Guinea, formally the Republic of Guinea, is a West African coastal republic. Guinea is bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the northwest by Guinea-Bissau, on the north by Senegal, on the northeast by Mali, on the southeast by Cote d’Ivoire, and on the south by Sierra Leone and Liberia.
To distinguish it from other territories in the namesake region, such as Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea, the contemporary country is also referred to as Guinea-Conakry after its capital Conakry. Guinea is home to 12.4 million people and covers 245,857 square kilometers.
Guinea is a majority Muslim country, with Muslims accounting for 85% of the population. Guinea’s population is divided into twenty-four ethnic groups. Maritime Guinea, on the low-lying Atlantic coast, the Fouta Djallon or Middle Guinea highlands, the Upper Guinea savanna region in the northeast, and the Guinée forestière region of tropical forests are the four geographical regions of Guinea. The official language of Guinea is French, which is used in schools, government administration, and the media, although there are around twenty-four indigenous languages spoken as well.
Susu, Pular, and Maninka are by far the most numerous, dominating Maritime Guinea, Fouta Djallon, and Upper Guinea, respectively, although Guinée forestière is ethnolinguistically diversified.
Agriculture and mineral production are the mainstays of Guinea’s economy.
It is the world’s second-largest bauxite producer and has abundant diamond and gold reserves.
TRENDING FASHION IN GUINEA
ACCESSORIES IN GUINEA
TRIBES IN GUINEA AND THEIR FASHION
The Fula
Fula people can be found all over the Sahel, from the Atlantic coast to the Red Sea, but mostly in West Africa. The Fouta Djallon hills in central Guinea are home to large populations of Fulani people.
The Mandinka people
The Mandinka are a West African ethnic group who live mostly in Mali, Gambia, and eastern Guinea. They are the largest subgroup of the Mandé peoples and one of Africa’s largest ethnic-linguistic groups, with a population of around 11 million. They speak the Manding languages, which are part of the Mande language family and are widely spoken throughout West Africa. Mandinka Muslims account for over 99 percent of the population. They live in rural communities and are mostly subsistence farmers.
The Susu people
Susu, often written Soussou or Soso, are Guineans who live along the country’s southern coast. They speak a Susu-Yalunka dialect, which is part of the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo languages. The Susu are mostly agriculturalists. The main crops are rice and corn, but they also grow pineapples, mangoes, and coconuts. The Susu now account for roughly 20% of Guinea’s population.
TOURIST AND HISTORICAL PLACES IN GUINEA
Cape Verga – Cape Verga — thrusting its way out of the Guinea coastline – is defined by bamboo beach huts and waving coconut trees, glittering yellow sands, and the never-ending smash of the Atlantic rollers.
Boké – In the dark days of European slave trade in West Africa, Little Boké was a boomtown. Thousands of human freight convoys formerly departed towards the Atlantic coast just a bit to the west along its harbours and jetties, all lining the meanders of the Rio Nunez.
Nzérékoré – Nzérékoré is noted for its silversmiths and convenient position, which is just a short distance from both the Forêt Classée de Diécké to the south and the wildlife-rich hills of Mount Nimba to the east.
National Park of Upper Niger – Chimpanzees and Gambian mongooses, uber-rare West African manatees, and curious big pangolins live in the reserve’s tree boughs and canopies.
Mount Nimba – It rises like a vast, grass-covered backbone from the swaying savannah fields that surround it, with beautiful highland meadows and green lawns that are often well above the skies. The entire area is now an ecotourist’s dream come true, replete with a UNESCO tag to conserve all of the strange and endangered wildlife found there, like the viviparous toad, zebra duikers, and pygmy hippos.
Labé – In terms of population, Labé is the country’s second-largest city. There’s also a fantastic local museum that documents the region’s fascinating cultural history.
Kissidougou – Kissidougou is one of southern Guinea’s fastest-growing cities.
Its rickety markets and mud-caked alleyways ooze a certain charm, imbued with the cultural diversity of Liberians and Ivorians, all amalgamated and intermingled with the traditions of the ethnic Kissi peoples local to the prefecture.
Kindia – Visit a tiny provincial town with low-rise homes and the occasional thatched hamlet to get a sense of what life is like in the country. You’ll be able to have fou fou breads with a wonderful okra sauce, stroll the markets, and even venture into the Fouta Djallon Region’s outskirts, where the dramatic Voile de la Mariee plug-hole waterfalls slice the rocks in half.
Kankan – Kankan is now known as one of Guinea’s premier learning centers, as well as an essential stopover on the journey to Mali.
Iles de Los – the Iles de Los, a scattering of islands just off the coast from the pounding streets of Conakry, offer a glimpse of what Guinea could be, or would be, if it weren’t for its fragile political situation.
