural capacities for independent budgeting and service delivery.

Government and Politics

Constitutional Framework and Junta Governance

Guinea's post-independence constitutional framework has consistently featured a dominant executive branch, with presidents wielding extensive powers as , , and of the armed forces, often at the expense of robust legislative or judicial checks. Following independence in 1958, early constitutions under established a one-party socialist that centralized authority in the , enabling unchecked rule until his death in 1984. Subsequent charters under Lansana Conté's in the and maintained this pattern, with amendments frequently extending presidential terms and subordinating other institutions to executive control. This structure persisted into the era, reflecting a causal continuity where formal constitutional provisions for yielded to practical executive dominance amid weak institutional enforcement. The 2010 constitution, adopted after a transitional period following Conté's death, enshrined a semi-presidential system with a strong elected for two five-year terms, granting authority over appointments, veto powers, and decree issuance in emergencies, while the —appointed by the president—handled day-to-day governance under executive oversight. Legislative power resided in a unicameral , but its influence was limited by the president's ability to dissolve it and dominate the political landscape through party control. This framework aimed to balance powers but reinforced executive preeminence, as evidenced by Alpha Condé's use of constitutional changes to pursue a third term in 2020, highlighting the document's vulnerability to manipulation despite term limits. The was suspended following the , 2021, coup led by Colonel , which dissolved the government and , installing the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (CNRD) as the supreme authority. Under rule, governance shifted to a transitional that prioritized executive decrees over legislative deliberation, with the 81-member (CNT)—appointed by Doumbouya in January 2022—serving as an interim legislature lacking binding veto or budgetary powers, its role confined to advisory consultations on draft laws. Doumbouya, as transitional , has issued ordinances bypassing the CNT, consolidating control over key sectors like and elections, while a -dominated transition committee—comprising mostly government ministers—oversees the process, underscoring the absence of effective checks. Efforts to incorporate ethnic diversity in CNT appointments, drawing from Guinea's major groups like Fulani, Malinke, and Susu, have aimed at representativeness but failed to curb favoritism toward junta loyalists, perpetuating historical patterns of executive-aligned . A September 21, 2025, approved a new with approximately 89-90% support, reinstating a strong akin to the 2010 model, including provisions enabling members like Doumbouya to contest elections and potentially extending tenure through renewed term structures. This replaces the suspended 2020 and transitional framework, but critics note its endorsement amid opposition suspensions and -controlled raises questions about procedural integrity, likely preserving dominance without substantive curbs on overlays.

Political Transitions and 2025 Developments

Guinea's history of military interventions, including coups in 1984 following Ahmed Sékou Touré's death, in 2008 after Lansana Conté's passing, and in 2021 ousting Alpha Condé, has repeatedly delivered immediate cessation of elite-level power struggles but at the expense of sustained economic deterrence. Each transition imposed periods of governance uncertainty, leading to deferred mining contracts and reduced foreign aid inflows, as donors conditioned support on democratic restoration. Post-2021, foreign direct investment fell from $198 million in 2020 to $139 million by 2023, with mining sector partners citing coup-induced risks as factors in halting expansion plans amid fears of contract renegotiations under new regimes. Such instability has compounded Guinea's resource curse, where short-term junta control stabilizes security apparatuses but postpones diversification investments essential for long-term growth. In 2025, the junta led by Mamady Doumbouya escalated transition efforts with a constitutional referendum on September 22, approving a framework that extends presidential terms to seven years, allows one reelection, and explicitly permits the interim leader and other junta members to seek office. Voter turnout remained low due to widespread opposition boycotts, with major parties denouncing the process as lacking inclusivity and transparency; official results reported over 90% approval among ballots cast, though critics highlighted discrepancies in polling station data and pre-vote suspensions of three opposition groups. The ensuing decree scheduled presidential and legislative elections for December 28, 2025, but candidacy requirements—including a deposit of 875 million Guinean francs (approximately $100,000)—have drawn accusations of erecting financial barriers to exclude non-junta aligned contenders, further limiting field diversity. Pre-referendum protests against the junta's timeline drew security crackdowns, including internet and social media disruptions on platforms like Telegram and to curb mobilization, yet incident reports indicate fewer fatalities and injuries than the violent dispersals under Condé's 2019–2020 election protests, which claimed dozens of lives. This relative restraint in suppression correlates with the junta's monopoly on force since 2021, enabling tighter control over dissent without the widespread urban clashes of prior eras, though it risks entrenching authoritarian patterns that perpetuate investment hesitancy.

Foreign Relations and International Influence

Following the 2021 coup led by , Guinea's foreign relations shifted toward reduced engagement with Western powers and enhanced ties with and , reflecting a broader pattern of post-coup prioritizing resource-backed partnerships over democratic conditionality. The imposed financial and on the in September 2021, including bans on transactions with Guinean institutions, to pressure for a swift return to civilian rule. These measures were lifted in 2024 alongside similar actions for , amid ECOWAS's recalibration of enforcement amid its own internal challenges, though expectations for transitional elections persisted. Ties with France, Guinea's former colonial power, have waned amid anti-French sentiment across coup-affected Sahel states, with Conakry viewing Paris's influence as outdated and interventionist. France's military and diplomatic footprint diminished post-2021, as juntas like Guinea's expelled French forces from regional operations and diversified partnerships, exacerbating Paris's broader retreat from West Africa. The United States condemned the coup and suspended non-humanitarian aid, citing delays in democratic transition, mirroring cuts in countries like Burkina Faso where over $160 million was halted post-coup; this reflected Washington's policy of conditioning assistance on governance benchmarks unmet by the junta's repeated election postponements into 2025. China has emerged as Guinea's dominant external partner, importing approximately 60% of its from the country in 2024 and driving a 36% surge in Guinea's bauxite exports to 99.8 million metric tons in the first half of 2025, fueled by Beijing's demand for aluminum production inputs. firms fund and operate major bauxite projects, with investments growing 1,935% in 2024, enabling Conakry to leverage its reserves—two-thirds of global totals—for infrastructure swaps under the , sidelining Western competitors disengaged over political instability. has deepened security links, using Guinea as a conduit for arms shipments to allies despite the Wagner Group's diminished direct presence after its 2023 leadership changes; provides military support without democratic strings, contrasting Western withdrawals and appealing to the junta's needs amid jihadist spillovers from neighbors. Regionally, Guinea coordinated with neighbors during the 2014–2016 outbreak, where it served as the epicenter with 3,358 confirmed cases, facilitating cross-border surveillance and response under WHO auspices that contained spread to and . However, border frictions persist, notably a 2025 flare-up over the Yenga enclave with , where Guinean troop movements prompted civilian evacuations and diplomatic protests, rooted in colonial-era demarcations and exacerbated by resource disputes. Tensions with involve porous frontiers enabling jihadist incursions and arms flows, undermining collective security despite shared membership. Guinea's international influence remains modest, centered on resource diplomacy rather than leadership in multilateral forums, as its prioritizes sovereignty over integration.

Armed Forces and Security Apparatus

The armed forces of Guinea, known as the Forces Armées Guinéennes, comprise approximately 12,000 active personnel, primarily organized into , , , and branches, with an emphasis on ground forces for domestic operations. units, including the , add another 10,000 personnel dedicated to and . The military's structure reflects a historical prioritization of protection over conventional external capabilities, with limited naval and air assets suited mainly for coastal and basic transport. A key elite component is the Groupement des Forces Spéciales (GFS), a unit that played a pivotal role in the September 5, 2021, by seizing key government sites in and detaining President , thereby installing the current . This intervention underscored the military's entrenched position as a political arbiter, with the GFS leveraging its training and equipment—often sourced from foreign partners like and —to execute rapid, decisive actions against perceived internal threats. Military expenditure constitutes about 2.1% of GDP as of 2023, funding equipment maintenance, personnel salaries, and operations geared toward suppressing domestic unrest rather than projecting power abroad. This allocation sustains a force reliant on infantry and light vehicles, with procurement focused on small arms and armored personnel carriers to address internal stability over advanced external threat mitigation. The budget's inward orientation has perpetuated a doctrine where the armed forces serve as the primary instrument for governance enforcement, evident in repeated deployments to quell civil disturbances. Historically, the has intervened to suppress popular revolts, such as during the 2007 against Lansana Conté's regime, where dispersed protesters in urban centers like , restoring order through amid economic paralysis. In recent years, units have conducted border patrols along Guinea's northern frontiers with and to monitor jihadist incursions spilling over from the , collaborating with regional partners to prevent extremist infiltration amid rising threats from groups like Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin. This shift supplements the core internal focus, though resource constraints limit proactive engagements beyond surveillance and rapid response. Overall, the apparatus's capacity hinges on loyalty to leadership, fostering a model where substitutes for institutional civilian control.

Corruption, Human Rights Abuses, and Governance Failures

Guinea's public sector is plagued by systemic corruption, as evidenced by its score of 28 out of 100 on the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking it 133rd out of 180 countries, reflecting entrenched bribery and elite capture in resource management. The 2025 Index of Economic Freedom assigns Guinea a score of 54.6, classifying its economy as "mostly unfree," with particularly low marks in government integrity due to weak rule of law and pervasive graft that undermines institutional accountability. These indices highlight how corruption distorts governance, prioritizing patronage over public welfare. In the mining sector, which dominates Guinea's , corruption manifests through demands and opaque contract awards, notably in deals. A 2023 diagnostic report identified risks such as underreported revenues and illicit payments in extraction, with noting persistent irregularities despite post-coup reforms. High-profile scandals, including the 2013 revocation of BSGR's Simandou rights amid allegations of involving over $2.5 billion in concessions, illustrate where politically connected firms secure favorable terms at public expense. Audits have revealed discrepancies in revenue collection, though exact skimming rates remain contested; however, such practices erode fiscal and fuel . Human rights abuses under the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development (CNRD) , installed after the 2021 coup, include arbitrary detentions and of critics. In June 2025, opposition figure Mohamed Traoré was abducted and subjected to severe beatings, with marks of evident upon his release, prompting calls for impartial probes. documented a pattern of enforced disappearances, with activists remaining missing as of July 2025, amid stalled democratic transitions. The 's security forces have also quelled protests with excessive force, though opposition rallies have occasionally incited clashes; accountability lags, as seen in the July 2024 conviction of former leader for the 2009 stadium massacre—where over 150 were killed—but his March 2025 pardon on health grounds raised doubts about . Governance failures stem from patronage networks intertwined with ethnic affiliations, weakening . The junta exhibits overrepresentation of Malinke in key posts, sidelining Fulani groups and fostering perceptions of favoritism in . complicates transitions, with leaders leveraging tribal ties for rather than merit-based administration, perpetuating instability and derailing promised elections. This prioritizes elite coalitions over institutional reforms, as December 2024 reports noted the 's reversal on constitutional timelines, risking prolonged .

Economy

Macroeconomic Overview and Growth Drivers

Guinea's GDP expanded by 5.7% in 2024, propelled by output and non-mining activities, with forecasts from the and IMF indicating 6.5% to 7.2% growth in 2025 amid anticipated infrastructure investments and production increases. Nominal GDP remained low at approximately $1,050 in 2024, underscoring persistent challenges in translating aggregate growth into household-level improvements, particularly as outpaces gains. persists at around 43% of the population under Guinea's lower-middle-income benchmark of $3.65 per day in 2023, reflecting distributional failures despite resource wealth. Inflation averaged 11% in 2024, driven by depreciation—reaching over 8,600 GNF per USD by late 2025—and elevated import costs for food and fuel. The fiscal deficit widened to 4.8% of GDP in 2024, financed predominantly by mining royalties that offset spending and burdens, though this exposes the to commodity price swings. Economic volatility stems more from governance shortcomings—such as inadequate diversification and —than external shocks, manifesting in the where mineral exports constitute over 80% of total exports, inducing effects that appreciate the real exchange rate and erode competitiveness in and . This overreliance stifles non-extractive sector development, perpetuating boom-bust cycles despite and windfalls, as institutional weaknesses hinder reinvestment into productive capacities.

