Guinea Geography:
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 10 00 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
245,857 sq km
land:
245,857 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
total: 3,399 km
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:
320 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain:
Generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Natural resources:
Bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish, salt
Land use:
arable land: 3.63%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 93.79%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
950 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
Environment - current 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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
The Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands |
