Guinea , in West Africa on the Atlantic , is also bordered by Guinea-Bissau , Senegal , Mali , Côte d'Ivoire , Liberia , and Sierra Leone . Slightly smaller than Oregon , the country consists of a coastal plain, a mountainous region, a savanna interior, and a forest area in the Guinea Highlands. The highest peak is Mount Nimba at 5,748 ft (1,752 m).

National name: République de Guinée

President: Lansana Conté (1984)

Prime Minister: Lansana Kouyate (2007)

Area: 94,925 sq mi (245,857 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 9,467,866 (growth rate: 2.4%); birth rate: 42.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 90.4/1000; life expectancy: 49.9; density per sq mi: 100

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Conakry , 1,767,200

Monetary unit: Guinean franc

Languages: French (official), native tongues (Malinké, Susu, Fulani)

Ethnicity/race: Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Susu 20%, smaller tribes 10%

Religions: Islam 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous 7%

Literacy rate: 36% (1995 est.)