Mining Sector Dominance and Resource Curse

Guinea's mining sector, particularly extraction, overwhelmingly dominates the national economy, accounting for the majority of revenues and government income. In the first half of 2025, exports reached a record 99.8 million metric tons, a 36% increase from the prior year, driven primarily by demand from . Annual production has surpassed 100 million tons in recent years, positioning Guinea as the world's second-largest producer and exporter, supplying over 70% of global seaborne trade. Artisanal has also surged post-2020, with exports rising 233% in that year alone due to elevated global prices and informal operations, further entrenching 's role amid limited diversification. Chinese-backed firms, such as the SMB-Winning Consortium, have consolidated dominance in operations, particularly in the Boké region, through large-scale concessions and investments that have aligned with post- priorities. These arrangements have facilitated rapid output growth but are marred by allegations of graft across the mining , including undervaluation of exports, illicit payments to officials, and opaque awards, leading to substantial leakages estimated in billions over the decade. Such , pervasive in Guinea's extractive governance, diverts funds from public investment, perpetuating underdevelopment despite mining's fiscal potential. The Simandou iron ore project exemplifies delays stemming from disputes and mismanagement, with operations halted in October 2025 following worker fatalities, pushing back initial production timelines originally set for late 2025. These setbacks compound the dynamics, where Guinea generated over $10 billion in mining exports in 2022—primarily from ($5.1 billion) and ($5.8 billion)—yet sustains rates exceeding 50% of the , with GDP below $1,300. Empirical evidence links this to institutional failures, including corruption-induced leakages that erode fiscal revenues and crowd out non-mining sectors, fostering and volatility without broad-based growth. Mining activities impose severe environmental and social costs, including widespread displacement of communities without adequate compensation or resettlement, as seen in Boké where expansion has razed farmlands and contaminated water sources with dust and effluents. Reports document unremedied affecting ecosystems and health, alongside social disruptions from land grabs, which exacerbate and local grievances without offsetting national benefits due to graft-riddled revenue distribution. This pattern underscores causal mechanisms of the : elite capture of rents hinders and development, trapping Guinea in low-productivity cycles despite resource abundance.

Agriculture, Trade, and Diversification Efforts

Agriculture employs about 58% of Guinea's total workforce, with the sector contributing around 30% to GDP in 2024 through subsistence production of staple crops such as , , , and yams, as well as cash crops including , , and pineapples. Production relies heavily on smallholder rainfed farming, yielding an average of 3.6 tons per in 2023—below regional benchmarks—due to slash-and-burn practices, soil degradation, inadequate use, and vulnerability to erratic rainfall patterns exacerbated by climate variability. These low yields perpetuate food insecurity, as domestic output meets only a fraction of demand, necessitating imports primarily from to cover shortfalls. Agricultural exports remain negligible, consisting mainly of unprocessed , small volumes of mangoes, pineapples, and cashews, with total potential untapped at around $42 million annually across markets as of recent assessments. In July 2023, the government imposed a six-month on select agricultural products to prioritize local availability amid rising domestic prices and supply constraints. dynamics favor mineral exports to partners like and , while agricultural exchanges are limited; the provides development aid for farming resilience but enforces deforestation-linked restrictions on timber and related wood products, curtailing potential forestry-agriculture linkages. Diversification efforts, including the National Agricultural Investment and Food Security Plan (PNIASAN), seek to expand agro-processing and introduce irrigated schemes for high-value crops like potatoes and vegetables, yet progress has stalled due to post-2021 coup insecurity, recurrent protests, and underinvestment in rural extension services. Political instability has disrupted value chain development for mangoes and cashews, with initiatives like export-oriented fruit processing facing delays from ethnic tensions and urban unrest, limiting shifts from subsistence to commercial farming. Despite international support from bodies like the World Food Programme for resilience-building, chronic vulnerabilities to shocks—such as floods and pests—have hindered yield improvements and market integration, maintaining agriculture's role as a poverty trap rather than a growth engine.

Infrastructure Deficiencies and Transport Networks

Guinea's road network spans approximately 44,350 km in total, but paved segments remain severely limited, with only about 2,346 km of national surfaced, comprising roughly 5% of the system. The predominance of unpaved tracks, prone to and flooding during the annual rainy season from to , severely restricts mobility, , and access to remote and agricultural zones, tying infrastructural bottlenecks directly to historical underinvestment in and . This scarcity of reliable isolates rural communities, amplifying logistical costs that deter formal and inadvertently bolster informal cross-border activities. Rail transport is confined to short, commodity-specific lines, underscoring the network's inadequacy for broader . The 105 km standard-gauge Conakry-Kindia railway, operational since and managed by the state-linked Société des Bauxites de Kindia, exclusively serves shipment from interior mines to coastal export facilities, carrying up to 1.2 million tons annually in the early 2000s. Larger projects, such as proposed trans-Guinean lines for and , face delays due to funding shortfalls and political instability, leaving passenger and general freight services virtually nonexistent and perpetuating reliance on costlier road alternatives. The Port of , Guinea's sole major deep-water facility, processes around 7 million tons of cargo yearly, dominated by exports that account for over 90% of outbound volume. Expansions, including and terminal upgrades by since 2016, have incrementally boosted capacity, yet persistent inefficiencies—such as shallow drafts limiting larger vessels and inadequate handling equipment—constrain throughput amid rising mineral demand. Power infrastructure exacerbates these transport limitations, with national electricity access at 51.1% in 2023, concentrated in urban while rural areas endure chronic blackouts from overloaded grids and variability. Shortages, often exceeding 12 hours daily in industrial hubs, disrupt port operations, rail loading, and road-related logistics like fuel distribution, as aging and plants fail to meet peak demands exceeding 500 MW against installed capacity under 400 MW. Gbessia International Airport's upgrades, with phase one 95% complete as of mid-2025 under oversight from firms like SOGEAG, focus on rehabilitation and to handle increased Simandou-linked traffic. Foreign financing, including from development banks, underscores dependency on external capital, but delays in phase two highlight execution risks tied to governance and fiscal constraints, limiting air freight's role in bypassing ground deficiencies.

Demographics

Population Size, Growth, and Urbanization

As of mid-2025, Guinea's population is estimated at 15.1 million. The country experiences an annual population growth rate of approximately 2.4%, driven primarily by a high total fertility rate of 4.22 children per woman, which sustains elevated birth rates despite modest net migration. This rapid expansion imposes significant strains on infrastructure, employment opportunities, and public services, as the high dependency ratio—exacerbated by limited economic diversification—hinders per capita resource allocation and contributes to persistent poverty cycles. Guinea features a pronounced youth bulge, with roughly 60% of the under 25 years old, including 41% aged 0-14 and 19% aged 15-24. This demographic structure, resulting from sustained high fertility and declining , amplifies pressures for job creation and education expansion, as the influx of young entrants into the labor market outpaces formal sector growth, fostering and social instability risks. Urbanization stands at about 40% of the total , with rural-to-urban fueling concentrated growth in coastal and administrative centers. , the capital, absorbs the majority of this influx, swelling its to over 2 million and straining , , and amid inadequate . outflows, particularly of youth to West African neighbors and , provide remittances equivalent to roughly 2.4% of GDP, offering a partial economic buffer but failing to offset domestic growth pressures.

Ethnic Composition and Linguistic Diversity

Guinea's population comprises several major ethnic groups, with the Fulani (also known as Peul or Fula) constituting approximately 40% of the total, primarily concentrated in the highlands. The Malinke (Mandingo) make up about 30%, mainly in the southeast and forest regions, while the Susu account for around 20%, predominantly along the coastal areas. Smaller groups include the Kissi (roughly 6%), Loma (6%), and Kpelle (Kpɛlɛ), along with other minorities such as the Konianke and Bassari, collectively comprising the remaining 4-10% and often residing in the Guinea Forestière zone. These ethnic distributions have fostered distinct regional identities, with intergroup marriages limited and social structures largely endogamous, contributing to persistent cleavages in national politics. Political competition frequently aligns with ethnic voting blocs, as seen in presidential elections where candidates like Cellou Dalein Diallo (Fulani) draw support from their kin networks against Malinke-backed incumbents such as , leading to heightened tensions. Such divisions have exacerbated protests, including the violent unrest following the 2010 and 2020 elections, where ethnic mobilization fueled opposition claims of fraud and demands for power alternation. French serves as the , inherited from colonial rule, but its use is confined largely to administration, , and urban elites, with proficiency uneven due to low adult rates of 45.3% as of 2021—male rates at 61.2% contrasting sharply with female rates of 31.3%. In daily life, indigenous languages predominate, reflecting ethnic majorities: (spoken by Fulani) by 35% of the population, Maninka (Malinke) by 25%, and Susu by 18%. Guinea hosts over 40 indigenous languages from Niger-Congo families, including Kissi and Loma dialects in the south, underscoring linguistic fragmentation that parallels ethnic diversity and complicates national cohesion. Ethnic-linguistic alignments amplify political frictions, as regional languages reinforce bloc loyalties during electoral campaigns and post-coup transitions, with appeals often targeting specific groups for legitimacy amid delays in promised elections. For instance, the 2021 coup led by garnered initial support from non-Fulani communities disillusioned with Condé's Malinke-dominated rule, yet subsequent protests have highlighted Fulani grievances over marginalization. This dynamic has stalled democratic progress, as ethnic networks prioritize group interests over merit-based .

Religious Landscape and Social Norms

Guinea's religious landscape is dominated by , with approximately 85% of the population identifying as Muslim according to multiple estimates from government and international reports. , mainly Roman Catholics, account for about 8%, while traditional animist beliefs or syncretic practices persist among roughly 7%, particularly in rural areas where pre-Islamic customs blend with Islamic observance. The highlands function as the historical Islamic heartland, stemming from the 1725 Fulani jihad that established the , a theocratic state enforcing Islamic governance until French colonization in 1896. Social norms reflect this Islamic predominance through conservative practices, including widespread , which Guinea's 2019 Civil Code revision explicitly permits for Muslim men opting for up to four wives under customary Islamic frameworks, while allowing as an alternative. for Muslims draws on principles in matters of , , and , applied via customary courts despite the country's secular . Quranic systems, akin to the talibé model in neighboring , involve children studying under marabouts, sometimes entailing begging to support the teacher, though this practice faces criticism for . Christian missionary efforts have yielded limited success, confined largely to urban centers and the coastal Forest Region, with proselytization restricted by social pressures and legal equality under the . Remnants of manifest in rituals honoring ancestors or natural spirits, often tolerated within Muslim communities but diminishing under orthodox Islamic influence. While Guinea maintains religious tolerance, jihadist groups from the , such as affiliates of and , pose spillover risks through border incursions and recruitment attempts, prompting heightened measures since 2020.

Education System and Literacy Challenges

Guinea's is free and compulsory from ages 7 to 12, yet net enrollment rates stand at approximately 70%, hampered by high dropout rates that result in low completion, with only about 55% of students achieving minimum proficiency in reading by the end of primary school. remains critically low at around 32%, a figure underscoring systemic failures in foundational acquisition amid inefficiencies that divert resources from educational priorities. Secondary enrollment is even more limited, at roughly 36% in recent years, reflecting barriers such as inadequate and teacher shortages that perpetuate a cycle of undereducation. Public schools, conducted primarily in as the , suffer chronic underfunding, leading to overcrowded classrooms—sometimes exceeding 100 pupils per —and dilapidated facilities that compromise instructional quality. This fiscal neglect, rooted in budgetary mismanagement and competing demands from resource extraction sectors, has prompted reliance on informal Quranic schools (madrasas), which enroll a significant portion of children, particularly in rural Muslim-majority areas, but emphasize rote of Islamic texts over secular subjects like mathematics or science. Such parallel systems, while addressing access gaps, reinforce challenges by sidelining practical skills development, as evidenced by persistent low proficiency in core competencies. Gender disparities persist, with lower secondary completion rates at 28.5% for girls versus 37.8% for boys as of data, though gaps have narrowed modestly due to targeted interventions; rural cultural practices, including early , continue to drive female dropouts at higher rates. Among those who complete , brain drain is acute, with skilled graduates emigrating en masse—studies of 264 Guineans indicate a growing exodus of professionals seeking better prospects abroad—exacerbating domestic shortages in qualified educators and technicians. These outcomes highlight causal links between failures, such as unstable funding allocation, and cultural preferences for religious over vocational training, perpetuating Guinea's educational stagnation despite nominal policy commitments.

