Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea , is a nation in
West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea. It borders
Guinea-Bissau and
Senegal on the north,
Mali on the north and north-east, the Cte d'Ivoire on the south-east,
Liberia on the south, and
Sierra Leone on the west. Its territory encompasses the water source for the
Niger, Senegal, and
Gambia rivers, with a
coastline facing the
Atlantic Ocean. The name
Guinea originates from
Berber and roughly translates into 'land of the blacks.' It is sometimes called Guinea-Conakry per its capital to differentiate it from the neighboring Guinea-Bissau .
Encyclopedia
Guinea, officially the
Republic of Guinea , is a nation in
West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea. It borders
Guinea-Bissau and
Senegal on the north,
Mali on the north and north-east, the
Côte d'Ivoire on the south-east,
Liberia on the south, and
Sierra Leone on the west. Its territory encompasses the water source for the
Niger, Senegal, and
Gambia rivers, with a
coastline facing the
Atlantic Ocean. The name
Guinea originates from
Berber and roughly translates into 'land of the blacks.' It is sometimes called
Guinea-Conakry per its capital to differentiate it from the neighboring Guinea-Bissau .
History
Main article: History of GuineaThe area covered by the modern state of Guinea has seen itself incorporated into a succession of empires across the centuries. The earliest of these was the "
Ghana Empire" which came into being c. 900. This was followed by the Sosso kingdom in the 12th and 13th centuries. The
Mali Empire came to power in the area following the Battle of Kirina in 1235. The Mali Empire prospered until internal problems weakened it, allowing its states to seize power in the 15th century. Chief among these was the Songhai state which became the
Songhai Empire. This empire exceeded its predecessors in territory and wealth, but it too fell prey to internal wrangling and civil war and was eventually toppled at the Battle of Tondibi in 1591. After this the area fragmented until an Islamic state was founded in the 18th century, bringing some stability to the region.
Europeans first came to the area during the Portuguese Discoveries, who started the
slave trade, beginning in the 15th century. Present-day Guinea was created as a colony by
France in 1890 with Noël Balley being the first governor. The capital
Conakry was founded on Tombo Island in 1890. In 1895 the country was incorporated into
French West Africa.
Guinea gained her independence from France in 1958 and was governed by a dictatorship headed by
Ahmed Sékou Touré. Touré pursued broadly
socialist economic policies and suppressed opposition and free expression with little regard for human rights. After his death in 1984
Lansana Conté took power and immediately turned away from his predecessor's economic policies but continued to keep a close grip on power. Elections were held for the first time in 1993 but their results and the results of subsequent elections were disputed. Conté faces regular criticism for the condition of the country's economy and for his heavy-handed approach to political opponents.
As of 2005 Guinea still faces very real problems and according to the International Crisis Group is in danger of becoming a failed state.
Politics
- List of Presidents of Guinea
Administrative Divisions
Main articles: Regions of Guinea, Prefectures of GuineaGuinea is divided into 7
administrative regions and subdivided into 33
prefectures. The national capital, Conakry, ranks as a special zone.
The
administrative regions include:
Boké,
Faranah,
Kankan,
Kindia,
Labé,
Mamou,
Nzérékoré, and
ConakryGeography
Main article: Geography of GuineaThe highest point in Guinea is Mont Nimba at 5,748
feet .
At 94,919 sq mi. , the country of Guinea is roughly the size of the
United Kingdom and slightly smaller than the US state of
Michigan. There are 200
miles of coastline. Guinea borders the countries of Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. The total land border is 2,112 miles .
Sports
Guinea's main sport is soccer and although they have never made the
World Cup Finals they have appeared at eight
African Nations Cup finals; being runners up in 1976 and making the quarter finals in both 2004 and 2006. Swimming is popular near the capital, Conakry, and hiking is possible in the
Fouta Djallon region.
Economy
Main article: Economy of GuineaGuinea possesses major
mineral,
hydropower, and
agricultural resources, yet remains an
underdeveloped nation. The country possesses over 30% of the world's
bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The
mining sector accounted for about 75% of exports in 1999. Long-run improvements in government fiscal arrangements, literacy, and the legal framework are needed if the country is to move out of poverty. Fighting along the
Sierra Leonean and
Liberian borders, as well as refugee movements, have caused major economic disruptions, aggravating a loss in investor confidence. Foreign mining companies have reduced expatriate staff. Panic buying has created food shortages and inflation and caused riots in local markets. Guinea is not receiving multilateral aid. The
IMF and
World Bank cut off most assistance in 2003. Growth rose slightly in 2004, primarily due to increases in global demand and commodity prices on world markets.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of GuineaCulture
Main article: Culture of Guinea- Like other West African countries, Guinea has a rich musical tradition. The group Bembeya Jazz became popular in the 1960s after Guinean independence. The Vancouver-based guitarist Alpha Yaya Diallo hails from Guinea and incorporates its traditional rhythms and melodies into his original compositions, for which he has won two Juno Awards.
- List of writers from Guinea
Miscellaneous topics
- Communications in Guinea
- Transportation in Guinea
- Military of Guinea
- Foreign relations of Guinea
- National Park of Upper Niger
- National Scout Association of Guinea
Language
References
External links
Government
Overviews
- [https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gv.html CIA World Factbook - Guinea]
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Music
- West African music resources
Directories
- directory category
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- directory category
- directory category
- directory category
Tourism
