{ "Introduction": { "Background": { "text": "
Guinea's deep Muslim heritage arrived via the neighboring Almoravid Empire in the 11th century. Following Almoravid decline, Guinea existed on the fringe of several African kingdoms, all competing for regional dominance. In the 13th century, the Mali Empire took control of Guinea, encouraging its already growing Muslim faith. After the fall of the West African empires, various smaller kingdoms controlled Guinea. In the 18th century, Fulani Muslims established an Islamic state in central Guinea that represents one of the earliest examples of a written constitution and alternating leadership. While European traders first arrived in the 16th century, it was the French who secured colonial rule in the 19th century.
In 1958, Guinea achieved independence from France. Sekou TOURE became Guinea’s first post-independence president; he established a dictatorial regime and ruled until his death in 1984, after which General Lansana CONTE staged a coup and seized the government. He too established an authoritarian regime and manipulated presidential elections until his death in December 2008, when Captain Moussa Dadis CAMARA led a military coup, seized power, and suspended the constitution. In September 2009, presidential guards opened fire on an opposition rally, killing more than 150 people in Conakry, the capital. In early December 2009, CAMARA was wounded in an assassination attempt and exiled to Burkina Faso. In 2010 and 2013 respectively, the country held its first free and fair presidential and legislative elections. Alpha CONDE won the 2010 and 2015 presidential elections. CONDE's first cabinet was the first all-civilian government in Guinean history. In March 2020, Guinea passed a new constitution in a national referendum that changed presidential term limit rules. CONDE argued that, given this change, he was allowed to run for a third term, which he then won in October 2020. On 5 September 2021, Col Mamady DOUMBOUYA led special forces troops in a successful military coup, ousting and detaining CONDE and establishing the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development (CNRD). DOUMBOUYA and the CNRD suspended the constitution and dissolved the government and the legislature. DOUMBOUYA was sworn in as transition president on 1 October 2021, and appointed Mohamed BEAVOGUI as transition prime minister a week later. BEAVOGUI subsequently formed a largely technocratic cabinet. The National Transition Council (CNT), which acts as the legislative body for the transition, was formed on 22 January 2022. The 81-member CNT is led by Dr. Dansa KOUROUMA and consists of appointed members representing a broad swath of Guinean society.
Guinea’s strong population growth is a result of declining mortality rates and sustained elevated fertility. The population growth rate was somewhat tempered in the 2000s because of a period of net outmigration. Although life expectancy and mortality rates have improved over the last two decades, the nearly universal practice of female genital cutting continues to contribute to high infant and maternal mortality rates. Guinea’s total fertility remains high at about 5 children per woman as of 2022 because of the ongoing preference for larger families, low contraceptive usage and availability, a lack of educational attainment and empowerment among women, and poverty. A lack of literacy and vocational training programs limit job prospects for youths, but even those with university degrees often have no option but to work in the informal sector. About 60% of the country’s large youth population is unemployed.
Tensions and refugees have spilled over Guinea’s borders with Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d’Ivoire. During the 1990s Guinea harbored as many as half a million refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia, more refugees than any other African country for much of that decade. About half sought refuge in the volatile \"Parrot’s Beak\" region of southwest Guinea, a wedge of land jutting into Sierra Leone near the Liberian border. Many were relocated within Guinea in the early 2000s because the area suffered repeated cross-border attacks from various government and rebel forces, as well as anti-refugee violence.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "40.96% (male 2,809,865/female 2,763,294)" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "55.05% (male 3,741,047/female 3,749,281)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "4% (2023 est.) (male 245,323/female 298,439)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "82.4" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "76.3" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "6.1" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "16.3 (2021 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "19.1 years" }, "male": { "text": "18.9 years" }, "female": { "text": "19.4 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "2.75% (2023 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "35.47 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "7.97 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "areas of highest density are in the west and south; interior is sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "38.1% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "2.111 million CONAKRY (capital) (2023)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.02 male(s)/female" }, "15-64 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.82 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1 male(s)/female (2023 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.9 years (2018 est.)", "note": "note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49" }, "Maternal mortality ratio": { "text": "553 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)" }, "Infant mortality rate": { "total": { "text": "48.32 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "male": { "text": "52.98 deaths/1,000 live births" }, "female": { "text": "43.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)" } }, "Life expectancy at birth": { "total population": { "text": "64.27 years" }, "male": { "text": "62.38 years" }, "female": { "text": "66.21 years (2023 est.)" } }, "Total fertility rate": { "text": "4.82 children born/woman (2023 est.)" }, "Gross reproduction rate": { "text": "2.37 (2023 est.)" }, "Contraceptive prevalence rate": { "text": "10.9% (2018)" }, "Drinking water source": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 99.5% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 76.9% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 85.2% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 0.5% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 23.1% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 14.8% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Current health expenditure": { "text": "4% of GDP (2020)" }, "Physicians density": { "text": "0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2018)" }, "Hospital bed density": { "text": "0.