Health and Society

Major Disease Burdens and Public Health Crises

Guinea bears a substantial burden from infectious diseases, with constituting the leading cause of illness and death. In 2021, the country recorded over 4.5 million malaria cases, an incidence rate of 317 per 1,000 population, and 9,439 fatalities, predominantly among children under five, where malaria contributes to roughly 20% of such deaths in similar sub-Saharan contexts due to high transmission and limited preventive measures. Systemic issues, including inadequate and diagnostic access in rural areas, exacerbate this toll, as evidenced by persistent high prevalence rates exceeding 30% in children under five during surveys from 2017-2019. The 2014-2016 , originating in southeastern Guinea on December 26, 2013, with the first confirmed case in Guéckédou, represented a pivotal crisis, exposing deficiencies in early detection and border surveillance. Guinea accounted for approximately 3,800 cases and 2,500 deaths in the West African , which totaled over 28,600 infections and 11,300 fatalities regionally, with case fatality rates reaching 50-60% amid overwhelmed isolation facilities and cultural burial practices facilitating spread. Recurring threats include , with 33 confirmed cases and 17 deaths from 2017-2021, and isolated outbreaks in 2023-2024 linked to low coverage outside urban centers. HIV prevalence among adults aged 15-49 is approximately 1.5%, affecting around 130,000 individuals, with slow progress toward treatment targets—only 59% diagnosed and on antiretrovirals as of recent assessments—compounded by and limited testing . The yielded official tallies of 38,267 cases and 468 deaths by mid-2024, but underreporting is evident from sparse testing capacity and co-circulation with endemic diseases like resurgence in 2021. Despite these challenges, initiatives have yielded gains; Guinea contained circulating vaccine-derived type 2 outbreaks in 2023-2024 through two nationwide campaigns immunizing over 3 million children each, demonstrating effective mobilization amid otherwise fragile laboratory networks prone to delays in pathogen confirmation.

Maternal, Child, and Nutritional Issues

Guinea's total fertility rate was 4.22 births per woman in 2023, reflecting persistent high fertility amid limited family planning access and cultural preferences for larger families. This elevated rate exacerbates maternal health risks, with the maternal mortality ratio estimated at 494 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, among the highest globally. Primary causes include postpartum hemorrhage, accounting for 56% of maternal deaths in hospital studies, and anemia, which weakens women against bleeding and infection due to chronic malnutrition and frequent pregnancies. Child health outcomes suffer from intertwined nutritional deficiencies and inadequate prenatal/postnatal , with stunting affecting 30.3% of under age 5, driven by chronic undernutrition from poor dietary and repeated infections. impacts 6.4% of this age group, while prevalence stands at around 17%, signaling acute resource constraints in and . Female genital mutilation, practiced on approximately 97% of women aged 15-49 across ethnic groups, heightens complications like prolonged labor and hemorrhage, further compromising maternal and neonatal survival. Access barriers compound these issues, including shortages of equipped clinics—only 26.9% of women complete the full maternal care continuum from antenatal visits to postnatal follow-up—and cultural norms prioritizing traditional birth attendants over skilled providers. Rural distances, out-of-pocket costs, and low health worker availability deter utilization, with just 56.7% receiving the recommended four antenatal visits, perpetuating cycles of poor outcomes despite high fertility demands on limited infrastructure.

Healthcare Infrastructure and Access Barriers

Guinea's healthcare infrastructure is characterized by a critical shortage of qualified medical personnel, with a density of approximately 0.05 per 1,000 based on the most recent available from , equating to fewer than one doctor per 20,000 people. This scarcity is exacerbated in rural areas, where dispensaries and basic health centers—numbering over 1,000 nationwide but often ill-equipped—face chronic understaffing due to low salaries, poor working conditions, and challenges in motivating professionals to relocate from urban hubs like . Retention policies post-2014 outbreak, including contractual incentives for rural postings, have yielded mixed results, with high turnover persisting as health workers cite isolation and inadequate support. Funding gaps further undermine infrastructure , as Guinea's domestic health expenditure constitutes a small fraction of total —around 5-6% in recent years, well below the Abuja Declaration target of 15%—while external donors cover a disproportionate share through parallel mechanisms. USAID has historically been the largest bilateral contributor, financing service delivery and , alongside WHO support for system strengthening, yet less than 5% of such aid flows directly through the Ministry of , fostering inefficiencies and dependency. Since the coup, the junta's fiscal strategy has prioritized security stabilization and transitional governance, constraining health expansions amid shortfalls and limited in allocations. Access barriers are compounded by the dominance of traditional healers in rural settings, where at least one practitioner exists per village and an estimated 80% of the population consults them as the initial , often delaying or supplanting formal services due to cultural trust, proximity, and perceived efficacy in non-biomedical contexts. This reliance stems causally from infrastructural deficits, as understaffed facilities fail to build confidence, perpetuating a where formal reaches only about 50% of rural needs effectively.

Culture

Traditional Customs and Social Structures

The predominant kinship systems among Guinea's ethnic groups are patrilineal, with descent, inheritance, and authority traced through the male line. The Fulani, comprising about 40% of the population and the largest group, organize social life around patrilineal clans where ties emphasize sex, age, generation, and seniority, influencing , residence, and . Similarly, the Baga, a coastal group, follow patrilineal descent with male elders holding authority in kin-based joint families and village councils that govern disputes and rituals. Initiation rites into adulthood often involve secret societies, which enforce social norms through esoteric knowledge and physical markers. Male societies like , prevalent among forest groups such as the Malinke and Loma, conduct and rituals to instill discipline, bravery, and communal loyalty, with scars serving as permanent symbols of membership and status. Female counterparts, including Sande-like groups among the Kissi and Toma, perform analogous rites focused on purity, fertility, and domestic roles, sometimes incorporating excisions that reinforce gender-specific obligations. These societies maintain exclusivity, wielding influence over marriages, justice, and exclusions from community resources. Polygyny remains common, particularly among Muslim-majority groups like the Fulani and Malinke, with at least 25% of households as of recent surveys. Reports indicate up to 50% of women in rural areas enter such unions, driven by economic alliances and status, though legal frameworks since 2019 presume unless specified otherwise. Traditional marriages typically require payments—cash, livestock, or goods—from the groom's family to the bride's, formalizing ties and compensating for labor loss, with negotiations reflecting family status and often perpetuating early unions. Gender roles exhibit division of labor rooted in ethnic traditions, with women dominating market trading, subsistence farming, and to ensure and security. Despite this economic agency, patriarchal structures limit , confining inheritance to sons, restricting divorce initiation, and subordinating them in decisions, as evidenced by persistent disparities in property control and legal testimony. Certain customs contribute to social dysfunction, notably child fostering practices where rural families send —often girls—to urban kin for or aid, but which frequently devolve into exploitative domestic labor resembling , with inadequate oversight exacerbating abuse, trafficking, and school dropout. Boys may face similar risks in or under kin networks, undermining development amid weak enforcement of age-based labor prohibitions.

Media, Arts, and Entertainment

The state-owned Radio Télévision Guinéenne (RTG) serves as the primary broadcaster in Guinea, maintaining significant control over national television and radio content, with programming predominantly in alongside some local languages via affiliated rural stations. Private radio stations proliferated after the liberalization, numbering over 60 by the early , alongside a handful of private television outlets, though audience access relies heavily on radio due to limited and . Following the September 2021 military coup led by Colonel , the junta imposed heightened restrictions, including a nationwide shutdown in late 2021 amid protests, recurrent blocks on platforms like and from November 2023 to February 2024, and suspensions of private broadcasters, such as four radio stations and two TV channels banned for a year as of May 2025. These measures, documented by as unprecedented since independence, have curtailed independent journalism, with Guinea ranking 85th out of 180 countries in the organization's 2023 amid accusations of systematic censorship. Griot traditions form the cornerstone of Guinea's oral arts, where hereditary performers—historians, poets, and musicians—preserve ethnic histories, genealogies, and moral lessons through , praise-singing, and accompaniment on instruments like the and kora, sustaining cultural continuity in a largely illiterate society. These practices, rooted in and other groups, blend narrative with performance to transmit knowledge across generations, often at communal ceremonies. In music, the 21-string kora harp-lute exemplifies Guinea's exportable traditions, modernized by artists like Mory Kanté (1950–2020), a descendant from Kissidougou who fused Mandingo rhythms with electric elements; his 1987 single "" sold over a million copies worldwide, marking the first African song to achieve gold status in and elevating Guinean sounds globally. and theater remain underdeveloped, hampered by chronic underfunding, scarce production facilities, and reliance on state or international grants, resulting in sporadic output focused on local or social issues rather than commercial viability.

Cuisine, Music, and Sports

Guinean cuisine centers on starchy staples like and foufou, a pounded dough prepared from , yams, plantains, or , which forms the base for many meals served with sauces incorporating , , grilled meats, or such as and . Common dishes include grilled or poultry alongside these staples, reflecting the country's reliance on local and , with providing a distinctive rich flavor in stews and soups. Traditional Guinean music draws from the or jeli heritage among Manding ethnic groups, where hereditary musicians perform narrative songs using stringed instruments like the kora and xylophones such as the to recount histories, praise leaders, and address social issues in multilingual repertoires spanning , local languages, and . Regional influences from neighboring West African styles, including rhythmic elements akin to Senegal's mbalax derived from sabar percussion traditions, appear in contemporary urban music, though Guinean forms emphasize acoustic ensembles over synthesized pop fusions. Association football dominates organized sports in Guinea, with the national team, Syli Nationale—nicknamed the National Elephants—competing in international matches since 1962 and achieving qualification for the multiple times, though without a tournament victory. In May 2024, Syli secured a spot in the men's tournament via a 1-0 playoff win over , marking their first appearance in 56 years. Traditional wrestling, a culturally significant involving techniques, remains popular at community levels, while Guinea's participation since 1968 has yielded no medals across disciplines like athletics, , and wrestling.

