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Geography and Environment of Guinea
Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of 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.
Detailed geography
Physical Features
- Terrain
- generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior
- 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.
- Weather Patterns
- http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/GVXX0002?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
- Highest Point
- 1752 — Mont Nimba 1,752 m
- Lowest Point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Borders and Area
- Area (Comparative)
- slightly smaller than Oregon
- Border Countries
- Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km
Natural Resources and Hazards
- Natural Resources
- bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish
- Natural Hazards
- hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
Environment and Land Use
- Current 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
- International Agreements
- Darty 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