• Guinea

    Mary S.


    *. Guinea is a scenic country with majestic mountains and beautiful coastlines. It has a warm tropical climate. Guinea has a long history including belonging to many empires. More recently, its rulers have gained power through a coup d’état. It has half the world’s supply of bauxite. The people of Guinea speak mainly French. There is so much to learn about Guinea.
    *. Did you know that Guinea used to be part of the Ghana Empire in 900 A.D.? That ended in 1100 A.D, when the Sosso kingdom took over, but that didn’t last long, either; in 1235, the Sosso kingdom fell to the Mali Empire.
    *. It wasn’t until about 1400 that the Europeans finally came to Guinea, and it was only 191 years after that when one of the strongest successors of the Mali Empire, the Songhai Empire, died out due to civil war.
    *. Guinea did not achieve stability until the 1800s, when an Islamic state was founded. At around the same time, Fulani Muslims arrived in Fouta Djallon, and although Guinea the country didn’t exist until 1958, France colonized it in 1890.
    *. Guinea became a part of French West Africa in 1895. On October 2, 1958, however, Guinea became the first colony to choose independence from France, and also the first to leave French West Africa.
    *. Ahmed Sékou Touré became the first president, but the opinion of many was that he was not fit for the job, because he supported the Nazis and suppressed freedom of speech. In 1984, Sékou Touré died and Lansana Conté seized power, and he was even worse. He was so terrible that you had to bribe him in order to get basic living necessities. Conté became president again, due to a rigged election in 1993.
    *. In 2005, Prime Minister François Fall felt the need to run away with his family, seeking political asylum in France, because of the governmental corruption. He also left because of “increased interference from the President.”
    *. There were two nationwide strikes by workers in 2006. The strikes turned violent and 10 students were killed by the military. These strikes ended when President Conté lowered prices on rice and oil and raised civil wages. In 2007 however, more strikes ensued because of rising living cost and the people demanded a Prime Minister that would take over some of the presidential responsibilities. President Conté appointed one of his close allies to Prime Minister, which didn’t satisfy the workers. Finally, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened and gave Conté a choice of five people for Prime Minister. Conté appointed Lansana Kouyaté on February 26, 2007.
    *. During May 2008, Kouyaté quit due to death threats to his family. He was quickly replaced by another close ally of Conté who promised to continue Kouyaté’s work, however he never did.
    *. On December 23, 2008, President Conté died. Captain Moussa Dadis Camara of the military seized power, stating, “The government and the institutions of the Republic have been dissolved.” Camara announced the suspension of the constitution and all union activity. He is currently in power.
    *. You will find Guinea on the bulge of the west coast of Africa. Its shape resembles the shape of the African continent. The capital and largest city of Guinea is Conakry. The countries that border Guinea are Côte d’livoire, translated to Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
    *. Guinea is about the size of the U.K., about 94,914 square miles. Guinea has 200 miles of coastline. Guinea has a hilly and mountainous interior, but also many swamps, plateaus, and grassy plains. The highest point in Guinea is Mount Nimba at 5,748 feet. The lowest point is sea level at the coast. Guinea’s mountains are the source for the Niger, the Gambia, and the Senegal Rivers.
    *. Guinea contains half the world’s supply of bauxite, used to make aluminum. It has over 25 billion metric tons. Eighty percent of Guinea’s foreign exchange comes from bauxite mining and aluminum production. Diamonds and Gold are also mined on a large scale. Guinea has more than 4 billion tons of high-grade iron-ore, significant diamond and gold deposits and an undetermined quantity of uranium. Eighty percent of the Guinean labor force is made up of farmers.*. Guinea’s major agricultural exports are bananas, pineapples, coffee, peanuts, and palm oil.
    *. Guinea has considerable potential to grow their economy. The agricultural and fishing industries can be expanded. Iron-ore is ready to be mined by is still awaiting exploration and financing results. There is also very great potential for hydroelectric power, however there are obstacles to large-scale investment projects. Guinea has a poorly developed infrastructure and rampant governmental corruption. In the 1990s the government adopted policies to return commercial activities to the private sector to promote investment, but corruption has prevented the policies from becoming reality.
    *. The President of Guinea is head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief of the Guinean military. He is elected 7 year terms and can only have two terms.
    *. To be elected president of Guinea a candidate has to be a Guinean-born citizen, at least 35 year old, and able to speak and read the French language.
    *. Legislative power is given to the National Assembly. It has 114 members elected for four-year terms, 38 members in single-seat constituencies, similar to America’s Senate, and 76 members by proportional representation, similar to America’s House of Commons.
    *. Guinea was a one-party-dominant state with the Party of Unity and Progress in power. Opposing parties are allowed but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power.
    *. Since the coup d’état, the new party in control is known as the National Council for Democracy and Development. The leader, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara has promised to hold a new presidential election after two years to get used to the changes. Camara made Kabiné Komara Prime Minister. Komara had been a senior director at the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo before this.
    *. Conakry, the capital of Guinea, is a great place for tourism. Cape Verga has great beaches for tourists and also, the sand between Bel Air and Sobane is a great place for exploring. Gbackore is the best place for getting onto Mount Nimba and the second largest city in Guinea, Kankan, is also great for other kinds of tourism.
    *. Boké, the seventh most populated city in Guinea, is very popular for mining clayey and sandy bauxite.
    *. Because Guinea is a developing country, there is little support for tourists. Travel to Guinea requires a current yellow fever vaccination and measures to prevent malaria. Because there are constant violent strikes and demonstrations, visitors are encouraged to avoid large crowds, political rallies, and street demonstrations. Travelers should also be aware that medical facilities are poorly equipped and extremely limited even in the capital city. Medicines are in short supply and medical equipment may not be sterile. Water in Guinea should be presumed contaminated and therefore only bottled or distilled water should be used for drinking. Travelers should also be aware that the roads are generally in poor condition and are generally considered unsafe. Travel during darkness is strongly discouraged for safety reasons. There is no public transportation and taxis are generally poorly maintained and therefore are generally considered hazardous to travel in.
    *. Places to go include Cape Verga, with some of the best beaches in Guinea. You could stay at President Conté’s hotel, a beach hut, or a bungalow. There is also an ideal place for exploration on the stretch of sand between Bel Air and Sobane.
    *. Another place to go is Mount Nimba, Guinea’s highest peak. It is best reached from the village of Gbakore. It is a steep, winding four-hour trek to the top and offers phenomenal views of surrounding peaks in Guinea, Coté d’Ivoire and Liberia. A permit and a guide are required for the trek.
    *. Kankan, the second largest city in Guinea and the capital of the former Mali Empire, is now known for its university, its religious scholars, and its mango trees. It is the spiritual center for the Malinké (Mandinka) people and is home to the Grande Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in West Africa. Its interesting open market with arched entrances and covered market are also worth visiting.
    *. Conakry is the capital of Guinea and its largest city. Attractions in the city include the Guinea National Museum, several markets, the Guinea Palais de Peuple (the President’s Palace), the Conakry Grand Mosque, which was built by Sékou Touré, its botanical gardens, and the beaches of the nearby Iles de Los.
    *. Dalaba is one of the best places for hiking Guinea. There are many tracks to choose from for hiking.
    *. The population of Guinea is about 9,947,814, and out of that, the Fulani make up 40% of the population, the Mandinka: 30%, the Soussou: 20%, however those are only three of the 24 ethnic groups. The other 21 groups make up the other 10%.
    *. The most popular religion in Guinea is Islam, at 85%. Only 10% of Guineans are Christians, and 5% still have traditional beliefs.
    *. Most Guineans speak French, however Pular, Malinké, and Soussou are also spoken. The national anthem is in French:

    _____Peuple d'Afrique!
    _____Le Passé historique!
    _____Que chante l'hymne de la Guinée fière et jeune
    _____Illustre epopée de nos frères
    _____Morts au champ d'honneur en libérant l'Afrique!
    _____Le peuple de Guinée prêchant l'unité
    _____Appelle l'Afrique.
    _____Liberté! C'est la voix d'un peuple
    _____Qui appelle tous ses frères à se retrouver.
    _____Liberté! C'est la voix d'un peuple
    _____Qui appelle tous ses frères de la grande Afrique.
    _____Bâtissons l'unité africaine dans l'indépendance retrouvée.

    (translated)

    _____People of Africa!
    _____The historic past!
    _____Sing the hymn of a Guinea proud and young
    _____Illustrious epic of our brothers
    _____Who died on the field of honour while liberating Africa!
    _____The people of Guinea, preaching Unity,
    _____Call to Africa.
    _____Liberty! The voice of a people
    _____Who call all her brothers to find their way again.
    _____Liberty! The voice of a people
    _____Who call all her brothers of a great Africa.
    _____Let us build African Unity in a newly found independence!

    *. Also, the official name of Guinea is actually République de Guinée_.Republic of Guinea, and the motto is “Travail, Justice, Solidarité”_.Work, Justice, Solidarity.
    *. Most people here wear western-style clothing, but a few will wear an outfit such as the picture on the right.
    *. Soccer is the main sport in Guinea, but they have never made it all the way to the FIFA world cup.
    *. Guinea has many great places to stay. It has a shape similar to that of Africa. Guinea has a long history, but in the future they have plans for a presidential election in two years. It has great potential for economic growth. Some people in Guinea speak languages other than French. There was so much you learned about Guinea.

























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