Guinea

République de Guinée Republic of Guinea
Coat of arms of Guinea Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Travail, Justice, Solidarité"  (French) "Work, Justice, Solidarity"
Anthem: "Liberté"
Capital (and largest city)	Conakry 9°31′N 13°42′W
Official languages	French
Government	Republic
- President	Lansana Conté
- Prime Minister	Eugène Camara
Independence
- from France	October 2, 1958
Area
- Total	245,857 km² (78th) 94,926 sq mi
- Water (%)	negligible
Population
- July 2005 estimate	9,402,000
- 1996 census	7,156,406
- Density	38/km² 98/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$18.879 billion
- Per capita	$2,035
HDI  (2004)	0.445 (low)
Currency	Guinean franc (GNF)
Time zone	GMT (UTC)
Internet TLD	.gn
Calling code	+224

Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea , is a nation in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea. Guinea's territory has a curved shape, with its base at the Atlantic Ocean, inland to the east, and turning south. The base borders Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to the north, and Mali to the north and northeast; the inland part borders Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, Liberia to the south, and Sierra Leone to the west of the southern tip. It encompasses the water source of the Niger, Senegal, and Gambia rivers. The name Guinea is used for the region of most of Africa's west coast south of the Sahara desert and north of the Gulf of Guinea. Guinea means "woman/wife" in Susu, one of the most spoken languages in the country. Guinea is sometimes called Guinea-Conakry per its capital, to differentiate it from the neighboring Guinea-Bissau (whose capital is Bissau).

History

The land today's Guinea occupies has been part of a series of empires, beginning with the "Ghana Empire" which came into being c. 900. This was followed by the Sosso kingdom in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The Mali Empire came to power in the area after the Battle of Kirina in 1235, and prospered until internal problems weakened it, and its states seized power in the 15th century. One chief state was the Songhai state which became the Songhai Empire. It 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.

Then the area fragmented until an Islamic state was founded in the 18th century, bringing some stability to the region. Another important event was the arrival of Fulani Muslims in the highland region of Fuuta Jalloo in the early 18th century.

Europeans first came to the area during the Portuguese Discoveries, that started the slave trade, beginning in the fifteenth century.

Present-day Guinea was created as a colony by France in 1890 with Noël Balley as the first governor. The capital Conakry was founded on Tombo Island in 1890. In 1895 the country was incorporated into French West Africa.

Monument to commemorate the 1970 military victory over the Portuguese invasion

On September 28, 1958, under the direction of Charles de Gaulle France held a referendum on a new constitution and the creation of the Fifth Republic. The colonies were given the choice between immediate independence and the new constitution. All colonies except Guinea voted for a new constitution. Thus Guinea became the first French African colony to gain independence, at the cost of the immediate ending of all French assistance.

After independence Guinea was governed by dictator 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 changed the economic policies but kept the close grip on power. The first elections were held in 1993, but their results and those 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. President Conte managed to sack his prime minister in April 2006, and failed to appoint a new one until the end of January 2007. During 2006, there were two strikes by city workers, both quickly resolved by conceding more favorable wages to city employees, and 10 students were killed to squelch a demonstration, ending that minor uprising. However, by the beginning of 2007, trade unions called new strikes in protest of rising living costs, government corruption, and economic mismanagement. After more than two weeks, these strikes drew some of the largest demonstrations seen during Conte's tenure and resulted in some sixty deaths. In response, Conte agreed to appoint a new prime minister and lower fuel and rice prices.

On Febuary 13, a state of martial law was declared after violent clashes with demonstrator's left 23 people dead, and the fear of civil war. The event came after the weekend's nomination of Eugene Camara for the post of prime minister. Camara is seen as an ally of the president, so is unacceptable to the opposition, and is seen as a violation of the January 27 agreement with the trade unions.

Politics

Guinea has had only two presidents since independence was declared on October 2, 1958, under Ahmed Sékou Touré the country went into political and economic isolation as a consequence of the withdrawal of French assistance, this lasted until economic nessecity called for an opening of the economy in 1978 . Lansana Conte took control of the country in 1984 after the death of Sekou Toure. Conte was elected president in 1993, then again in 1998 and 2003 in promise to reform the country. But the validity of these elections is contested, since Conte has guarded his position and has not tolerated potential adversaries.

As of January 10, 2007, a third strike had ensued, one which included workers in the mines and others across the country. Though the government conceded better wages and other main points, the strike continued, as the people were after more than mere promises. On or about January 18, 2007, at least 3 people were gunned down by government/military personnel, fueling the revolution. With President Conte's failing health, it begins to look like end times for his regime. Conte's recent pardon of two wealthy Guineans who had been jailed on charges of corruption also fueled this revolt.