References

  1. [1]
    Guinea - The World Factbook - CIA
    Sep 17, 2025 · ... Population distribution · Natural hazards · Geography - note. People and Society. Population. comparison rankings: total 75; male 75; female 75 ...
  2. [2]
    Guinea - Mining and Minerals - International Trade Administration
    Apr 24, 2024 · Guinea boasts 23 percent of the world's reserves of bauxite, the world's largest and became the second main bauxite exporter after Australia ...
  3. [3]
    Guinea Overview: Development news, research, data | World Bank
    Sep 27, 2025 · A coastal country in West Africa, Guinea had a population of 14.53 million in 2024. Agriculture, the largest employer, provides income for ...
  4. [4]
    Why Are So Many Countries Called Guinea? - World Atlas
    The English "Guinea" is derived from the Portuguese word "Guiné" which originated during the mid-15th century. The word Guinea was used to refer to the lands ...
  5. [5]
    Guinea: Pointers to the Origin of This Word - jstor
    word Guinea itself almost certainly derives from the Berber word for negro, as in, ... and tends to exclude finding its origin in the Berber language.Missing: Igainn | Show results with:Igainn
  6. [6]
    Guinea - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
    Originating from Guinea, the word "Guinea" initially named a British gold coin (1663-1813) and denotes a West African region; also used historically as a ...
  7. [7]
    Making Race, Minting Guineas: Why Four Countries Share a Name
    Oct 25, 2021 · The Portuguese used the term Guinea in the 15th century when their naval campaigns in West Africa sowed the seeds for colonization. Predating ...
  8. [8]
    Why the world has so many Guineas - The Economist
    Sep 12, 2017 · The name "Guinea" originated from West Africa, used by colonizers, and later applied to places like New Guinea. The name also came from a gold ...<|separator|>
  9. [9]
  10. [10]
    [PDF] Slavery and Slave Trade in West Africa, 1450-1930
    Before the launching of these holy wars, the empire of Oyo to the south had embarked on an active program of slave raiding in the 1780s, and this brought the ...Missing: intertribal | Show results with:intertribal
  11. [11]
    History of Guinea
    ... Mali Empire came to prominence when Soundiata Kéïta defeated the Sosso ruler, Sumanguru Kanté at the semi-historical Battle of Kirina in c. 1235. The Mali ...<|separator|>
  12. [12]
    Guinea - Early History - GlobalSecurity.org
    May 3, 2017 · In 1464, Sonni Ali, a prince songhay, ascended the throne of Gao and succeeded in amputating the empire of Mali from the provinces of the region ...
  13. [13]
    Kingdoms of West Africa - Songhai Empire - The History Files
    ... empire's borders to Taghaza in the north and the borders of Yatenga in the south, from Air to the north-east and Fouta Djallon in Guinea on Africa's west coast.
  14. [14]
  15. [15]
    Kissi in Guinea people group profile - Joshua Project
    The Kissi live in small, self-governing villages that are tucked inside groves of mango or kola trees. Each village is compact, containing no more than about ...Missing: Baga pre- colonial
  16. [16]
    [PDF] Enslavement in Upper Guinea during the Era of the Transatlantic ...
    The analysis suggests that before 1820 warfare was the most common mode of enslavement, fueled by the raiding of the ceddo states and the growth of the Islamic ...
  17. [17]
    [PDF] SLAVERY AND THE SLAVE TRADE IN PRE-COLONIAL AFRICA
    The Tuaregs and the Berbers raided and kidnapped their southern neighbors. Raiding and kidnapping were institutionalized in Bambara society. The Damagaram of.Missing: intertribal | Show results with:intertribal<|separator|>
  18. [18]
    [PDF] Warfare and diplomacy in pre-colonial West Africa - The Crucible
    but warfare against pagans and slave-raiding did nothing to improve and little to maintain the military qualities of the empire, and in the third year of ...
  19. [19]
    How Sekou Touré Led Guinea to Become the First French African ...
    Aug 12, 2024 · Then in 1882, it became a separate French protectorate known as Rivières du Sud. By 1891, it was named French Guinea, to distinguish it from ...
  20. [20]
    Guinea - French Colony - GlobalSecurity.org
    Mar 5, 2017 · The colony was also given responsibility for the Fouta Djallon protectorate. Then in 1891 an independent governor was authorized, and the colony ...
  21. [21]
    Guinea - French Colony - GlobalSecurity.org
    Mar 5, 2017 · The territory of Guinea became a French colony in 1893 and was incorporated into French West Africa (AOF) in 1893.
  22. [22]
    Forced labor in European colonies | EHNE
    Forced labor was systematically used in European colonies, either for the benefit of the colonists (in Java beginning in 1830), major concessionary companies.
  23. [23]
    'rubber fever', commerce and french colonial rule in upper guinee ...
    Guinee. Slowly, however, the railroad and forced labor tipped the balance towards the foreign firms. By 1905-6, massive inputs of labor helped expatriate.
  24. [24]
    Export Agriculture and the Decline of Slavery in Colonial West Africa ...
    Apr 1, 2009 · This article argues that the greatest economic and social transformations of the early colonial period in West Africa, the “cash-crop revolution”, and “the ...Missing: urban planning
  25. [25]
    [PDF] Babacar Fall - Social History in French West Africa - SEPHIS
    Although forced labor was criticized as an outdated and uneconomical form of mobilization of the indig-enous labor force, the practice nevertheless continued ...
  26. [26]
    jihad and social revolution in futa djalon - jstor
    not only is the eighteenth-century Jihad of Futa Djalon part of 'a neglected ... surrounding Djalonké population, but by the time of the Jihãd the Fulani in.Missing: 18th | Show results with:18th
  27. [27]
    Mission to Civilise: The French West African Federation - ACCORD
    Apr 21, 2021 · This article analyses the French imperial project in Africa, with a focus on the Federation of French West Africa (consisting of today's Benin, Burkina Faso, C ...Missing: AOF | Show results with:AOF
  28. [28]
    Free French Africa and Overseas Territories - France in WW II
    Sep 18, 2025 · The French colonial empire was of enormous significance in the battles as well as the strategies that made up WWII. Starting in 1940 campaigns ...
  29. [29]
    Reform of The French Colonial System - WebGuinee.Net
    The laws of October 5 and 7, 1946, alloted French West Africa as a whole thirteen deputies in the National Assembly, and of these Guinea sent two.
  30. [30]
    Guinea Gains Independence from France | Research Starters
    In a referendum held on September 28, 1958, Guineans, led by Ahmed Sékou Touré of the Parti Démocratique de Guinée (PDG), overwhelmingly rejected a proposed ...Missing: context | Show results with:context
  31. [31]
    On This Day in African History…Guinea Declares Independence ...
    Oct 2, 2024 · On October 2, 1958, Guinea declared independence from France under Ahmed Sékou Touré, marking a significant moment in Africa's fight against ...Missing: results | Show results with:results
  32. [32]
    Sekou Toure's legacy to Guinea: warming ties to West, repression
    Apr 2, 1984 · The French departed, stripping the country of most of its assets. Spurned by the West, Sekou Toure then looked to the East bloc for support in ...Missing: hyperinflation debt
  33. [33]
    Ahmed Sékou Touré | Research Starters - EBSCO
    Touré implemented significant economic reforms, including nationalizing key industries and creating a planned economy.
  34. [34]
    Political Ferment Hurts Guinea - The New York Times
    Jan 31, 1972 · Production of bananas, 64,000 tons in 1958, has dropped to 20,000 tons. Coffee—l6,000 tons in 1958—went down to 2,000 tons in 1969, the last ...
  35. [35]
    Collective Farms Experiment In Guinea Is Going to Seed
    Feb 24, 1983 · Guinea's socialist experiments hold important lessons for the efforts throughout the continent to increase Africa's 1 percent average in yearly ...Missing: drop famine
  36. [36]
    “We Have Lived in Darkness”: A Human Rights Agenda for Guinea's ...
    May 24, 2011 · Summary. Recommendations. To the New Government of Guinea and President. To Address Accountability for Past Abuses and Create a Culture of ...
  37. [37]
    [PDF] ATLANTIC OCEAN Conakry - Amnesty International
    the torture of political detainees both to extract "confessions" and generally to intimidate opponents of the Government; the use of the death penalty. 2. The ...
  38. [38]
    [PDF] “We Have Lived in Darkness” - Human Rights Watch
    May 4, 2011 · Human Rights Watch interview with Hadiatou Barry Touré, secretary general, Guinean Camp Boiro Victim's Association,. Conakry, June 9, 2010 ...
  39. [39]
    AHMED SEKOU TOURE, A RADICAL HERO - The New York Times
    Mar 28, 1984 · The Guinea radio said the President died of an apparent heart attack. He had gone to the Cleveland Clinic Monday for emergency heart treatment, ...Missing: hyperinflation debt
  40. [40]
  41. [41]
    [PDF] WEEKLY SUMMARY SPECIAL REPORT SEKOU TOURE'S GUINEA
    An important example is the adoption of the unbacked national currency, a step taken in. 1960 because Toure believed it was required by. Guinea's national ...
  42. [42]
    Guinea - Independence, Revolution, Republic | Britannica
    Oct 17, 2025 · Lansana Conté, Guinea's second president (1984–2008), endorsed the concept of a pluralist society. Private ownership and international ...
  43. [43]
    EX-PREMIER SEIZES POWER IN GUINEA - The New York Times
    Jul 5, 1985 · Colonel Conte announced the complete liberalization of the economy, based on free enterprise and foreign investment, breaking with President ...
  44. [44]
    Martial law hobbles Guinea bauxite sector - Reuters
    Aug 9, 2007 · Conte, a veteran general who seized power in a 1984 coup, declared martial law late on Monday in a bid to halt three days of violent protests ...
  45. [45]
    Guinea: Anti-President Protests and a Scramble for Bauxite - Stratfor
    Jan 24, 2007 · Strikes held to protest the rule of ailing Guinean President Lansana Conte have disrupted the country's production of bauxite, a mineral that ...Missing: liberalization | Show results with:liberalization
  46. [46]
    Guinea's Ethnic Conflict - Confluence
    Oct 29, 2019 · Members of the Malinke and Susu tribe have encouraged nepotism and ethnic favoritism. The Malinke are simply continuing the legacy that ...Missing: Forestier 2000-2001<|separator|>
  47. [47]
    Guinea - State.gov
    On November 11, a nationwide referendum was held on constitutional changes to allow the President to run for an unlimited number of terms, and to extend the ...
  48. [48]
    Guinea To Hold Referendum on Constitution - 2001-11-10 - VOA
    Oct 31, 2009 · Guinea holds a referendum Sunday on changing the constitution to allow President Lansana Conte to serve more than two terms. The opposition has ...Missing: 1996 | Show results with:1996
  49. [49]
    Guinea urged to strike peace deal | News - Al Jazeera
    Feb 16, 2007 · Human Rights Watch said security forces had been responsible for at least 22 killings in the past five days. It cited other sources as saying at ...
  50. [50]
    Guinea: Free rein to security forces fuels violence - ReliefWeb
    Apr 24, 2007 · Eyewitnesses to dozens of killings told Human Rights Watch that security forces fired directly into crowds of unarmed demonstrators, frequently ...
  51. [51]
    Guinea GDP per capita - Trading Economics
    GDP per Capita in Guinea averaged 694.23 USD from 1986 until 2024, reaching an all time high of 1049.08 USD in 2024 and a record low of 514.95 USD in 1986.
  52. [52]
    Military coup follows death of Guinea's president - CSMonitor.com
    Dec 23, 2008 · Hours after the death of Guinea's President Lansana Conte Tuesday, the Army dissolved the government and suspended the Constitution.
  53. [53]
    Guinea military names new president | News | Al Jazeera
    Dec 25, 2008 · Conte died late on Monday in Conakry after a long illness. He was one of Africa's longest serving leaders. Guinea will hold a state funeral on ...
  54. [54]
    Guinea: Bloodless coup leaders face tough task - 29 Dec 2008
    Dec 29, 2008 · The coup came hours after the announcement of the death of Lansana Conte, military strongman and president for 24 years.
  55. [55]
    Guinea's New Transitional Government: Emerging Issues for U.S. ...
    Apr 23, 2010 · On December 23, 2008, a military junta calling itself the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) seized power in Guinea following ...
  56. [56]
    Guinea transition falls foul of Africa's governance architecture
    Nov 5, 2021 · In 2008, Guinea's transition nearly collapsed when Captain Dadis Camara's aid shot him. Most army units have pledged allegiance to the ...
  57. [57]
    Africa defends democratic rule
    Apr 15, 2010 · Captain Camara and General Konaté signed an agreement in which the captain promised to remain abroad. General Konaté pledged to consult Guinea's ...
  58. [58]
    Alpha Conde declared winner in Guinea president polls - BBC News
    Nov 15, 2010 · Opposition leader Alpha Conde is declared the winner of Guinea's presidential run-off in the poll intended to end 52 years of authoritian ...
  59. [59]
    Guinea court seals Alpha Conde presidential election victory
    Dec 3, 2010 · Alpha Conde is new president of Guinea after close election marred by ethnic violence between Peul and Malinke peoples.
  60. [60]
    [PDF] Observing the 2010 Presidential Elections in Guinea - Final Report
    Nov 19, 2010 · Co-leader of Election Observation Mission to Guinea. On Dec. 21, 2010, Alpha Condé was sworn in as president of Guinea following the first.
  61. [61]
    In the news: Guinean president enacts controversial new constitution
    Apr 8, 2020 · Guinean President Alpha Condé enacted a controversial new constitution on Monday that critics say may allow the leader – in power since 2010 – to seek a third ...
  62. [62]
    Guinea: Violence During Referendum - Human Rights Watch
    Apr 10, 2020 · “Guinean security forces have confronted popular protests with brutal violence ... On March 27, 2020, Guinea's electoral commission ...
  63. [63]
    MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Guinea-Conakry, notably ...
    Feb 11, 2020 · ... Guinea-Conakry, notably violence towards protesters. ... ethnic violence for instance during Guinea's first democratic elections in 2010.
  64. [64]
    Guinea elections: Alpha Condé wins third term amid violent protests
    Oct 24, 2020 · At least 30 people have died since the vote on Sunday, Guinean media report. Mr Diallo, 68, won 33.5% of the ballots, the electoral commission ...
  65. [65]
    Guinea: Post-Election Violence, Repression | Human Rights Watch
    Nov 19, 2020 · The post presidential-election period in Guinea has been marred with violence and repression, with at least 12 people dead, Human Rights ...
  66. [66]
    “What Do We Get Out of It?”: The Human Rights Impact of Bauxite ...
    Oct 4, 2018 · The region now has dozens of open-sky bauxite quarries, whose red earth makes them hard to miss in Guinea's often verdant landscape. Mining ...
  67. [67]
    A conversation with Guinean President Condé on natural resource ...
    The mining sector actually produces more than 90 percent of Guinea's exports. Despite its prominence, though, the sector also only accounts for 17 percent of ...
  68. [68]
    Rio Tinto set on building long-delayed Simandou - MINING.COM
    Jul 30, 2020 · The world's no. 1 iron ore miner was able to keep the two southern blocks, but only after paying $700 million to the government in 2011. That ...Missing: contracts | Show results with:contracts
  69. [69]
    'In Guinea, there are two types of mining companies': An analysis of ...
    ' In Guinea, a resource-dependent low-income country that possesses the world's largest bauxite reserves with a long history of industrial mining activities, ...
  70. [70]
    Condé's Removal Clears the Way for Army to Regain Control of ...
    Sep 9, 2021 · President Alpha Condé's unwillingness to give up power set the stage for a military takeover on 5 September. In this Q&A, Crisis Group ...
  71. [71]
    Africa in the news: Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and vaccine updates
    Social unrest in the country had been building in advance of the coup, particularly after Condé's government oversaw violent crackdowns on those protesting ...
  72. [72]
    Guinea coup: Who is Col Mamady Doumbouya? - BBC
    Oct 1, 2021 · Col Mamady Doumbouya is a former French soldier who has fought in countries from Somalia to Afghanistan.
  73. [73]
    Guinea's Military Declared A Coup. What Happens Next Is Uncertain
    Sep 6, 2021 · Col. Doumbouya, a 41-year-old former member of the French legionary, appeared on state television Sunday to announce that the country's government and ...
  74. [74]
    Guinea: The Causes and Consequences of West Africa's Latest Coup
    Sep 8, 2021 · A3: Doumbouya's age, temperament, and admiration for the region's past coup leaders bode poorly for Guinea's transition to civilian rule.
  75. [75]
    A Stagnant Transition in Guinea - Africa Center for Strategic Studies
    Aug 6, 2024 · The head of a Special Forces unit, Colonel Doumbouya seized power in a military coup on September 5, 2021. Under an agreement negotiated with ...
  76. [76]
    'Each of us is afraid': Guinea's junta leader tightens grip as ...
    Feb 11, 2025 · Mamady Doumbouya has led the country since a 2021 coup. Some fear he has no intention of relinquishing power. Eromo Egbejule in Conakry.
  77. [77]
    Amid International Silence, Guinea's Coup Regime Imperils Transition
    Sep 19, 2024 · Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who led the coup, was sworn in as interim president the following month. The CNRD took a number of popular actions in ...Missing: details | Show results with:details
  78. [78]
    Guinea: When the putschists overstay their welcome
    Sep 5, 2024 · Gen. Mamadi Doumbouya's three-year junta is tightening its grip on power – even as its foreign friends salivate at the prospect of juicy mineral deals.<|separator|>
  79. [79]
    Guinea votes on new constitution as junta leader eyes presidency
    Sep 21, 2025 · Guinea's junta failed to meet a transition deadline set for the end of 2024, which had been agreed with Ecowas. While no new sanctions have been ...
  80. [80]
    How Chinese Mining Is Enabling the Guinean Junta's Power Grab
    Mar 6, 2025 · China's mining investments are funding the junta and sparking local tensions that undermine stability. A well-governed and democratic Guinea is ...
  81. [81]
    In Simandou mountains, Guinea prepares to cash in on iron ore
    Oct 7, 2025 · Guinea's junta government, run by strongman Mamady Doumbouya who came to power in a 2021 coup, boasts of having finally pushed the project ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  82. [82]
    Voters in Guinea approve new constitution with 89% support - Reuters
    Sep 24, 2025 · A new constitution in Guinea that could permit junta leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for office was backed by 89% of voters, according to ...
  83. [83]
    Guinea Supreme Court confirms vote to change constitution
    Sep 27, 2025 · The final tallies in the vote to approve a new constitution– 89.38% in favor and 10.62% against – confirmed the provisional vote results ...<|separator|>
  84. [84]
    Seven Things to Know about Guinea's Constitutional Referendum
    Sep 15, 2025 · The referendum also increases the presidential term from 5 to 7 years, renewable once. ... Given Guinea's history of violence, turbulent ...
  85. [85]
    Guinea announces first post-coup presidential vote on December 28
    Sep 29, 2025 · Election officials count ballot papers in a referendum on a new Guinean constitution that could permit coup leader Mamady Doumbouya, ...<|separator|>
  86. [86]
  87. [87]
  88. [88]
    Guinea's Call to Elections Exposes Military Bid to Cling to Power
    Oct 3, 2025 · Crisis Group expert Franklin Nossiter analyses General Doumbouya's designs on securing victory in presidential polls despite an earlier ...
  89. [89]
    Guinea's Military Junta Is Digging In for the Long Haul
    Apr 23, 2025 · The goal was to gain time to consolidate power and eliminate opponents, even as Doumbouya promised he would hand power back to a democratically ...Missing: details | Show results with:details<|separator|>
  90. [90]
    Guinea Geography - CountryReports
    Geographic Coordinates, 11 00 N, 10 00 W ; Terrain, Generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior ; Highest Point, 1,752 Meters ; Highest Point ...Missing: physical topography features
  91. [91]
    Guinea: country data and statistics - Worlddata.info
    Guinea ; Region: Western Africa ; Surface area: 245,860 km² ; Capital: Conakry ; Life expectancy females: Ø 61.9 years ; Birth rate: 33.8 ‰.Missing: facts | Show results with:facts
  92. [92]
    Recalibrating Coastal West Africa's Response to Violent Extremism
    Jul 22, 2024 · Improve the conduct of security forces to build rapport with communities. Militant Islamist groups have been able to exploit porous borders.
  93. [93]
    Which Countries Border Guinea? - World Atlas
    Nov 21, 2018 · Today, Guinea shares its land borders with six nations: Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, and Mali.
  94. [94]
    Guinea climate: average weather, temperature, rain, when to go
    Precipitation is more abundant along the coast, where up to 4,000 millimeters (155 inches) of rain fall in a year, while it's less abundant in the north and the ...
  95. [95]
    The Climate of Guinea - Blue Green Atlas
    In the northeast, temperatures as high as 40°C (104°F) are fairly common during the dry season. A hot, dry wind, called the harmattan, blows southwest off the ...
  96. [96]
  97. [97]
    Guinea - Mining, Agriculture, Oil - Britannica
    Oct 17, 2025 · Alluvial gold is taken from the Niger and its tributaries, and diamond production is substantial and largely of gem-quality stones. The iron ore ...
  98. [98]
    Top Hydropower Projects in Guinea-Conakry
    Jul 12, 2023 · It has a total installed capacity of 450 MW and is located on the Konkoure River. The dam was built by China International Water & Electric ...
  99. [99]
    Guinean Forests of West Africa - Species | CEPF
    The Guinean Forests is among the world's foremost hotspots for mammalian diversity. An estimated 390 terrestrial species are found in the hotspot.
  100. [100]
    [PDF] FISHERS ON THE GULF OF GUINEA: - The Salata Institute
    Coastal fishing communities in West Africa's Gulf of Guinea are under economic stress due to significant declines in their principal catch of small pelagic ...
  101. [101]
    Is corruption and slavery the cost of a mobile phone?
    Jul 14, 2023 · 10% of Guinea's forests have been destroyed since 2000. Bauxite mining is one the primary drivers of deforestation in Guinea. This is presenting ...<|separator|>
  102. [102]
  103. [103]
    [PDF] Bauxite Mining in the Boké Region (Western Guinea)
    Mar 21, 2019 · According to the Regional directorate of forest environment in Boké, in 62 years of operation, the industry has stripped 5,099 hectares land of ...
  104. [104]
    Guinea moves to transform its Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold ...
    Apr 17, 2023 · The Guinean Government has taken an important step today, launching a $17-million project to reduce the use of mercury by the nation's artisanal gold miners.
  105. [105]
    Guinea - Gold Mining and Mercury Emissions - Pure Earth
    Aug 8, 2023 · The goal is to reduce occupational health and environmental hazards of artisanal (small-scale) gold mining communities in northern Guinea.Missing: contamination | Show results with:contamination
  106. [106]
    Société Minière de Boké Bauxite Mining Project - BankTrack
    Jul 1, 2024 · Water pollution and land degradation As discussed above, SMB's operations have resulted in damage to local waterways, both through the ...
  107. [107]
    Guinea: Bauxite Mining Boom Threatens Rights - Human Rights Watch
    Oct 4, 2018 · And villagers, many of whom said they believe mining is already contributing to respiratory illnesses, worry about longer-term health impacts.
  108. [108]
    Diagnosing Corruption in the Bauxite Sector in Guinea
    Sep 14, 2023 · The governance of Guinea's mining sector faces numerous challenges, with corruption permeating the entire mining value chain. The complexity and ...
  109. [109]
    Guinea Conakry: Corruption in the collection of mining revenues
    Oct 19, 2023 · The “diagnostic report on corruption in the mining sector in Guinea” describes existing forms of corruption in the Guinean mining sector.
  110. [110]
    Administrative Map of Guinea - Nations Online Project
    Guinea is divided into 4 geographical regions and 8 administrative regions, where the national capital Conakry ranks as a special zone. The other 7 regions ...Missing: divisions | Show results with:divisions
  111. [111]