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)" }, "Sanitation facility access": { "improved: urban": { "text": "urban: 90.9% of population" }, "improved: rural": { "text": "rural: 38.7% of population" }, "improved: total": { "text": "total: 58% of population" }, "unimproved: urban": { "text": "urban: 9.1% of population" }, "unimproved: rural": { "text": "rural: 61.3% of population" }, "unimproved: total": { "text": "total: 42% of population (2020 est.)" } }, "Major infectious diseases": { "degree of risk": { "text": "very high (2023)" }, "food or waterborne diseases": { "text": "bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever" }, "vectorborne diseases": { "text": "malaria and dengue fever" }, "water contact diseases": { "text": "schistosomiasis" }, "animal contact diseases": { "text": "rabies" }, "aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases": { "text": "Lassa fever (2016)" } }, "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": { "text": "7.7% (2016)" }, "Alcohol consumption per capita": { "total": { "text": "0.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "beer": { "text": "0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "wine": { "text": "0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "spirits": { "text": "0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" }, "other alcohols": { "text": "0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)" } }, "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": { "text": "16.3% (2018)" }, "Currently married women (ages 15-49)": { "text": "68.7% (2023 est.)" }, "Child marriage": { "women married by age 15": { "text": "17%" }, "women married by age 18": { "text": "46.5%" }, "men married by age 18": { "text": "1.9% (2018 est.)" } }, "Education expenditures": { "text": "2.2% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Literacy": { "definition": { "text": "age 15 and over can read and write" }, "total population": { "text": "45.3%" }, "male": { "text": "61.2%" }, "female": { "text": "31.3% (2021)" } }, "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": { "total": { "text": "9 years" }, "male": { "text": "10 years" }, "female": { "text": "8 years (2014)" } }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "8.2%" }, "male": { "text": "7%" }, "female": { "text": "9.2% (2021 est.)" } } }, "Environment": { "Environment - current issues": { "text": "deforestation; inadequate potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices lead to environmental damage; water pollution; improper waste disposal" }, "Environment - international agreements": { "party to": { "text": "Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling" }, "signed, but not ratified": { "text": "none of the selected agreements" } }, "Climate": { "text": "generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "58.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 11.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 2.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 43.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "26.5% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "15.4% (2018 est.)" } }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "38.1% of total population (2023)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Food insecurity": { "severe localized food insecurity": { "text": "due to reduced incomes - levels of acute food insecurity are expected to increase in 2023; food prices are likely to remain at high levels, supported by the unfolding effects of the war in Ukraine on international trade; nearly 710,000 people are projected to be acutely food insecure during the June to August 2023 lean season, an improvement compared to 2022 when about 1.22 million people were estimated to face acute food insecurity; acute food insecurity is mainly driven by high food prices (2023)" } }, "Revenue from forest resources": { "text": "4.81% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Revenue from coal": { "text": "0% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Air pollutants": { "particulate matter emissions": { "text": "22.43 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)" }, "carbon dioxide emissions": { "text": "3 megatons (2016 est.)" }, "methane emissions": { "text": "11.13 megatons (2020 est.)" } }, "Waste and recycling": { "municipal solid waste generated annually": { "text": "596,911 tons (1996 est.)" }, "municipal solid waste recycled annually": { "text": "29,846 tons (2005 est.)" }, "percent of municipal solid waste recycled": { "text": "5% (2005 est.)" } }, "Major rivers (by length in km)": { "text": "Niger river source (shared with Mali, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 km; Gambia river source (shared with Senegal and The Gambia [m]) - 1,094 km2020: Alpha CONDE reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Alpha CONDE (RPG) 59.5%, Cellou Dalein DIALLO (UFDG) 33.5%, other 7%; note - following the military coup of 5 September 2021, coup leader Col. Mamady DOUMBOUYA was sworn in as transitional president on 1 October 2021
2015: Alpha CONDE reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Alpha CONDE (RPG) 57.8%, Cellou Dalein DIALLO (UFDG) 31.4%, other 10.8%
" }, "chancery": { "text": "2112 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008" }, "telephone": { "text": "[1] (202) 986-4300" }, "FAX": { "text": "[1] (202) 986-3800" }, "email address and website": { "text": "
Government maintains marginal control over broadcast media; single state-run TV station; state-run radio broadcast station also operates several stations in rural areas; a dozen private television stations; a steadily increasing number of privately owned radio stations, nearly all in Conakry, and about a dozen community radio stations; foreign TV programming available via satellite and cable subscription services