Fouta Djallon Highlands – This verdant environment with jungle-dressed valleys and lichen-spotted stones, located in the center of Guinea, has earned a reputation as one of the country’s most attractive. Hikers come to climb Petteh Djiga’s lookouts, observe the headwaters of the Gambia and Senegal rivers, meet the Mande people’s rustic farming towns, and so much more.
Faranah – It’s one of the most popular entry points to the popular Haut Niger National Park, and it also has a large mosque and a plethora of local markets to explore. Add in a surprisingly bustling nightlife, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Dubreka – Little Dubreka, which straddles the inlets of Sangareya Bay and the twisting water channels, bayous, and wide areas of mangrove swamps that push out towards the Atlantic in this section of Guinea, provides a fascinating glimpse into rural life.
Conakry – Conakry is all you’d expect from the capital of one of West Africa’s most unruly countries.
MUSIC IN GUINEA
Guinea also boasts thriving reggae and hip-hop scenes, though real ground-breaking works in these genres are rare, and little has made it outside of the country. Guinean hip-godfather’s hops are Kill Point. They’ve been around since the early 1990s and now serve as mentors to newbies by hosting hip-hop festivals and providing support.
Some musicians in Guinea include:
Djeli Moussa
Mory Kante
Some art work in Guinea include:
MEALS IN GUINEA
Bissap drink – a drink made out of variety of Hibiscus flower.
Konkoe – it is prepared with smoked catfish and vegetables such as onion, eggplants etc.
Poule – a delicious chicken and plantain dish that is usually served on special occasions in Guinea.
Tamarind drink – it is made of tamarind pulp and simple syrup.
Fouti – a very delicious and popular meal in Guinea.
Patates – this is well sliced, spiced and fried potatoes.
Bissap drink
Konkoe
Poule
Tamarind drink
Fouti
Patates
Cooked mango – well-prepared sliced mango that usually boiled or cooked.
Bouille – a delicious meal prepared from millet or flour.
Baked mango – delicious dessert prepared from fresh mangoes and sprinkle with sugar and lime juice.
Fou fou – a popular food made from fresh or fermented cassava.
Maffi gombo – a sauce prepared mainly with okro, usually taken with white rice.
Fried plantain – well sliced, spiced and fried plantain.
Cooked mango
Bouille
Baked mango
Fou fou
Maffi gombo
Fried plantain
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND HABITAT PROTECTION IN GUINEA
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Guinea is wooded 26.6 percent of the time, or around 6,544,000 ha. Primary forest, the most biodiverse and carbon-dense type of forest, accounts for 1.0 percent (63,000) of the total. Guinea had a total of 93,000 hectares of planted forest. Forest Cover Change: Guinea lost an average of 36,000 hectares each year, or 0.50 percent, between 1990 and 2010. Guinea lost 9.9% of its forest cover, or roughly 720,000 hectares, between 1990 and 2010.
Guinea’s forests have a carbon content of 619 million metric tons in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: According to the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Guinea has 998 species of amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. 0.6 percent are endemic, meaning they can only be found in one country, and 3.4 percent are endangered. Guinea has at least 3000 vascular plant species, with 2.9 percent of them being indigenous. IUCN classifications I-V protect 0.2 percent of Guinea’s land.
EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN GUINEA
The headwaters of the Gambia, Niger, and Senegal River systems are found in Guinea’s highlands. Flooding is already a problem throughout the rainy season, and shifting rainfall patterns are anticipated to increase the problem, put a strain on agricultural livelihoods, and jeopardize water availability and quality. Guinea’s coastal towns and fishing sector are threatened by rising sea levels and warming oceans, as well as non-climate stresses such as pollution and overfishing.
Disease vectors’ range and transmission period are predicted to expand to higher elevations as temperatures rise. Due to rainfall variability and increased drought conditions, pressure on Guinea’s agriculture and water supply may increase reliance on forest resources, harm climate-vulnerable species, and extend fire seasons in the montane and lowland forests.
GENDER EQUALITY IN GUINEA
Families with several children, particularly those in rural areas, prefer to educate their sons rather than their daughters. Guinean girls are frequently taken out of school to help with younger siblings, cook, or do other household chores. Despite the fact that Guinea’s government has taken steps to promote gender equality, substantial obstacles remain.
Some prominent women in Guinea include:
Loffo Camara – senior Guinea politician and member of the Politburo of the First Republic of Guinea.
Hadja Makale Camara – Guinea lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea.
Jeanne Martin Cisse – Guinean teacher and nationalist who served as ambassador to the United Nations.
Mahawa Bangoura – Guinean diplomat and politician, the first woman to be the foreign minister in Guinea.
Loffo Camara
Hadja Makale Camara
Jeanne Martin Cisse
Mahawa Bangoura
Aicha Bah Diallo – Guinean education minister and women’s right activist.
Djene Kaba Conde – former first lady of Guinea.
Aicha Bah Diallo
Djene Kaba Conde
