'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 north-east; the inland part borders
Côte d'Ivoire to the south-east,
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 is sometimes called 'Guinea-Conakry' per its capital, to differentiate it from the neighboring
Guinea-Bissau (whose capital is
Bissau).
History
Main articles: History of Guinea
The land occupied by modern-day Guinea has been part of a series of empires, beginning with the "
Ghana Empire" which came into being around 900 CE. 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 fifteenth 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 eighteenth 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 eighteenth 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 Mercenaries invasion.
On 28 September 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 (
Algeria was officially a part of France and not a colony) 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. While on a visit to France with his family, Prime Minister François Fall resigned and sought exile in the nation, citing corruption and increasing interference from the President, which he felt limited his effectiveness as PM. Fall's successor, Cellou Dalein Diallo, was removed in April of 2006, and Conté failed to appoint a new one until the end of January 2007 after devastating nationwide strikes and mass demonstrations. During 2006, there had already been two nationwide strikes by government workers, during which some 10 students were shot dead by the military; strikes were suspended when Conté agreed to more favorable wages to civil servants and a reduction of the cost of certain basic amenities (rice and oil).
However, by the beginning of 2007, dissatisfied with the government's efforts to put into practice the terms of previous agreements, trade unions called new strikes, protesting of rising costs of living, government corruption, and economic mismanagement. After more than 2 weeks, these strikes drew some of the largest demonstrations seen during Conté's tenure, and resulted in some 60 deaths. Unions demanded (among other things) that the aging, ailing President (now in his 70s and said to be diabetic and suffering from leukemia) name a consensus Prime Minister (the post had been vacant since the removal of Cellou Diallo) and relinquish to him certain presidential responsibilities. Conté reluctantly agreed to appoint a new
prime minister and lower fuel and rice prices, and the strikes were subsequently suspended.
But on the 13 February, upon the nomination of Eugene Camara to the post of Prime Minister, viewed as a close ally of Conté, violent demonstrations immediately broke out throughout the country. Strikes resumed, citing a failure to nominate a "consensus" prime minister as per the January 27th agreement.
[1] A state of martial law was declared after violent clashes with demonstrators, bringing the death toll since January to well over 100, and there were widespread reports of pillaging and rapes committed by men in military uniform. Government buildings and property owned by government officials throughout the country were looted and destroyed by angry mobs. Many feared Guinea to be on the verge of civil war as protesters from all parts of Guinea called for Conté's unequivocal resignation.
But after many diplomatic interventions from ECOWAS, neighboring heads of state, the EU, the UN, etc., General Conté finally agreed to choose a new Prime Minister from a list of five candidates furnished by labor union and civic leaders. On February 26, Lansana Kouyaté, former Guinean ambassador to the UN, was nominated to the post. Strikes were called off, and the nomination was widely hailed by Guineans as a popular triumph over a despotic power.
[2]
Politics
Main articles: Politics of Guinea
Guinea has had only two presidents since independence was declared on October 2, 1958. Under the first,
Ahmed Sékou Touré, the country went into political and economic isolation as a consequence of the withdrawal of French assistance. This lasted until economic necessity called for an opening of the economy in 1978.
[3] Retired general Lansana Conté took control of the country in 1984 in a
coup d'état after the death of Sékou Touré. Conté was elected to rule as President in 1993, then again in 1998 and 2003 while promising to reform the country. But the validity of these elections is contested, since Conté 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 three people were shot by government/military personnel, fueling the revolution. With President Conté's failing health, it begins to look like end times for his regime. Conté'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 Conté met several times with labour leaders, and during one meeting threatened to have them killed. On Monday, January 22, 2007, red beret troops under the command of President Conté'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. During the strikes had NGOs and guinean groups and also the european parlament condiment the shots of the police.
[4]
Regions and prefectures
Main articles: Regions of Guinea,
Prefectures of Guinea
Regions of Guinea
Guinea is divided into seven
administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three
prefectures. The national capital, Conakry, ranks as a special zone.
