Overview
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country located in West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Ivory Coast to the southeast, and Sierra Leone and Liberia to the south. The country is often called Guinea-Conakry, a nod to its capital city, Conakry, which helps distinguish it from neighboring nations that share the "Guinea" name, such as Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea.
Geography
Guinea covers an area of 245,857 square kilometres (94,926 sq mi), giving it a diverse landscape that ranges from coastal lowlands along the Atlantic to highland plateaus and mountain ranges further inland. Its position along the West African coast, combined with borders shared with six different countries, places Guinea at a geographic crossroads within the region. The country's varied terrain has historically shaped patterns of settlement, agriculture, and trade routes connecting the coast to the interior of West Africa.
Population
According to a census held on 1 July 2025, Guinea had a population of over 17.5 million people. The capital, Conakry, serves as the country's largest city and its principal port, playing a central role in the nation's political, economic, and cultural life.
Name and Regional Identity
The country's official name, the Republic of Guinea, reflects its status as an independent sovereign state, but the informal designation "Guinea-Conakry" is widely used in everyday and diplomatic contexts. This naming convention exists because several countries in the region carry the "Guinea" name as part of a broader historical and geographic tradition tied to the coastal area of West Africa once referred to collectively as "Guinea" by European explorers and traders. Distinguishing Guinea from Guinea-Bissau, its northwestern neighbor, and Equatorial Guinea, located further south along the African coast, is important for avoiding confusion in international affairs, trade, and travel planning.
Location Within West Africa
Guinea's borders connect it to a wide array of neighboring cultures and economies. To the north lies Senegal, while Mali borders the country to the northeast. Guinea