During the second week of the strike, during which dozens of people were killed or injured in demonstrations in every region of the country, President Conte met several times with labor leaders, and during one meeting threatened to have them killed. On January 22, 2007, red beret troops under the command of President Conte's son Ousmane ransacked the strike headquarters, beat up the union leaders (including the recently widowed secretary-general of the CNTG, Hadja Rabiatou Serah Diallo.), arrested and held them for 5 hours. On the same day over tens of thousands of people marched in the streets of Conakry and at least 17 people were killed and 100 injured by police.

Administrative divisions

Guinea is divided into seven administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures. The national capital, Conakry, ranks as a special zone. The regions are Boké, Faranah, Kankan, Kindia, Labé, Mamou, Nzérékoré and Conakry.

Geography

File:Guinea sat.png

Satellite image of Guinea, generated from raster graphics data supplied by The Map Library

Guinea is roughly the size of the United Kingdom and slightly smaller than the US states of Michigan or Oregon. There are 200 miles (320 km) of coastline. The total land border is 2,112 miles (3,399 km). The countries bordering Guinea include Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone. The country is divided into three main regions, the lowlands in the east along the coast, the mountains that run roughly north-south through the country, and the forested jungle regions in the south and east. Guinea's mountains are the source for the Niger, the Gambia, and Senegal Rivers, as well as the numerous rivers flowing to the sea on the west side of the range in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast.

The highest point in Guinea is Mont Nimba at 5,748 feet (1,752 m). Although the Guinean and Ivorian sides of the Nimba Massif are a UNESCO Strict Nature Reserve, the portion of the so-called Guinean Backbone continues into Liberia, where it has been mined for decades; the damage is quite evident on Google Earth at 7.32.17N and 8.29.50W.

Economy

Guinea possesses major mineral, hydropower, and agricultural resources, yet remains an underdeveloped nation. The country possesses over 30 percent of the world's bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer. The mining sector accounted for about 75 percent 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. US Peace Corps volunteers continue to be active within this impoverished country.

In September 2006, the government signed a production sharing contract (PSC) with an American micro-cap exploration company to explore for offshore petroleum resources. Further exploration of the virgin exploration acerage is in its very early planning stages. No exploration activity has been carried out since late 2003.

In November 2006, Transparency International ranked Guinea as the most perceived corrupt nation in Africa and one of the most corrupt countries in the world, ranking only before Myanmar, Iraq and Haiti. In an anticorruption conference in Guatemala, the Guinean minister of justice declared that Guinea has engaged in judicial actions against misuse of public funds. Former Central Bank governor Fodé Soumah was indicted on charges of corruption on November 16, 2006. At the Guatemala conference, Transparency International president Huguette Labelle applauded the measures.

Transportation

The railway which used to operate from Conakry to Bamako in Mali has been abandoned. As of 2006, all travel is now by plane or automobile. Most vehicles in Guinea are some 20 years old, and cabs are most any 4-door vehicle which the owner has designated as for hire. Locals, nearly entirely without vehicles of their own, rely upon these taxis (which charge per seat) and small buses to take them around town and across the country. Horses and donkeys are also found pulling carts, though this is primarily used to transport construction materials.

Demographics

• Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%
• Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%

Health care

Guinea has been reorganizing its health system since the Bamako Initiative of 1987 formally promoted a community-based methods of increasing accessibily of drugs and health care services to the population, in part by implementing user fees. The new strategy dramatically increased accessibility through community-based healthcare reform, resulting in more efficient and equitable provision of services. A comprehensive approach strategy was extended to all areas of health care, with subsequent improvement in the health care indicators and improvement in health care efficiency and cost.

Culture

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.

Languages

• Fula language
• Maninka language
• Susu language
• French language
• Arabic language
• Wolof language

Sports

Guinea's main sport is football (soccer) and although the national team has never made the World Cup Finals it has appeared at eight African Nations Cup finals; it was a runner-up in 1976 and in the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2006. The current national coach is Spaniard Quique Setien, a former player for Casablanca, Perines, Atletico de Madrid, Logrones, and Racing de Santander. Swimming is popular near the capital, Conakry, and hiking is possible in the Fouta Djallon region.

External links

Language

• Wolof Language Educational site on Wolof, a language of Senegal and Guinea.

Government

• Permanent UN Mission of the Republic of Guinea
• (French) Official site of the Guinean government

News Online

• (French) Guinéenews - Formerly Boubah.com Latest news about Guinea - Updated breaking news about the Republic of Guinea.
• (French) Aminata.com Online news source concerning Guinea

Overviews

• CIA World Factbook - Guinea
• BBC News Country Profile - Guinea

Music

• Cora Connection West African music resources

Literature

• Guinean literature at a glance

Directories

• Open Directory Project - Guinea directory category
• Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Guinea directory category
• The Index on Africa - Guinea directory category
• University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Guinea directory category
• Yahoo! - Guinea directory category

Tourism

• Travel guide to Guinea from Wikitravel
• Niger Currents: Exploring life and technology along the Niger River

Credits

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