Guinea

Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It touches the Atlantic Ocean to the west and shares borders with Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The capital city is Conakry.

Guinea was formerly called French Guinea and became independent in 1958. The country has had changes in its government over time. It still faces challenges, including conflicts and corruption.

Guinea is part of many international groups, such as the United Nations, African Union, and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Most people in Guinea practice Islam. The country has four main areas: the coast, the highlands, the savannah, and the tropical forest. French is the official language, but many local languages are also spoken.

The economy of Guinea depends on farming and mining. It is one of the world's top producers of bauxite and also has diamonds and gold. However, many people in Guinea live in poverty and struggle to meet their basic needs.

Name

Guinea is named after the Guinea region, near the Gulf of Guinea. The name "Guinea" comes from the Portuguese word Guiné. People started using this name in the mid-15th century for the lands where many African peoples lived, south of the Senegal River.

Long ago, in 1978, the country was called the "People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea". Later, in 1984, after the first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré, passed away, the country was renamed the "Republic of Guinea".

History

Main article: History of Guinea

The land that is now Guinea was part of historic African empires before the French arrived in the 1890s and made it part of colonial French West Africa. Guinea became independent from France on 2 October 1958. After independence, Guinea was led by several rulers until democratic elections in 2010.

West African empires and kingdoms

Main articles: Imamate of Futa Jallon and Wassoulou Empire

Guinea was near many West African empires. The Ghana Empire grew from trade but fell after attacks. The Mali Empire came next, led by rulers like Mansa Kankou Moussa. Later, the Songhai Empire rose but fell to invaders from Morocco. After these empires, smaller kingdoms formed in the area.

Colony

Europeans began trading along the coast in the 1600s. France made Guinea a colony on 17 December 1891. France controlled the area until Guinea chose independence in 1958. Ahmed Sékou Touré led Guinea as its first president.

Post-colonial

Under Touré's rule

Touré made his party the only one allowed and ruled for many years. In 1970, forces from nearby tried to attack Conakry but were stopped.

Under Conté's rule

After Touré’s death in 1984, Lansana Conté took power. He introduced some changes and held elections. Later, he changed rules to stay in power longer.

Political violence and Ebola outbreak

Conté ruled until his death in 2008. After that, a leader took control but faced protests. In 2014, Guinea faced a health crisis when a serious illness spread.

Under military rule

In 2021, military leaders took control of Guinea. There were protests and challenges to return to civilian rule. In late 2025, elections were held, and a new leader was chosen.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Guinea

Guinea is a country in West Africa that touches the Atlantic Ocean. It shares borders with Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Ivory Coast to the east, Sierra Leone to the southwest, and Liberia to the south. The country curves in a crescent shape from the southeast to the northwest, ending at its coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The sources of three important rivers—the Niger River, the Gambia River, and the Senegal River—begin in the Guinea Highlands. Guinea covers an area of 245,857 km² (94,926 sq mi), similar in size to the United Kingdom.

Guinea has four main regions: Maritime Guinea, also called Lower Guinea, mainly inhabited by the Susu people; the cooler and mountainous Fouta Djallon, home to the Fulas; Haute-Guinea in the northeast, home to the Malinké; and the forested jungle areas in the southeast, home to various ethnic groups. Guinea’s mountains are the source of several rivers that flow into neighboring countries. The highest point in Guinea is Mount Nimba at 1,752 m (5,748 ft). Some parts of these mountains are protected as a UNESCO Strict Nature Reserve.

Guinea is home to five different natural areas: Guinean montane forests, Western Guinean lowland forests, Guinean forest-savannah mosaic, West Sudanian savannah, and Guinean mangroves.

Main article: Wildlife of Guinea

The southern part of Guinea is part of the Guinean Forests of West Africa Biodiversity hotspot, while the northeast features dry savannah woodlands. Some animal populations are decreasing and are mostly found in remote parks and reserves.

Species found in Guinea include:

• Amphibians: Hemisus guineensis, Phrynobatrachus guineensis
• Reptiles: Acanthodactylus guineensis, Mochlus guineensis
• Arachnids: Malloneta guineensis, Dictyna guineensis
• Insects: Zorotypus guineensis, Euchromia guineensis
• Birds: Melaniparus guineensis

Main article: Administrative divisions of Guinea

Guinea covers 245,857 square kilometres (94,926 sq mi) of West Africa, located about 10 degrees north of the equator. It is divided into four natural regions:

• Maritime Guinea (La Guinée Maritime) covers 18% of the country.
• Middle Guinea (La Moyenne-Guinée) covers 20% of the country.
• Upper Guinea (La Haute-Guinée) covers 38% of the country.
• Forested Guinea (Guinée forestière) covers 23% of the country, and is both forested and mountainous.

Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions, which are further split into 33 prefectures. The capital, Conakry, has a population of 1,675,069 and is treated as a special zone.

Politics

Further information: Politics of Guinea

Guinea is a country where people choose their leader in elections. Since 2021, the country has been ruled by military leaders after a takeover called a coup. Leaders are chosen by the people, and they also elect members of a group called the National Assembly to make laws. There is a highest court to make important decisions, but it has not been meeting since the coup.

Guinea is part of many international groups, such as the African Union and the United Nations. The country has relationships with other nations, and these ties have changed over time.

Guinea's military has several branches, including an army, navy, air force, and special security forces. The army is the largest and helps protect the country.

Main article: Human rights in Guinea

In Guinea, certain practices are against the law or can harm people’s health and well-being. It is important for everyone to know about these issues to help protect children and families.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Guinea

Guinea has many natural resources and a big farming sector. Most people work in farming. They grow rice, but need to import more from Asia to feed everyone. Guinea is also starting to grow fruits like apples, pears, grapes, and strawberries.

