Guinea Geography

What is the terrain and geography like in Guinea?

Overview

The country is divided into four geographic regions: the narrow coastal belt; the pastoral Fouta Djallon highland region, with elevations averaging 1,000 feet above sea level; the hotter, drier upper Guinea savanna region; and the tropical rainforest in the southeast.

Guinea has a lovely and varied landscape. The coastal region includes 320 kilometers of coastline and offers beautiful offshore islands, remote beaches, and mangrove swamps; the highland region encompasses verdant hills and stunning waterfalls; and the southeastern region contains ancient and beautiful forests and Guinea's highest point, the 1,752-meter high Mount Nimba.

Geography - note

the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands

Climate

The coastal areas and most of the inland regions of Guinea have a tropical climate, with a rainy season lasting from May to October, uniformly warm temperatures, and moderate to high humidity. The upper Guinea region has a hotter, drier, more desert-like climate. The Niger, Gambia, and Senegal Rivers are among the 22 West African rivers that originate in Guinea.


Conakry is located on a narrow, 36-kilometer-long peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. The peninsula has low, rolling hills, tropical vegetation, and many vistas of the sea. Conakry’s year-round high temperature averages 85°F, and rarely rises above 90°F or falls below the mid-70s. Relative humidity is generally 70% or higher. Conakry’s average annual rainfall of 169 inches, almost all of which falls during the May-October period, makes it one of the world's rainiest capital cities. Americans living in Guinea generally find the climate pleasant overall, although the dry season can be very dusty and the rainy season quite damp.

Guinea Use of Natural Resources

Guinea Environment

Climate:

The coastal areas and most of the inland regions of Guinea have a tropical climate, with a rainy season lasting from May to October, uniformly warm temperatures, and moderate to high humidity. The upper Guinea region has a hotter, drier, more desert-like climate. The Niger, Gambia, and Senegal Rivers are among the 22 West African rivers that originate in Guinea.


Conakry is located on a narrow, 36-kilometer-long peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. The peninsula has low, rolling hills, tropical vegetation, and many vistas of the sea. Conakry’s year-round high temperature averages 85°F, and rarely rises above 90°F or falls below the mid-70s. Relative humidity is generally 70% or higher. Conakry’s average annual rainfall of 169 inches, almost all of which falls during the May-October period, makes it one of the world's rainiest capital cities. Americans living in Guinea generally find the climate pleasant overall, although the dry season can be very dusty and the rainy season quite damp.

Terrain:

generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior

Natural Resources:

bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish

Natural Hazards:

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

Irrigated Land:

366 Square Miles
949 Square Kilometers

Environmental Issues:

deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage

Environment - International Agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Guinea Geography

Geographic Location Africa
Total Area 94,925 Square Miles
245,857 Square Kilometers
Land Area 94,871 Square Miles
245,717 Square Kilometers
Water Area 54 Square Miles
140 Square Kilometers
Land Boundaries 2,112 Miles
3,399 Kilometers
Irrigated Land 366 Square Miles
949 Square Kilometers
Border Countries Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Coastline 199 Miles
320 Kilometers
Geographic Coordinates 11 00 N, 10 00 W
Terrain generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Highest Point 1,752 Meters
Highest Point Location Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Lowest Point Location Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural Resources bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
Time Zone UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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