Guinea

Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and shares borders with several countries, including Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The capital city is Conakry, and the country is sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from other places with similar names.

Guinea was formerly known as French Guinea and gained independence in 1958. Over the years, it has experienced changes in its government, including military takeovers. Despite holding democratic elections, the country still faces challenges such as conflicts among different groups, corruption, and issues with its security forces.

Guinea is part of many international organizations, including the United Nations, African Union, and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Most people in Guinea practice Islam, and the country has four main geographic areas: the coastal region, the highlands, the savannah, and the tropical forest zone. French is the official language used in schools and government, but many local languages are also spoken.

The economy of Guinea relies mainly 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 conditions of poverty, with a large portion of the population affected by difficulties in meeting basic needs.

Name

Guinea is named after the Guinea region, which is near the Gulf of Guinea. The name "Guinea" comes from the Portuguese word Guiné. This word started being used in the mid-15th century to describe 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". Then, 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, causing many deaths.

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. It has 320 km (200 mi) of coastline and a total border length of 3,400 km (2,100 mi).

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 the people choose their leader in elections. However, since 2021, the country has been ruled by military leaders after a takeover called a coup. The leader of the country is chosen by the people, and they also elect members of a group called the National Assembly to make laws. There is also 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. Some countries have expressed concern about how the government treats its people and has spoken out about issues like unfair elections.

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 considered harmful to 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. About 75% of 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 even 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 a lot of money for the country. There are big mines and factories that process these minerals before sending them to other countries.

Agriculture

The farming part of Guinea employs about 75% of the people. Rice grows in areas between streams and rivers, but not enough to feed everyone, so Guinea imports rice from Asia. Guinea is also becoming a place where apples and pears are grown. There are farms with grapes, pomegranates, and newer farms with strawberries using special growing methods.

Natural resources

Guinea has a lot of important minerals. It has about 25% of all the bauxite in the world. It also has diamonds, gold, and other valuable metals. In 2015, Guinea produced 17 metric tonnes of gold. Bauxite and alumina, which comes from bauxite, are the main things Guinea sells to other countries.

Mining

Main article: Mining industry of Guinea

Guinea has huge amounts of bauxite—more than 25 billion tonnes. It also has lots of iron ore, diamonds, gold, and uranium. Mining bauxite helps Guinea earn most of its money from other countries. The Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinée, a company partly owned by the Guinean government and other international companies, sells about 14 million tonnes of bauxite every year. There are other mining companies too, working with the government and foreign partners.

Oil

In 2006, Guinea agreed with a company to look for oil in the ocean. They drilled a well called Sabu-1 in 2011, but it wasn’t good enough to make oil. Later, another company joined, and they planned to drill more wells 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, Voile de la Mariée, Kinkon cascades, Kambadaga falls, Ditinn & Mitty waterfalls, and Fetoré waterfalls are popular spots to visit.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Guinea

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

There used to be a railway connecting Conakry to Kankan through Kouroussa, but it stopped working in 1995 and was taken apart by 2007. There are still some important railways today, like the one linking Sangarédi's bauxite mines to the port of Kamsar, and another one used by a Russian company to reach mines at Fria. Plans are in place to build a new, big railway to help move iron ore from Simandou to a port on the Atlantic coast.

Demography

Main article: Demography of Guinea

In 2021, Guinea was home to about 13.5 million people. The capital city, Conakry, is busy with work, shopping, learning, and culture. In 2014, women in Guinea, on average, had about 5 children.

Ethnic groups

Guinea has around 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, mostly from Lebanon, France, and other European countries.

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 (about 87%), with smaller groups being Christian (about 4%) and those who follow traditional beliefs (about 9%). 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 among people from other countries living in Guinea.

Education

Main article: Education in Guinea

In 2010, about 41% of adults could read and write, with more men (52%) than women (30%) able to do so. Children must go to school for 6 years, but in 1999 only 40% attended. Many girls stayed home to help families or got married young. By 2015, Guinea had one of the highest numbers of young marriages in the world.

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 named Meliandou. The disease 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 than in the countryside. The condition spreads through certain types of contact. Many factors made it spread more, like not knowing much about health, poor living conditions, and not enough doctors.

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, with most people getting better, some still sick, and a few passing away.

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, and many girls and women went through a harmful tradition that affects their health.

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, dirty living conditions, and not enough different kinds of food.

Culture

Media

Main article: Telecommunications in Guinea

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Guinea, and it is played alongside basketball. The Guinean Football Federation manages the national football team and league. Founded in 1960, it joined FIFA in 1962 and the Confederation of African Football in 1963. The national team, called the Syli nationale (National Elephants), began playing international football in 1962. Their first opponent was East Germany. Though they have not reached the World Cup finals, they were runners-up in the Africa Cup of Nations in 1976.

The top football league in Guinea is the Guinée Championnat National, established in 1965. Three teams have mostly won the Guinée Coupe Nationale: Horoya AC, Hafia FC, and AS Kaloum Star. All three are based in Conakry. Hafia FC won the African Cup of Champions Clubs three times, while 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. In 2020, around 26% of marriages were polygamous.

Cuisine

Further information: Cuisine of Guinea

Guinean cuisine changes by region, with rice being 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 rural areas, people often eat from a large shared dish using their hands outside homes.

Music

Further information: Music of Guinea

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