Guinea has almost 246,000 square kilometres (94,981 sq mi). It forms a crescent by curving from its western border on the Atlantic boarder towards the east and south. Guinea shares its northern border with Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Mali. Guinea shares its southern border with Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivoire. The Niger River arises in Guinea and runs eastward. Guinea is home to twenty-four ethnic groups. The most prominent groups are the Fula, Mandinka and Susu. Guinea belonged to a series of empires until France colonized it in the 1890s, and made it part of French West Africa. Guinea declared its independence from France on 02 October 1958.
| Capital(and largest city) | Conakry 9°31'N, 13°42'W | ||
| Official Languague | French | ||
| 2000 | 2005 | ||
| People | |||
| Population, total | 8.3 million | 9.2 million | |
| Population growth (annual %) | 2 | 2 | |
| Life expectancy at birth, total (years) | 54 | 56 | |
| Fertility rate, total (births per woman) | 6 | 6 | |
| Environment | |||
| Surface area (sq. km) | 245,860 | 245,860 | |
| Forest area (sq. km) | 269,042 | 67,242 | |
| Agricultural land (% of land area) | 50 | 51 | |
| Economy | |||
| GNI, Atlas method (current US$) | 3,367 million | 3,862 million | |
| GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$) | 400 | 420 | |
| GDP (current US$) | 3112 million | 3260 million | |
| GDP growth (annual %) | 2 | 3 | |
| Inflation, GDP deflator (annual %) | 11 | 29 | |
| Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) | 20 | 20 | |
| Industry, value added (% of GDP) | 33 | 35 | |
| States and market | |||
| Fixed line and mobile phone subscribers (per 1,000 people) | 1 | 2 | |
| Internet users (per 1,000 people) | 0 | 1 | |
| Roads, paved (% of total roads) | 16 | .. | |
| Global links | |||
| Merchandise trade (% of GDP) | 41 | 51 | |
| Net barter terms of trade (2000 - 100) | 100 | 143 | |
| Long-term debt (DOD, current U$S) | 3,387million | 3246 million | |
| Present value of debt (% of GNI) | .. | 34.86 | |
| Total debt service (% of exports of goods, services and income) | 20 | .. | |