Guinea is rich in minerals like bauxite, which is used to make aluminium. It also has gold, diamonds, and iron ore. Mining these resources brings in money for the country. There are big mines and factories that process these minerals before sending them to other countries.

Agriculture

Most people in Guinea work in farming. Rice grows in areas between streams and rivers, but not enough to feed everyone, so Guinea imports rice from Asia. Guinea is also growing apples and pears. There are farms with grapes, pomegranates, and newer farms with strawberries.

Natural resources

Guinea has many important minerals. It has a lot of bauxite, which is used to make aluminium. It also has diamonds, gold, and other valuable metals. Bauxite is one of the main things Guinea sells to other countries.

Mining

Main article: Mining industry of Guinea

Guinea has huge amounts of bauxite. It also has lots of iron ore, diamonds, gold, and uranium. Mining bauxite helps Guinea earn money from other countries. The Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée sells bauxite every year. There are other mining companies too.

Oil

In 2006, Guinea agreed to look for oil in the ocean. They drilled a well in 2011, but it wasn’t good enough to make oil. Later, another company joined to search for oil.

Tourism

Guinea has many beautiful waterfalls that attract visitors. Some of these are in the lower and middle parts of the country. Places like the Soumba cascade and Kinkon cascades are popular spots to visit.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Guinea

Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airport in Conakry is the biggest airport in Guinea. It has flights to other African cities and to Europe.

There used to be a railway from Conakry to Kankan through Kouroussa. It stopped working in 1995 and was taken apart by 2007. Today, some important railways are still in use. One connects Sangarédi's bauxite mines to the port of Kamsar. Another is used by a Russian company to reach mines at Fria. There are plans to build a new, big railway to move iron ore from Simandou to a port on the Atlantic coast.

Demography

Main article: Demography of Guinea

In 2021, Guinea had about 13.5 million people. The capital city, Conakry, is full of activity with work, shopping, learning, and culture. In 2014, women in Guinea usually had about 5 children.

Ethnic groups

Guinea has about 24 different groups of people. The Mandinka, also called Mandingo or Malinké, make up about 29% of the country and live mainly in the east near Kankan and Kissidougou. The Fulas or Fulani are about 33% of the people and live in the Futa Djallon area. The Soussou are about 21% and live mostly in the west around Conakry, Forécariah, and Kindia. Smaller groups make up the rest, including Kpelle, Kissi, Zialo, Toma, and others. In 2017, about 10,000 people from outside Africa lived in Guinea.

Languages

Guinea has many languages. The official language is French. Pular is spoken by about 34% of people, followed by Mandingo at 29%. The third most common language is Susu, spoken by 21%. Other languages include Kissi and Kpelle.

Religion

Further information: Religion in Guinea

In 2023, most people in Guinea were Muslim, with smaller groups being Christian and those who follow traditional beliefs. Many Muslims in Guinea follow Sunni Islam, influenced by Sufism. Christian groups include Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and Evangelical groups. There are also small communities of Baháʼí Faith, Hindus, Buddhists, and traditional Chinese religions.

Education

Main article: Education in Guinea

In 2010, about 41% of adults could read and write. Children must go to school for 6 years, but many did not attend. Many girls stayed home to help families or got married young.

Health

Further information: Health in Guinea

Ebola

Further information: Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa

In 2014, Guinea faced a serious health problem with a disease called Ebola. It began in a small village and spread to the capital, Conakry, and then to nearby countries. Guinea closed its borders to stop it from spreading further. The disease returned in Guinea in early 2021.

HIV/AIDS

Main article: HIV/AIDS in Guinea

Around 170,000 people in Guinea had a health condition called HIV by 2004. It was more common in cities. The condition spreads through certain types of contact.

Malaria

Malaria is a sickness that happens all year in Guinea, getting worse between July and October.

COVID-19 pandemic

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Guinea

The first case of a health problem called COVID-19 was found in Guinea in March 2020. By the end of 2020, there were over 13,000 cases.

Maternal and child healthcare

In 2021, many mothers in Guinea sadly did not survive childbirth. Many young children also faced health problems. There were not enough doctors who help with babies.

Malnutrition

In 2012, many children in Guinea did not get enough good food. Some areas had up to 40% of children not getting enough nutrition. This happened because of poor health habits, not enough doctors, and dirty living conditions.

Culture

Media

Main article: Telecommunications in Guinea

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Guinea. People also play basketball. The Guinean Football Federation manages the national football team and league. It started in 1960 and joined FIFA in 1962 and the Confederation of African Football in 1963. The team is called the Syli nationale (National Elephants). They began playing international football in 1962, with their first opponent being East Germany. They have not played in the World Cup finals, but they were runners-up in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1976.

The top football league in Guinea is the Guinée Championnat National, which started in 1965. Three teams often win the Guinée Coupe Nationale: Horoya AC, Hafia FC, and AS Kaloum Star. All three teams are from Conakry. Hafia FC won the African Cup of Champions Clubs three times, and Horoya AC won the 1978 African Cup Winners' Cup.

Polygamy

Further information: Polygamy in Guinea

Polygamy is mostly not allowed by law in Guinea, but there are some exceptions.

Cuisine

Further information: Cuisine of Guinea

Guinean cuisine changes in different places, but rice is a main food. Cassava is also eaten. As part of West African cuisine, popular dishes include yétissé, peanut sauce, okra sauce, and tapalapa bread. In villages, people often eat from one big dish using their hands outside their homes.

Music

Further information: Music of Guinea

Traditional instruments in Guinea include the drum, kora, bala, and koni.