Guinea

 

Quick Facts

• Continental region – continent of Africa
• Currency symbol of Guinea –Guinean franc, symbol is FG or GFr
• Capital City –Conakry
• Official languages –French
• Population –13,226,444 (2020)
• Country dialling code  –  (+224)
• Official website – Guinea
• Top 3 biggest industries  –Mining, Agriculture, Fishing
• Google Maps link –Guinea
• Where is it? – Guinea is bordered by Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d’Ivoire to the southeast, and Liberia and Sierra Leone to the south. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west.

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Guinea In Pictures

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Guinea History

• How did the country get its first name? – Guinea is named after the Guinea region. Guinea is a traditional name for the region of Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea. It stretches north through the forested tropical regions and ends at the Sahel.
• How did the country get its current name? – The French claimed the coast of present-day Guinea in 1890 and named it French Guinea (Guinéefrançaise) in 1895. Neighbouring colonies also bore the name “Guinea.” The British colony of Sierra Leone to the south was sometimes identified as British Guinea, and to the north, Portugal’s colony was named Portuguese Guinea. 
• When and by whom the country was first discovered? – The land has been occupied for thousands of years, with farming present around 3,000 years ago. Various West African empires have occupied the land, including the Ghana empire, the Songhai empire and the Mali empire. The Portuguese in 1511 were the first Europeans to sight the island but made no landing until 1527. 
• Who were the first Inhabitants? –The first inhabitants of the Guinea, probably migrants from the Indonesian archipelago, arrived about 50,000 years ago. 
• When it was first recognized as a country? –The former French colony of Guinea declares its independence on October 2, 1958, with Sekou Toure as the new nation’s first leader. Guinea was the sole French West African colony to opt for complete independence, rather than membership in the French Community, and soon thereafter France withdrew all aid to the new republic.
• Who was the first leader of the country? –Sékou Touré, first president of the Republic of Guinea (1958–84) and a leading African politician. Although his parents were poor and uneducated, Touré claimed to be the grandson of Samory, a military leader who resisted French rule at the end of the 19th century.

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Five Significant Events

1. 1891 Guinea a Colony: France declares Guinea to be a colony, separate from Senegal. (https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/places/africa/equatorial-guinea/guinea-country-africa/history)
2. 1958 Independence of Guinea: Guinea becomes independent, with Ahmed Sekou Toure as president. (https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Guinea-HISTORY.html)
3. 2000 Rebels with Liberia and Sierra Leone: Start of incursions by rebels in Guinea’s border regions with Liberia and Sierra Leone which eventually claim more than 1,000 lives and cause massive population displacement. (https://barry517.wordpress.com/history/)
4. 2006 General strike in Guinea: Crippling general strike suspended after eight days following agreement between trade unions and government on wages and prices of basic goods. Several student protesters were killed during unrest over the postponement of exams due to the strike. (https://africanpress.wordpress.com/2006/12/23/guineas-important-historical-events/)
5. 2014 Ebola Virus: World Health Organization estimates 1,900 people have died from the Ebola virus out of 3,500 infected in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. (https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/2014-2016-outbreak/index.html)

Five Places to Visit in Guinea

1. Conakry: Pulsating to very African rhythms with its patchwork of markets (just check out the colourful veg in Madina bazaar), beer bars and Malinke music dives, Conakry is everything you’d expect of a capital representing one of West Africa’s most haphazard nations. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g293799-Conakry_Conakry_Region-Vacations.html)
2. Iles de Los: A spattering of islands that sits just off the coast from the beating streets of Conakry city, the Iles de Los offer a glimpse of what Guinea could be, or would be, were it not for its unstable political life. (https://www.lonelyplanet.com/guinea/iles-de-los)
3. National Park of Upper Niger: Dominating a whopping 6,000 square kilometers in the midst of eastern Guinea, the National Park of Upper Niger (or the National Park Haut Niger, as it’s known locally) is now on the very forefront of West African conservation. (https://mapcarta.com/National_Park_of_the_Upper_Niger)
4. Nzérékoré: Consequently, there’s a truly diverse population of locals inhabiting the sprawling barrios and shanty towns that emerge from the sweeping forest lands that run along the length of the Liberian border, not to mention a thriving series of markets in the heart of the city. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g482862-Nzerekore_Nzerekore_Region-Vacations.html)
5. Fouta Djallon Highland: A carpet of green interspersed only by the occasional hoodoo and craggy protrusion of ancient sandstone rock, weathered and eroded away by century after century of attrition, covers the vast expanse known as the Fouta Djallon. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/en/guinea)

References: 

• https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Guinea
• https://www.britannica.com/place/Guinea
• https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-biggest-industries-in-guinea.html
• https://telephonedialingcode.com/
• https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/guinea-population/
• https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-the-currency-of-guinea.html
• https://africanpress.wordpress.com/2006/12/23/guineas-important-historical-events/
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13443183#:~:text=A%20chronology%20of%20key%20events%3A%201891%20-%20France,Guinea%20becomes%20part%20of%20French%20West%20African%20Federation