(2022)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".gn" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "4.9 million (2021 est.)" }, "percent of population": { "text": "35% (2021 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "1,000 (2020 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "0.01 (2020 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "3X" }, "Airports": { "text": "16 (2021)" }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "text": "4", "note": "note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)" }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "text": "12", "note": "note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "1,086 km (2017)" }, "standard gauge": { "text": "279 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge" }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "807 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "44,301 km (2018)" }, "paved": { "text": "3,346 km (2018)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "40,955 km (2018)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "1,300 km (2011) (navigable by shallow-draft native craft in the northern part of the Niger River system)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "3" }, "by type": { "text": "general cargo 1, other 2 (2022)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Conakry, Kamsar" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "National Armed Forces: Army, Guinean Navy (Armee de Mer or Marine Guineenne), Guinean Air Force (Force Aerienne de Guinee), Presidential Security Battalion (Battailon Autonome de la Sécurité Presidentielle, BASP), Gendarmerie (2023)", "note": "note: the National Gendarmerie is overseen by the Ministry of Defense, while the National Police is under the Ministry of Security; the Gendarmerie and National Police share responsibility for internal security, but only the Gendarmerie can arrest police or military officials" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2022": { "text": "1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2021": { "text": "1.5% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2020": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.6% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.8% of GDP (2018 est.)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "approximately 12,000 active personnel (9,000 Army; 400 Navy; 800 Air Force; 300 BASP; 1,500 Gendarmerie) (2022)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory of the Guinean military consists largely of aging and outdated (mostly Soviet-era) equipment; in recent years, it has received small amounts of equipment from China, France, and South Africa (2023)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "Voluntary and selective conscripted service, 9-24 mos (2022)" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "670 Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the Guinean military is a small and lightly armed force that is responsible for external defense, but also has some domestic security responsibilities and has historically been involved in suppressing public protests; the military has undergone some attempts at reform since 2010, but in 2021 the Army’s special forces led a successful coup; the Army has a mix of approximately 10 infantry, light armor, commando, and special forces battalions, as well as a presidential guard force; piracy and natural resource protection in the Gulf of Guinea are key areas of concern for the small Navy, which possesses only a few patrol boats; the Air Force has a handful of serviceable aircraft, including helicopter gunships (2023)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "the International Maritime Bureau reported no incidents in the territorial and offshore waters of Guinea in 2022; the offshore waters of the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; past incidents have been reported where vessels were attacked and crews kidnapped; these incidents showed that the pirates / robbers in the area are well armed and violent; pirates have robbed vessels and kidnapped crews for ransom; in the past, product tankers were hijacked and cargo stolen; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2023-001 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 3 January 2023, which states in part, \"Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea\"" } }, "Transnational Issues": { "Disputes - international": { "text": "Sierra Leone considers Guinea's definition of the flood plain limits to define the left bank boundary of the Makona and Moa Rivers excessive and protests Guinea's continued occupation of these lands, including the hamlet of Yenga, occupied since 1998
" }, "Trafficking in persons": { "tier rating": { "text": "Tier 2 Watch List — Guinea does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government initiated more investigations, identified and referred more victims to services, and issued an emergency anti-trafficking national action plan (NAP) to supplement the 2020-2022 NAP; officials established a hotline and allocated resources to the anti-trafficking committee; however, the government did not demonstrate overall increased efforts compared to the last year; substantial personnel turnover related to the September 2021 coup d’état hindered anti-trafficking efforts; no data was provided on prosecution of trafficking cases, and while more traffickers were convicted than previously, their sentences did not serve to deter the crime; fines in lieu of imprisonment for sex trafficking remain in the penal code; shelter services for victims remained insufficient, and NGO’s providing victim services did not receive government support; Quranic teachers have not been prosecuted for allegedly forcing child begging; Guinea was granted a waiver per the TVPA from an otherwise required downgraded to Tier 3, therefore Guinea remained on the Tier 2 Watch List for the third consecutive year (2022)" }, "trafficking profile": { "text": "human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Guinea and Guineans abroad; Guinea is a source, transit, and, to a lesser extent, a destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; vulnerable populations include adults and children working in the informal labor sector, homeless and orphaned children, artisanal miners, children and adults with albinism, and the mentally ill; Guinean women and girls are subjected to domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation, while boys are forced to beg, work as street vendors and shoe shiners, or work in mining, herding, fishing, and agriculture; North Koreans working in mining, construction, fishing, and health sectors and Cuban medical professionals working in Guinea may have been forced to work by their respective governments, while Chinese women are reportedly forced into prostitution in Guinea; Guinean women and girls have been exploited in domestic service and sex trafficking in West Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States (2022)" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "NA" } } }