    Publication: Guinea - World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
    The Government started its decentralization reforms in July 2001, although they have not yet adequately implemented them to make the reform process sustainable.
  112. [112]
    All About Guinea - Africa.com
    There are 24 ethnic groups in Guinea. 40 percent of the people belong to the Fulani and are mostly found in the Futa Jallon region. Of the remainder, 30 percent ...
  113. [113]
    Guinea - Participatory Local Democracy
    Challenges for participatory local governance​​ Fiscal devolution is marginal and revenue levels at local governments are insufficient. Moreover, revenue varies ...Missing: sharing | Show results with:sharing
  114. [114]
    [PDF] Guinea-Urban-Sector-Review-Planning-Connecting-Financing-in ...
    Clarifying and reforming revenue shar- ing arrangement between central and local governments can increase fiscal space predictability for communes and ...
  115. [115]
  116. [116]
    Guinea: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report
    In February, Doumbouya put in place a committee to oversee the political transition process; government ministers largely dominate the committee. Nevertheless, ...
  117. [117]
    “Freedom in the World 2023 - Guinea”, Document #2097707 - ecoi.net
    In January, transition president Mamady Doumbouya named the 81-member National Transitional Council (CNT). The interim legislative body's responsibilities ...
  118. [118]
    Ethnic politics is complicating Guinea's transition to elections
    Mar 8, 2022 · A junta in Guinea has created a transition council ahead of democratic elections, but the process has failed to break from the country's ...Missing: quotas appointments
  119. [119]
    Guinea military rulers suspend three opposition parties before ...
    Aug 23, 2025 · Guinea military rulers suspend three opposition parties before referendum. Move comes as draft constitution is being put to a vote next month, ...
  120. [120]
    Guinea - ISS African Futures
    Guinea's GNI per capita rose from US$1 018 in 2021 to US$1 180 in 2022, while its GDP per capita (at PPP) increased from US$2 640 to US$2 700 over the same ...
  121. [121]
    2025 Investment Climate Statements: Guinea - State Department
    The Guinean government and American companies have conducted several large business deals in the energy, mining, and IT sectors. Endowed with abundant mineral ...
  122. [122]
    Investors and world leaders reel from Guinea coup - African Business
    Sep 9, 2021 · The military overthrow of 83 year-old Alpha Conde, who was serving his 3rd term in office, has rattled investors and mineral markets.Missing: instability | Show results with:instability
  123. [123]
    Guinea to vote on constitution that would let coup leader run for office
    Sep 19, 2025 · Guinea is set to vote on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would permit junta leader Mamady Doumbouya to run for president, ...
  124. [124]
  125. [125]
    Guinea opposition claims irregularities in constitutional referendum
    Sep 24, 2025 · Guinea's opposition has denounced alleged irregularities in a constitutional referendum. The vote could allow the junta leader to run for ...
  126. [126]
    Guinea Sets Dec. 28 Presidential Vote Amid Opposition ...
    Sep 29, 2025 · Guinea sets presidential election for Dec. 28, 2025• New constitution allows junta members, including Doumbouya, to run• Key parties ...<|separator|>
  127. [127]
    Telegram, Facebook disrupted in Guinea during constitutional vote
    Sep 21, 2025 · If backed by voters, Guinea's new constitution would extend presidential term to 7 years, permit 1 reelection, and create senate with ...
  128. [128]
    [PDF] GUIDANCE NOTE ON GUINEA - Refworld
    Sep 25, 2025 · After a military-led coup in 2021, the Republic of Guinea has remained largely peaceful, with a growing economy based on its mineral ...<|separator|>
  129. [129]
    Guinea Country Report 2024 - BTI Transformation Index
    28, 1958, Guinea voted against General de Gaulle's referendum on membership in a Communauté Française, which would have included all of French West Africa.Missing: AOF | Show results with:AOF
  130. [130]
    ECOWAS imposes sanctions on Guinea junta – DW – 09/17/2021
    Sep 17, 2021 · Economic sanctions were imposed on the junta in Mali last year, but they were, subsequently, lifted after it committed to holding democratic ...
  131. [131]
  132. [132]
    West African bloc ECOWAS lifts sanctions against Guinea, Mali
    Feb 25, 2024 · ECOWAS said it was lifting financial and economic sanctions against Guinea and ending restrictions on the recruitment of Malians to professional positions.
  133. [133]
    France's waning influence in coup-hit Africa appears clear while few ...
    Sep 4, 2023 · The era of France's arm-twisting interventionism in Africa may finally be over. France has sat by militarily despite moves by putschists to ...
  134. [134]
    Amid a wave of West African coups, France faces a reckoning
    Sep 1, 2023 · The wave of military coups has led to widespread hand-wringing that a form of political “contagion” risks destabilizing a whole swath of the continent.
  135. [135]
    U.S. Relations With Guinea - United States Department of State
    Aug 10, 2023 · The United States maintained close relations with Guinea prior to the country's 2021 military coup d'etat, which the US condemned.
  136. [136]
    Exclusive: U.S. halts nearly $160 million aid to Burkina Faso after ...
    Feb 18, 2022 · The United States has halted nearly $160 million in U.S. aid to Burkina Faso after determining the January ouster of President Roch Kabore ...
  137. [137]
    “Mine here, refine here” — is Guinea's underlying approach for 50+ ...
    May 25, 2025 · ... Guinea holds the world's largest deposits. China imports roughly 60 per cent of its bauxite from Guinea (UN Comtrade, 2024), making it the ...
  138. [138]
    Guinea Bauxite Exports Surge 36% Amid Rising Chinese Demand
    Jul 5, 2025 · Guinea's bauxite exports reached an unprecedented 99.8 million metric tons in the first half of 2025, representing a remarkable 36% year-over-year increase.Guinea Bauxite Exports Surge... · How Is Guinea's Port... · Faq: Guinea's Bauxite...
  139. [139]
    China Boosts Investments in Africa to $29.2bn, Up 34% in 2024
    Mar 3, 2025 · Guinea saw a staggering 1,935% growth, followed by Liberia (+1,900%), the Republic of Congo (+1,800%), and Morocco (+724%).Missing: percentage | Show results with:percentage
  140. [140]
    How Guinea became a gateway for Russian weapons to reach ... - RFI
    Jun 20, 2025 · How Guinea became a gateway for Russian weapons to reach the Sahel. Despite the departure of the Wagner Group from Mali, Russia is continuing ...
  141. [141]
    Russia-Supported Military Rulers In Mali, Burkina Faso, And Guinea ...
    Since Guinea faces no similar jihadist insurgency as Mali and Burkina Faso, it does not appear to have the same degree of pro-Russian sentiments as Mali[ii] and ...
  142. [142]
    CDC's Response to the 2014–2016 Ebola Epidemic — Guinea ...
    Jul 8, 2016 · The Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic in West Africa ( Figure 1) began in late 2013 in Guinea (1) and quickly spread to neighboring countries ...
  143. [143]
    Guinea | Global Ebola Response - the United Nations
    Guinea is the epicentre of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in West Africa. The first cases were detected in March 2014 in the Guinea Forest region.
  144. [144]
    Guinean troops trigger panic in renewed Sierra Leone border standoff
    May 16, 2025 · A long-running border dispute between Sierra Leone and Guinea has flared again, after a military incident forced villagers to flee and reignited diplomatic ...
  145. [145]
    Guinea Military Power Ranking 2025
    Active Military Personnel: 12,000 (IISS 2023) · Reserve Personnel: 5,000 (CIA World Factbook) · Paramilitary Forces: 10,000 (Gendarmerie and Border Patrol) · Army ...
  146. [146]
    Military Expenditure (% Of GDP) - Guinea - Trading Economics
    Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Guinea was reported at 2.1258 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from ...
  147. [147]
    Guinea: "Soldiers Were Shooting Everywhere", The Security Forces ...
    In January and February 2007, a wave of peaceful demonstrations swept through Guinea. The accompanying use of excessive force by the security forces left ...
  148. [148]
    Gulf of Guinea: Can the Sahel Trap Be Avoided? - Institut Montaigne
    Feb 1, 2023 · Why are jihadists targeting these coastal countries? In the first decades of the establishment and expansion of Sahelian jihadist groups, the ...
  149. [149]
    Guinea - Transparency.org
    CPI 2024 for Sub-Saharan Africa: Weak anti-corruption measures undermine climate action ... Despite a very low regional performance in 2024, there were African ...
  150. [150]
    [PDF] GUINEA - The Heritage Foundation
    GUINEA. Guinea's economic freedom score is 54.6, making its economy the 123rd freest in the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom. Its rating has increased.
  151. [151]
    Guinea's Bauxite Corruption Diagnosis, One Year Later
    Jun 19, 2024 · A group of civil society actors initiated a diagnosis of corruption risks in Guinea's bauxite sector and an action plan to strengthen transparency and ...
  152. [152]
    The tycoon, the dictator's wife and the $2.5bn Guinea mining deal
    Jul 30, 2013 · FBI investigating Beny Steinmetz's company BSGR after lucrative deal to extract iron ore from Simandou mountain range.
  153. [153]
    Prominent Critic of Guinean Junta Abducted, Tortured
    Jun 24, 2025 · Prominent Critic of Guinean Junta Abducted, Tortured. Impartial Investigation Needed into Abuses Against Mohamed Traoré. Ilaria Allegrozzi.
  154. [154]
    A Year On, Guinean Activists Still Missing - Human Rights Watch
    Jul 9, 2025 · ... abuses and bringing perpetrators to justice. Donate Now. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Join our movement today ...
  155. [155]
    World Report 2025: Guinea | Human Rights Watch
    Also in July, a Guinean court convicted Guinea's former self-declared president Moussa Dadis Camara, and seven others, in a landmark trial for rapes and ...
  156. [156]
    Guinea's ex-military ruler pardoned over stadium massacre - BBC
    Mar 29, 2025 · Moussa Dadis Camara, pardoned on health grounds, was less than a year into a 20-year sentence.
  157. [157]
    Guinea: Rights at Risk as Promised Transition Derails
    Dec 2, 2024 · From October 10 to 31, Human Rights Watch also interviewed by telephone 27 witnesses to rights abuses. Human Rights Watch reviewed ...
  158. [158]
    Guinea Economic Update: Domestic Resource Mobilization and ...
    Jul 1, 2025 · The report highlights Guinea's ongoing and anticipated economic growth, with GDP growth reaching 5.7% in 2024, projected at 6.5% in 2025, and averaging 10% in ...Missing: IMF | Show results with:IMF
  159. [159]
    Guinea and the IMF
    At a Glance ; 2025 Projected Real GDP (% Change) : 7.2 ; 2025 Projected Consumer Prices (% Change): 3.1 ; Country Population: 15.803 million ; Date of Membership: ...Missing: Bank | Show results with:Bank
  160. [160]
    Inflation rates in Guinea - Worlddata.info
    For 2024, an inflation rate of 11.0% was calculated. During the observation period from 1980 to 2024, the average inflation rate was 17.2% per year.Missing: depreciation | Show results with:depreciation
  161. [161]
    Guinean Franc - Quote - Chart - Historical Data - News
    The USD/GNF exchange rate rose to 8680.0000 on October 24, 2025, up 0.01% from the previous session. Over the past month, the Guinean Franc has weakened ...
  162. [162]
    An Uneasy Calm Over Guinea | Atlas Institute for International Affairs
    Jul 22, 2025 · Since seizing power, he has diversified Guinea's range of geopolitical partners to undermine ECOWAS and Western pressure for democratisation.
  163. [163]
    [PDF] Guinea - International Monetary Fund (IMF)
    Apr 24, 2024 · Total expected government revenues could amount to 3.4 percent of GDP from 2030 to 2039, compared to total mining revenues of. 2.2 percent of ...<|separator|>
  164. [164]
    Guinea Economic Update 2025 - World Bank
    Jul 1, 2025 · Guinea's GDP growth accelerated to 5.7 % in 2024, driven by both the mining and non-mining sectors, and is anticipated to reach low double ...Missing: IMF | Show results with:IMF
  165. [165]
    Guinea bauxite exports up 36% to 99.8 million tons on Chinese ...