★
Boké Region
★
Conakry Region
★
Faranah Region
★
Kankan Region
★
Kindia Region
★
Labé Region
★
Mamou Region
★
Nzérékoré Region
Major cities
★
Conakry
★
Labé
★
Kindia
★
Kankan
★
Kissidougou
★
Nzérékoré
★
Boke
★
Faranah
★
Mamou
★
Guéckédougou
★
Forécariah
★
Dabola
★
Macenta
Geography
Map of Guinea
At 94,919 square miles (245,857 km²), 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 four main regions: the Basse-Cote lowlands in the east along the coast, populated mainly by the Susu ethnic group; the cooler, mountainous Fouta Djalon that run roughly north-south through the middle of the country, populated by Peuls, the Sahelian Haute-Guinea to the northeast, populated by Malinkes, and the forested jungle regions in the southeast, with several ethnic groups. 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
Main articles: Economy of Guinea
Guinea 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.
In September 2006, the government signed a production sharing contract (PSC) an American micro-cap exploration company to explore for offshore
petroleum resources. Further exploration of the virgin exploration area is in its early planning stages. No exploration activity has been carried out since late 2003.
In November 2006,
Transparency International, a German
NGO 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, Guinean minister of justice
Réné Alsény Gomez declared that Guinea has engaged in judicial actions against misuse of public funds. Former Central Bank governor
Fodé Soumah has been indicted on charges of corruption on
November 16,
2006. At the
Guatemala conference,
Transparency International president
Huguette Labelle has applauded the measures.
Transportation
Main articles: Transportation in Guinea
The
railway which used to operate from Conakry to Bamako in Mali has been abandoned. As of 2006, all travel within the country is now by automobile. There is air service, but only internationally. Most vehicles in Guinea are some 20 years old, and cabs are mostly 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.
Development of iron ore deposits at
Simandou in the south east of the country in
2007 are likely to see the construction of a new heavy duty
standard gauge railway and
deepwater port.
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of Guinea
★ Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, smaller ethnic groups 10%
★ Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Healthcare
Guinea has been reorganizing its health system since the
Bamako Initiative of 1987 formally promoted community-based methods of increasing accessibility of drugs and health care services to the population, in part by implementing user fees.
[5] The new strategy dramatically increased accessibility through community-based healthcare reform (including community ownership and local budgeting), 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.
[6]
Culture
Main articles: 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
Languages
Fula Maninka Susu French Arabic Wolof Insula
Kissi
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 reached the quarter-finals 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.
Miscellaneous topics
★
Communications in Guinea
★
Foreign relations of Guinea
★
List of Guinea-related topics
★
Military of Guinea
★
National Park of Upper Niger
★
National Scout Association of Guinea
Notables
★
Shekou Thomas: prominent and rich Guinean during the 1800s and early 1900s.
Notes
1. Guinea: Conté Declares 'State of Siege'
2. Lansana Kouyaté à la primature: Conakry et la Guinée profonde en effervescence !
3. 1997 Readers digest 'A guide to places of the world' Berkley square House, London ISBN 0-276-42213-9
4.
Adama Sow, ''Chancen und Risiken von NGOs – Die Gewerkschaften in Guinea während der Unruhen 2007'' – EPU Research Papers: Issue 03/07, Stadtschlaining 2007 pp.-17-21
5. User fees for health: a background
6. Implementation of the Bamako Initiative: strategies in Benin and Guinea
External links
; Language
★
Wolof Language'' Educational site on Wolof, a language of Senegal and Guinea
; Government
★
Permanent UN Mission of the Republic of Guinea''
★
Official site of the Guinean government
; News online
★
Guinéenews - Formerly Boubah.com Latest news about Guinea - Updated breaking news about the Republic of Guinea.
★
Aminata.com Online news source concerning Guinea
; Overviews
★
CIA World Factbook - Guinea
★
BBC News Country Profile - Guinea
; Music
★
Cora Connection West African music resources
★
DrumConnection Representing Traditional Guinean teachings through Drumming, Dance and Song
★
Spinning around the source. Slumbering stories in and around Siguiri. Article by Rachel Laget based on anthropological field research. (www.xpeditions.eu)
; 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
★
★
Niger Currents: Exploring life and technology along the Niger River
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