The country has an area of 94,926 square miles and a population of 10 million. Approximately 85 percent of the population is Muslim, 10 percent is Christian, and 5 percent holds indigenous religious beliefs. Muslims are generally Sunni; there are relatively few Shi'a, although they are increasing in number. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-day Adventists, and a few evangelical groups. There is a small Baha'i community. There are small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists, and practitioners of traditional Chinese religious beliefs among the expatriate community.
Some Muslims and Christians incorporate indigenous beliefs and rituals into their religious practices.
Muslims comprise a majority in all four major regions of the country. Christians are most numerous in Conakry, in the south, and in the eastern Forest Region. Christians also reside in all large towns except those in the Fouta Djalon region in the middle of the country, where Islam is deeply intertwined with Pular (or Fulani or Peuhl) culture and society. Indigenous religious beliefs are most prevalent in the Forest Region.
Participation in formal religious services and rituals is high since traditional cultural rituals are often closely tied to religious practices.
The country's significant immigrant and refugee populations generally practice the same religious beliefs as citizens, although those from neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone have higher percentages of Christians and adherents of indigenous religious groups.
Population | Population (2009 est.) 10,057,975 |
Religious Demographics | Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7% |
Ethnic Groups | Ethnic Groups Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10% |
Languages | Languages French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language |
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