    Jul 4, 2025 · Guinea's exports of bauxite, a feedstock for aluminium, jumped 36% to a record 99.8 million metric tons in the first half of 2025, ...
  166. [166]
    The future of Guinea's position in global bauxite trade and its ... - Kpler
    Aug 27, 2025 · Guinea dominates 73% of global bauxite exports but faces competition from Australia, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon that could reduce its market ...
  167. [167]
    Guinea: Updated Assessment of the Impact of the Coronavirus ...
    Mar 30, 2021 · Gold exports increased by 233 percent in 2020, reflecting the surge in artisanal gold exports (up by 465 percent) resulting from movement ...Missing: boom | Show results with:boom
  168. [168]
    SMB-Winning Boke Bauxite Mining Project, Republic of Guinea
    Apr 11, 2020 · The SMB-Winning Boke Bauxite mining project is a surface mining operation in the Boke region of the Republic of Guinea, West Africa.
  169. [169]
    What is the Future of Guinea's Mining Sector After the Coup?
    Oct 11, 2021 · Guinea's new government might be more willing to confront the powerful mining industry, with Doumbouya stating that “scrupulous respect for ...
  170. [170]
    Guinea's Simandou iron ore project halted after three workers die in ...
    Oct 2, 2025 · Guinea's Simandou iron ore project halted after three workers die in accident. By Reuters. October 2, 20254:12 PM UTCUpdated October 2, 2025.
  171. [171]
    Socio-environmental impact of mining activities in Guinea: The case ...
    Dec 28, 2022 · Neighbouring communities are also more susceptible to suffer from the negative health impacts of mining pollution as evidenced by Dibattista et ...<|separator|>
  172. [172]
    mineral resources and development in Guinea-Conakry
    Despite its natural resources (bauxite, iron ore, diamond, gold and hydropower), Guinea has been unsuccessful in marshaling and leveraging these resources ...
  173. [173]
    Guinea - Employment In Agriculture (% Of Total Employment)
    Employment in agriculture (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Guinea was reported at 58.24 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection ...Missing: workforce | Show results with:workforce
  174. [174]
    Guinea GDP share of agriculture - data, chart - The Global Economy
    Guinea: Value added in the agricultural sector as percent of GDP: The latest value from 2024 is 29.64 percent, an increase from 29.47 percent in 2023.<|separator|>
  175. [175]
    [PDF] Guinea - African Futures
    Aug 14, 2025 · Guinea's agriculture sector is the country's largest employer, provides employment for ... 2023, about 5.5 percentage points below the average for.
  176. [176]
    [DOC] Guinea-Integrated-Agricultural-Development-Project.docx
    Agricultural productivity is very low, using extensive, rainfed agricultural and livestock farming systems. Farms are small and produce primarily for household ...
  177. [177]
    Guinea Export Import Trade Data - 24.05.2023 | PDF - Scribd
    May 24, 2023 · IN GUINEA RICE IS IMPORTED FROM ASIA. GUINEA CULTIVATES COFFEE BEANS, PINEAPPLES, PEACHES, NECTARINES, MANGOES, ORANGES,. BANANAS, POTATOES, ...
  178. [178]
    Guinea - Agriculture Sector - International Trade Administration
    Apr 24, 2024 · There are opportunities in rice, pineapples, fonio, potatoes, vegetables, mangos, dried fruits, coffee, eggs and juices. American processed food ...Missing: 2023 | Show results with:2023
  179. [179]
    [PDF] Agricultural Exports in Guinea - Umbraco - International Trade Centre
    Guinea holds an unused agricultural export potential of $42 million across African markets (62% associated to growth expectations up to 2026, 38% associated to ...Missing: 2023 | Show results with:2023<|separator|>
  180. [180]
    Guinea: Export ban on agricultural products - Global Trade Alert
    In July 2023, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and SMEs of Guinea introduced a six-month export ban on certain agricultural products.
  181. [181]
    Guinea - Forest Trends
    Deforestation of the country's largest primary forests has been a violent, ugly process for Indigenous communities, who were granted land titles and self- ...<|separator|>
  182. [182]
    [PDF] Investing in rural people in Guinea - IFAD
    Building on a regional push for Zero Hunger, the government has also adopted the. National Agricultural Investment and Food and Nutrition Security Plan (PNIASAN).
  183. [183]
    Strengthened value chains in Guinea improves export profile
    Nov 3, 2023 · The EIF is continuing its support to Guinea throughout 2023 to strengthen institutions exporting cashew nuts, mangos and other agricultural ...Missing: rice | Show results with:rice
  184. [184]
    Farmers striving for better future for Guinea
    Dec 19, 2022 · Six key challenges for agriculture in Guinea. Chronic underinvestment in infrastructure and skills; Up to now, government prefered to invest in ...
  185. [185]
    [PDF] Guinea country strategic plan (2024–2029) - WFP Executive Board
    Jul 1, 2024 · The agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors contribute 27.3 percent of gross domestic product,. 60 percent of total employment and 80 percent ...
  186. [186]
    2.3 Guinea Road Network | Digital Logistics Capacity Assessments
    2,346 km is paved roads; 5,230 km is dirt roads. Prefectural roads: 15,879 km (dirt road); Communal roads: 19,846 km (dirt road); Urban roads: 1,000 km. On the ...
  187. [187]
    Africanites - African Countries by Road Network Size# 1.... | Facebook
    Sep 17, 2025 · It includes highways, paved and unpaved roads. View facts Africa ... Guinea - 44.3500km 15. Namibia - 44.300km 16. Chad ...
  188. [188]
    Guinea Railways - Logistics Capacity Assessments (LCAs)
    Conakry - Kindia: A standard gauge railway line with a length of 105 km. The route is operated by the state owned mining company Societé des Bauxites de Kindia ...
  189. [189]
    Rail transport in Guinea - Wikipedia
    The transport included the delivery of bauxite (annually 1,200,000 t or 1,180,000 long tons or 1,320,000 short tons) from Kindia to Conakry harbour.The current status · Conakry to Kankan (state... · Rail links with other countries
  190. [190]
    5 Major Ports in Guinea - Marine Insight
    May 22, 2022 · More than 850 cargo ships visit the port annually carrying 7,000,000 tonnes of cargo and 81,000 TEUs. The port can accommodate ships ...
  191. [191]
    CHEC Secures Port Expansion Project in Guinea - Dredging Today
    Nov 10, 2016 · CHEC, a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), recently won a major port expansion project in Conakry, Guinea.
  192. [192]
    Guinea Electricity Access | Historical Chart & Data - Macrotrends
    Guinea electricity access for 2023 was 51.10%, a 3.4% increase from 2022. Guinea electricity access for 2022 was 47.70%, a 0.9% increase from 2021.
  193. [193]
    Simandou 2040: Expansion of Ahmed Sékou Touré International ...
    Jul 28, 2025 · According to SOGEAG, 95% of the first phase of the airport modernisation has been completed, with delivery expected by September 2025. The works ...Missing: funding | Show results with:funding
  194. [194]
    World Population Dashboard -Guinea
    Total population in millions, 2025: 15.1. Population annual doubling time, years, 2025: 30. Population aged 0-14, per cent, 2025: 41.
  195. [195]
    Guinea Population (2025) - Worldometer
    Population of Guinea (2025 and historical) ; 2024, 14,754,785, 2.42% ; 2023, 14,405,468, 2.49% ; 2022, 14,055,137, 2.53% ; 2020, 13,371,183, 2.59% ...
  196. [196]
    Guinea Fertility Rate (1950-2025) - Macrotrends
    Guinea fertility rate for 2023 was 4.22, a 2% decline from 2022. Guinea fertility rate for 2022 was 4.30, a 2.18% decline from 2021. Total fertility rate ...
  197. [197]
    Guinea Age structure - Demographics - IndexMundi
    0-14 years: 41.2% (male 2,601,221/female 2,559,918) ; 15-24 years: 19.32% (male 1,215,654/female 1,204,366) ; 25-54 years: 30.85% (male 1,933,141/female 1,930,977)
  198. [198]
    Guinea Demographics 2025 (Population, Age, Sex, Trends)
    Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top ( ...
  199. [199]
    Guinea | Displacement Tracking Matrix
    Mar 25, 2020 · The migration situation in Guinea has a long and dynamic history. Guinea has welcomed nearly 650,000 refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia ...
  200. [200]
    Guinea Remittances - data, chart | TheGlobalEconomy.com
    Remittances, million USD ; Reserves, 1.89, 2023 ; Remittances, percent of GDP, 2.36, 2023 ; Remittances, 496.84, 2023 ; Net errors and omissions, 1.08, 2023 ...
  201. [201]
    Guinea - Literacy Rate, Adult Total (% Of People Ages 15 And Above)
    Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in Guinea was reported at 45.33 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development ...
  202. [202]
    Language data for Guinea - Translators without Borders
    According to the census (see chart below), Pular is the most widely spoken (35% of the population), followed by Maninka (25%) and Susu (18%). The three ...
  203. [203]
    What Languages Are Spoken in Guinea? - World Atlas
    Aug 1, 2017 · The Republic of Guinea has a diverse linguistic landscape. More than 40 languages are spoken across the country. A legacy of the French rule in ...
  204. [204]
    Popular support for Guinea's coup is real - ICWA
    Nov 22, 2021 · Popular support for Guinea's coup is real, even if the leaders are under sanctions, James Courtright reports in his first ICWA dispatch.
  205. [205]
    Guinea Population 2025 - World Population Review
    It has a population of over 15 million, making it the 75th largest country in the world. Its capital is Conakry. Guinea has a mining-based economy with ...
  206. [206]
    2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Guinea
    84 percent of the population is Muslim, 11 percent is Christian, and 5 percent adhere to indigenous religious or other beliefs.
  207. [207]
    Fouta Djallon | Guinea, Map, & Facts - Britannica
    Fouta Djallon, mountainous region of west-central Guinea. Consisting of a series of stepped sandstone plateaus with many picturesque trenches and gorges.
  208. [208]
    Guinea becomes latest African country to legalise polygamy
    Jan 10, 2019 · Under the revised Civil Code, however, men can choose between the matrimonial regime of monogamy and polygamy, with a maximum of four wives.
  209. [209]
    Jihadism is Spreading to the Gulf of Guinea Littoral States, and a ...
    Sep 9, 2021 · Threats that were primarily concentrated in states such as Mali are now strategically expanding south into the littoral states on the Gulf of Guinea.Missing: sources | Show results with:sources
  210. [210]
    Education in Guinea | Where We Work
    By the end of primary school, 55% of students lack minimum proficiency in reading and 43% in math (PASEC 2019). Guinea's Partnership Compact marks the country's ...Missing: literacy enrollment<|separator|>
  211. [211]
    Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - Guinea
    Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) - Guinea from The World Bank: Data. ... Trained teachers in primary education (% of total teachers).
  212. [212]
    Guinea Secondary school enrollment - data, chart
    Guinea: Secondary school enrollment, percent of all eligible children: The latest value from 2021 is 35.95 percent, a decline from 37.39 percent in 2020.
  213. [213]
    "Some classrooms hold up to 100 pupils": the challenges facing ...
    Jan 29, 2025 · According to 2023 data, the school completion rate is 83.8 %. In addition, there is a persistent inequality between girls and boys, a lack of qualified ...
  214. [214]
    Challenges in Guinea's Education System - Broken Chalk
    Although primary education for Guinean children is free and compulsory, the country struggles with extremely low enrolment and completion rates.Missing: enrollment | Show results with:enrollment
  215. [215]
    Guinea: Education Country Brief
    However, the completion rates for lower secondary education reveal a considerable drop-off, with only 30.8 percent of girls and 39.3 percent of boys. Gross ...Missing: dropout | Show results with:dropout
  216. [216]
    Gender Disparities in guinea - Broken Chalk
    As of 2020 data, it was estimated that 37.8% of boys complete lower secondary school in Guinea, whereas the rate is 28.5% for girls [xxviii]. Notably, the ...
  217. [217]
    Statistical Investigation on the Brain Drain of 264 Guineans People ...
    In Guinea, the flight of brains continues to grow. While the government needs men skilled in the coming years to respond to the economic order needs, ...Missing: gaps | Show results with:gaps
