- That Guinea has a surface of 245 857 km²
- That Guinea has 10 000 000 Inhabitants
- That Guinea borders are: Mali and Senegal (North), Guinea-Bissau (North-West), Ivory Coast (East),
Liberia (Nord-East), Sierra Leone (South)
- That Guinea has tremendous resources such as Bauxite (more than 2 two thirds or worldwide reserves), Iron
mineral, gold, Diamond, Fishing with 300 kms of coast along Atlantic Ocean, rivers like Niger, Tinkisso, Milo or
Mano which make Guinea being called “Château d’eau d’Afrique or water Tower of Africa”,…
- That Guinea has various mountain reliefs such as Mount Benna in Basse-Guinée, Mount Loured in Moyenne-Guinée,
and Mount Nimba in Guinée-Forestière with the respective heights of 110m, 1515m and 1750m!
- That Guinea, colony of France from 1900 to 1958, was named “Rivières du Sud or South
Rivers” before its integration into the French West African administrative structure called “AOF-Afrique
Occidentale Française, or French Occidental Africa” in 1915.
- That Guinea is the Country of famous warriors who opposed strong resistance to French penetration: Almamy
Samory TOURE, Alfa Yaya DIALLO, El Hadj Omar TALL … and that Guinea was part of “Empire of Mali” ran by
Soundiata KEITA, Mansa MOUSSA and their descendents from the XIIIth and the XVth century.
- That Guinea is composed of: 85% Muslims, 15% Christians and 5% Others.
- That Guinea has Four Regions which are very different from each other:
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- 1 - Region: Basse-Guinée or Guinée Maritime
- With a 300 Kms coast along Atlantic Ocean
- With a rainy season (June-November) with heavy rain precipitations
(about 4000 mm) which last six months and a dry season
- With plantations of palms, coconuts, bananas, vegetables and fruits…and the sea-sides
- With important humidity
- With Magnificent Islands called “Iles de Loos”: Tamara, Kassa, Room, Cabris, and Coraille, Blanche,
situated about 7 kms from Conakry. With the “Chien qui fume, or Smoking Dog” at the summit (1007m) of the
mountain Kakoulima near the town Dubréka, the superb beaches of Sobaney or Bel-Air near the town Boké, the slaves
“warehouse” of Boké which was called “Fortin”, the “Voile de la mariée, or the Bridal Veil” near
Kindia and the “Cave” of Sanama near Boffa.
- With a dominant ethnic group called “Soussous” and assimilated (around 20% of the total population)
- With the towns like Boké, Boffa, Dubréka, Foricariah, Kindia.
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Atlantic Ocean, in Infinity
Rivers, sea-sides, undergrowth…everywhere! |
- 2 - Region: Moyenne Guinée ou Fouta-Djalon
- With its mountains separated by profound and craggy valleys
- With a shorter rainy season (five months) and less precipitations (around 2000 mm)
- With the source of famous rivers like Tinkisso a Niger river tributary, Gambia, Senegal-Bafing or Bakoy
- With its mild continental climate and its “Bowés” (high steep plateaux), good for breeding and cultures:
salad, tomato, potato, pineapple…
- With its mineral resources: gold, diamond
- With the waterfalls of Dittin, Konkouré, Kinkon, Kambadaga, Saala, Mont Loura (“Dame de Mali, or Lady of
Mali, image suggested by the waterfalls), the historic village of Timbo where a XIIIth century mosque, the
traditional art Centre of Dalaba, the traditional house of Alfa Yaya DIALLO (former Chief of Fouta-Djalon) at
Gaoual, the Mount Badiar, the Park of Niokolo Badiar, the “Caves” of Djindjimma and Kansaya near Mali, the
XIIIth century blast furnace of Gaya near Mali…
- With its dry tropical climate
- With its dominant ethnic group of Peuls and assimilated (around 40% of the total population)
- With its towns like Dalaba, Gaoual, Koundara, Labé, Mali, Pita
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Enchanting waterfalls
Tropical Virgin forest |
- 3 - Region: Haute-Guinée
- With its forests and galleries interrupted by important rivers such as Niger, Tinkisso or Bafing
- With its savannas’ landscape, its dry season neighbouring 7 months and its precipitations around 1300 mm
- With its high plateaux
- With its cotton production, its cultures of rice, millet, sorghum or manioc
- With its ruins of cities built by Emperor Soundiata KEITA (Empire of Mali) and Almamy Samory TOURE, the “Balafon”
(xylophone type) of the King of Madingue Soumaoro Kanté
- With the beaches of Milo river, the former cemetery of “Whites”, the tomb of Sheikh Fantamandy Chérif
near Kankan, the “Torro” or holy stone of Tindo near Faranah, the Big Mosque of El Hadj Omar TALL or the Gun
of Tamba Boukari from the XIIIth century near Dinguiraye, the waterfalls of Kindoye, the “Cave” of the
Mount Sawamba or the hydroelectric waterfall of Tinkisso near Dabola, the Djoliba beach or the pond of Boro near
Kouroussa, the fortifications built by Almamy Samory TOURE near Kérouané, the fortification “Galliéni” or the
Niger beach near Siguiri…
- With its dominant ethnic group of Malinkés and assimilated (around 30% of the total population)
- With its towns like Beyla, Dabola, Dinguiraye, Faranah, Kankan, Kérouané, Kouroussa, Mandiana.
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The “Baobab” Tree, King of the forest
Plantations |
- 4 - Region: Guinée Forestère
- With its subtropical climate and its virgin forests notably Nimba and Ziama, its heavy rains from May to November (precipitations : 3000 mm)
- With its mountains: Mount Simandou with a summit Pic de Fon at 1656m, Mount Loma at 1500m and Mount Nimba at 1752m and classified “World Heritage” by UNESCO
- With its precious woods and large plantations of rubber tree, cacao, kola, tea, palm oil tree, and other cultures like rice, millet, manioc…
- With an impressive fauna: Chimpanzees of Bossou, Elephants of Macenta, viviparous Toads
- With its mineral resources : iron, gold, diamond
- With its classified Forest of Kouyo or the Tombs of British soldiers at Guéckédou, the Museum of the Region, the “Caves” of Blandé or the art Centre of N’Zérékoré, the Bridge of creepers on the river Diani near Macenta
- With its dominant ethnic groups of Kissis, Tomas, Guerzés and assimilated (around 10% f the total population)
- With its towns like Guéckédou, Kissidougou, Macenta, Lola, Yomou, N’Zérékoré.
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Tradition village houses
Regular village house
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