  218. [218]
    The importance of building schools in Guinea - Afrika Hayat
    Guinea faces many challenges in building schools. The most prominent of these challenges is the lack of funding and poor infrastructure, which affects the ...
  219. [219]
    [PDF] Guinea - Country Disease Outlook
    The country has a high burden of communicable disease (such as mala- ria, Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS) and non-communicable disease (NCDs), with the latter ...
  220. [220]
    Malaria in Africa - UNICEF DATA
    Nov 1, 2024 · Of these deaths, 76 per cent were children under 5 years of age. This translates into a daily toll of over 1,000 children under age 5. Read more.
  221. [221]
    Malaria in Guinea: Statistics & Facts
    [1] The percentage of malaria infections in children under 5 years and pregnant women between 2017 and 2019 was 37.3 % and 3.9 %, respectively. These gains were ...
  222. [222]
    Ebola outbreak 2014-2016 - West Africa
    More than 28 600 people had been infected and 11 325 people had died. Disease outbreak news - start of the outbreak · Emergency List. Ebola ...
  223. [223]
    The west Africa Ebola virus disease outbreak: 10 years on
    Mar 22, 2024 · Since the west African EVD outbreak of 2014–16, other EVD outbreaks have been reported from Guinea (n=1), DR Congo (n=8), and Uganda (n=1).
  224. [224]
    Epidemiological profile of yellow fever, Guinea, 2017 to 2021
    Since 2017, Guinea has experienced three yellow fever's outbreaks with 33 confirmed cases and 17 deaths, however its planned elimination by 2026 depends on ...
  225. [225]
    Yellow fever – African Region (AFRO)
    Mar 20, 2024 · Guinea: Three YF PCR-positive cases were confirmed at the Institute Pasteur Dakar (IPD). These cases were reported on 17 October and 23 December ...
  226. [226]
    Guinea | UNAIDS
    Adults and children living with HIV, 130 000 [110 000 - 160 000]. Adults aged 15 and over living with HIV, 120 000 [100 000 - 140 000].
  227. [227]
    Guinea COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer
    Apr 13, 2024 · Deaths: 468. Recovered: 37,757. Daily Cases Graph - Daily Deaths Graph. Learn more about Worldometer's COVID-19 data. Total Coronavirus Cases in ...
  228. [228]
    Guinean community mobilises to immunise children against polio
    Jul 2, 2024 · In July 2023, Guinea detected cases of type 2 polio and organised two vaccination campaigns in September and October 2023 to address the ...
  229. [229]
    Guinea's outbreak response efforts featured at World Health ...
    Jun 12, 2025 · In 2023 and 2024, Guinea faced two separate polio outbreaks. This short film focuses on the response in Siguiri, a remote gold mining region.
  230. [230]
    Guinea Fertility rate - data, chart | TheGlobalEconomy.com
    The World Bank. The latest value from 2023 is 4.22 births per woman, a decline from 4.3 births per woman in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 2.41 ...<|separator|>
  231. [231]
    Guinea Maternal Mortality Rate | Historical Chart & Data - Macrotrends
    Guinea maternal mortality rate for 2023 was 494.00, a 1.2% decline from 2022. · Guinea maternal mortality rate for 2022 was 500.00, a 6.19% decline from 2021.
  232. [232]
    Maternal mortality risk indicators: Case-control study at a referral ...
    The main causes of maternal death included postpartum hemorrhage (56%), retroplacental hematoma (10%), and eclampsia (9%). The ORs of maternal death were ...
  233. [233]
    An Analysis of Anemia and Pregnancy-Related Maternal Mortality
    The relationship of anemia as a risk factor for maternal mortality was analyzed by using cross-sectional, longitudinal and case-control studies
  234. [234]
    Guinea - Global Nutrition Report
    The prevalence of overweight children under 5 years of age is 5.6% and Guinea is 'off course' to prevent the figure from increasing.
  235. [235]
    Guinea - Global Hunger Index
    11.4%. of the population is undernourished · 26.6%. of children under five are stunted · 6.4%. of children under five are wasted · 9.5%. of children die before ...
  236. [236]
    Female Genital Mutilation: A global concern - UNICEF DATA
    Mar 7, 2024 · ... female genital mutilation (FGM) around the world. It narrates through numbers the stories of millions of girls and women who have survived ...
  237. [237]
    State of the maternal healthcare continuum in Guinea, awaiting the ...
    Sep 12, 2024 · ... maternal mortality rate is as high as 462 per 100,000 live births. By contrast, in high-income countries, this rate is only 11 per 100,000 ...
  238. [238]
    Barriers to healthcare access among reproductive age women in ...
    Sep 25, 2024 · Lower age, no formal education, poor and middle wealth class, no media exposure, high parity, healthcare not covered by health insurance, rural ...
  239. [239]
  240. [240]
    How to attract and retain health workers in rural areas of a fragile state
    The objective of this study was to understand how health staff could be better motivated to work and remain in rural, under-served areas in Guinea.
  241. [241]
    Implementing Guinea's National Community Health Strategy
    Dec 11, 2020 · The lingering effects of the Ebola epidemic continue to exacerbate the ongoing challenges in Guinea, including understaffing, poor health system ...
  242. [242]
    Health workforce development and retention in Guinea: a policy ...
    Aug 5, 2019 · In 2016, the Ministry of public services recruited 3802 health workers (HWs) who signed a 5-year contract committing to work in rural areas and ...Missing: understaffing | Show results with:understaffing
  243. [243]
    African Governments Falling Short on Healthcare Funding
    Apr 26, 2024 · African governments are falling far short in their commitments to prioritize public spending on health care, contributing to widespread inequalities in ...Missing: military junta
  244. [244]
    [PDF] Guinea Health Service and Capacity Strengthening Project
    At the same time, less than 5 percent of donor funding is channeled directly through the MOH and most partners finance their own coordination units, contractors ...
  245. [245]
    [PDF] United States Agency for International Development Funding ...
    Feb 16, 2022 · USAID is the largest bilateral donor working in Guinea's health sector and a leader of donor coordination in this sector. The CDC is a key ...Missing: dependency | Show results with:dependency
  246. [246]
    Epilepsy and Traditional Healers in the Republic of Guinea
    Traditional healers are common throughout Guinea and throughout much of SSA, with at least one traditional healer in each village throughout the country ...
  247. [247]
    Healers cure mistrust in Guinea's health system after horrors of Ebola
    Sep 28, 2016 · Traditional healers, who in this west African country mainly forage for remedies in the forest, are believed to be the first port of call for around 80% of ...Missing: prevalence | Show results with:prevalence
  248. [248]
    Fulani - Kinship
    The Fulani are patrilineal and patrilocal. Kinship and seniority are vital to their way of life. The basic elements of kinship are sex, age, and generation.
  249. [249]
    Baga people - AFRICA | 101 Last Tribes
    The Baga are a West African ethnic group who live in the southern swampy lands of Guinea Atlantic coastline. Traditionally animist through the pre-colonial ...Missing: Kissi | Show results with:Kissi<|control11|><|separator|>
  250. [250]
    Scarification in sub‐Saharan Africa: social skin, remedy and medical ...
    Apr 5, 2017 · Scars may be indicative of secret society membership, which aims at shaping the body to perfection through ritual scars 8. In several parts ...<|separator|>
  251. [251]
    Religious household patterns by region | Pew Research Center
    Dec 12, 2019 · In six countries – Benin, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria – polygamy is formally prohibited but tolerated. ... Historians also ...
  252. [252]
    GUINEA, RICH IN MATERIAL RESOURCES, IS SAID TO BATTLE ...
    Concerning polygamy, one out of every two women in Guinea was in a polygamous marriage. That was difficult to comprehend in a country where that practice was ...Missing: prevalence | Show results with:prevalence<|separator|>
  253. [253]
    The Less You Know Your Guinean Bride, The Better - Francis Tapon
    Marriage in Guinea is so different than marriage in America. Child marriage and polygamy is common,
  254. [254]
    [PDF] USAID/GUINEA CDCS Gender Analysis - Banyan Global
    Nov 23, 2020 · Women thus play a critical role in household nutrition and food security, through their market activities, their role in subsistence food.
  255. [255]
    [PDF] Exploitation and Abuse of Girl Domestic Workers in Guinea
    Jun 1, 2007 · Such girls live in conditions akin to slavery. In West Africa the recruitment of girls for domestic labor happens in a wider context of ...
  256. [256]
    Child Labor in Guinea: Findings from the U.S. Department of Labor
    The Guinean government suspended activities in gold and diamond mines for 3 months in order to prevent child labor, human trafficking, and other human rights ...
  257. [257]
    Guinea media guide - BBC
    Apr 14, 2023 · More than 60 private radio stations and some private television stations compete with the state broadcaster. Most of the population accesses ...
  258. [258]
    Unprecedented press freedom violations by Guinea's military junta
    May 24, 2023 · violations in the past 10 days – including Internet cuts, social media censorship and radio station jamming – that is without precedent since
  259. [259]
    Is there a future for Guinea's press? Not without the country's ... - RSF
    May 22, 2025 · Four private radio stations and two private television channels have been banned from broadcasting for a year, drastically restricting the ...
  260. [260]
    Guinea: Reporters Without Borders denounces censorship of private ...
    Aug 13, 2024 · Prosecutions were initiated against them. Guinea ranks 85th out of 180 countries in the world press freedom ranking published by RSF in 2023.
  261. [261]
    Guinea's Storytelling Traditions Keep History Alive
    Aug 2, 2025 · Guinea's storytelling traditions, led by griots, preserve history and culture through oral narratives blending folklore, music, and communal ...
  262. [262]
  263. [263]
    Mory Kanté, Guinea's hero, found new ways of playing the old music
    Jun 1, 2020 · Kanté was a composer and multi-instrumentalist with a singing voice of heart-rending beauty and an individual style on the kora, the West African harp.
  264. [264]
    Guinea - RSF
    But when privately owned media outlets are restricted or censored, advertisers become wary and terminate contracts. This forces those media outlets to reduce ...Missing: RTG | Show results with:RTG
  265. [265]
    International Cooking: Food from Guinea - The Flavor Vortex
    Jul 31, 2023 · Guinean cuisine features fou fou. This can be made from boiled and mashed cassava, yams, maize, or plantain. Many common dishes are based on root vegetables.
  266. [266]
    What is Fufu, the West African Delicacy? - Fine Dining Lovers
    Nov 30, 2021 · Fufu is usually eaten with African soups and stews, which include ingredients such as meat, fish, vegetables, okra, peanut butter, palm oil, ...
  267. [267]
    multilingualism in the popular music of Guinean jelis
    Jul 27, 2024 · This paper explores multilingual popular music in the Republic of Guinea (West Africa) by focussing on hereditary musicians of Manding origin, known as jelis ...
  268. [268]
    Mbalax in Senegal | Music In Africa
    Feb 9, 2015 · Mbalax's particular rhythm is obtained from a local instrument called sabar and has become the trademark of Senegalese music. Mbalax has ...
  269. [269]
    Guinea profile | Men's Olympic Football Tournament 2024 - FIFA
    Jun 7, 2024 · Guinea will return to the Men's Olympic Football Tournament after a 56-year absence. FIFA profiles their team and coach.
  270. [270]
    Guinea seal final men's football spot at Paris 2024 - BBC
    May 9, 2024 · Guinea clinched the final spot in the men's football tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a 1-0 win over Indonesia in an intercontinental play-off ...Missing: Syli Nationale wrestling achievements<|control11|><|separator|>
  271. [271]
    Guinea (GUI) - Olympedia
    Guinean athletes have competed in seven sports at the Olympics – track & field athletics, boxing, football (soccer), judo, swimming, taekwondo, and wrestling.