Guinea

Guinea, officially theRepublic of Guinea, is a coastal country inWest Africa. It borders theAtlantic Oceanto the west,Guinea-Bissauto the northwest,Senegalto the north,Malito the northeast,Côte d'Ivoireto the southeast, andSierra LeoneandLiberiato the south. It is sometimes referred to asGuinea-Conakry, after its capitalConakry, to distinguish it from other territories in theeponymous region, such asGuinea-BissauandEquatorial Guinea.Guinea has a population of 14 million and an area of 245,857 square kilometres (94,926 sq mi).
FormerlyFrench Guinea, it achieved independence in 1958.Guinea has a history of militarycoups d'état.After decades of authoritarian rule, it held its firstdemocraticelectionin 2010.As it continued to hold multi-party elections, the country still faces ethnic conflicts, corruption, and abuses by the military and police.In 2011, the United States government claimed that torture by security forces and abuse of women and children (includingfemale genital mutilation) were ongoing human rights issues.In 2021, amilitary faction overthrew president Alpha Condéand suspended the constitution.
Muslims represent 90% of the population.The country is divided into four geographic regions:Maritime Guineaon the Atlantic coast, theFouta Djallonor Middle Guinea highlands, theUpper Guineasavanna region in the northeast, and theGuinée forestièreregion of tropical forests. French, the official language of Guinea, is the language of communication in schools, government administration, and the media. More than 24 indigenous languages are spoken, and the largest areSusu,Pular, andManinka, which dominate respectively in Maritime Guinea, Fouta Djallon, and Upper Guinea, while Guinée forestière is ethnolinguistically diverse. Guinea's economy is mostly dependent on agriculture and mineral production.It is the world's second-largest producer ofbauxiteand has deposits of diamonds and gold.As of the most recent survey in 2018, 66.2% of the population is affected bymultidimensional poverty, and an additional 16.4% are vulnerable to it.
Guinea is named after theGuinea regionwhich lies along theGulf of Guinea. It stretches north through theforested tropical regionsand ends at theSahel. The English term Guinea comes directly from thePortuguesewordGuinéwhich emerged in the mid-15th century to refer to the lands inhabited by theGuineus, a generic term for the African peoples south of theSenegal River, in contrast to the "tawny" Zenaga Berbers above it, whom they calledAzenguesorMoors.
In 1978, the official name became the People's Revolutionary Republic of Guinea. In 1984, the country was renamed the Republic of Guinea after the death of the first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré.
The land that is now Guinea either bordered or was situated within a series of historic African empires before the French arrived in the 1890s and claimed the terrain as part of colonialFrench West Africa. Guinea declared independence from France on 2 October 1958. From independence until thepresidential electionof 2010, Guinea was governed by multipleautocraticrulers.
What is now Guinea sat on the fringes of various West African empires. The earliest, theGhana Empire, grew on trade and ultimately fell after repeated incursions of theAlmoravids. It was in this period that Islam first arrived in the region by way of North African traders. TheSosso Empirecame and stayed from 12th to 13th centuries; later, theMali Empirecame whenSoundiata Kéïtadefeated the Sosso rulerSoumangourou Kantéat theBattle of Kirinainc.1235. The Mali Empire was ruled byMansa(Emperors), includingKankou Moussa, who made ahajjto Mecca in 1324. After his reign, the Mali Empire began to decline and was ultimately supplanted by itsvassalstates in the 15th century.
TheSonghai Empireexpanded its power in about 1460. It continued to prosper until a civil war, over succession, followed the death ofAskia Daoudin 1582. The empirefell to invadersfromMoroccoin 1591, but the kingdom later split into smaller kingdoms. After the fall of some of the West African empires, various kingdoms existed in what is now Guinea.FulaniMuslims migrated toFuta Jallonin Central Guinea, and established an Islamic state from 1727 to 1896 with a written constitution and alternate rulers. TheWassoulou or Wassulu Empire(1878–1898) was led bySamori Tourein the predominantlyMalinkéarea of what is now upper Guinea and southwesternMali(Wassoulou). It moved toIvory Coastbefore being conquered by the French.
European traders competed for the cape trade from the 17th century onward and made inroads earlier.Guinea's colonial period began with French military penetration into the area in the mid-19th century. The defeat of the armies ofSamori Touré, Mansa (or Emperor) of theOuassouloustate and leader of Malinké descent, in 1898 gave France control of what today is Guinea and adjacent areas.
France negotiated Guinea's present boundaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with the British forSierra Leone, the Portuguese for their Guinea colony (nowGuinea-Bissau), andLiberia. Under the French, the country formed theTerritory of GuineawithinFrench West Africa, administered by a governor general resident inDakar. Lieutenant governors administered the individual colonies, including Guinea.
In 1958, theFrench Fourth Republiccollapsed due to political instability and its failures in dealing with its colonies, especiallyIndochinaandAlgeria. TheFrench Fifth Republicgave the colonies the choice ofautonomyin a newFrench Communityor immediate independence in thereferendumof 28 September 1958. Guinea voted overwhelmingly for independence. It was led byAhmed Sékou Touré, whoseDemocratic Party of Guinea-African Democratic Rally(PDG) had won 56 of 60 seats in the 1957 territorial elections.
The French later withdrew, and on 2 October 1958, Guinea proclaimed itself a sovereign and independent republic, with Sékou Touré as president. Later,Opération Persilwas planned byJacques Foccart; they planned to create large quantities of forgedGuinean francstohyperinflateGuinea's economy and to arm Touré's opposition figures.However, the operation was leaked, and soon, the Guinean was issuing a number of official complaints.
In 1960, Touré declared theDemocratic Party of Guineathe country's only legal political party, and for the next 24 years, the government and PDG were one. Touré was re-elected unopposed to four 7-year terms as president, and every 5 years voters were presented with a single list of PDG candidates for the National Assembly.
On 22 November 1970, Portuguese forces from neighbouringPortuguese GuineastagedOperation Green Sea, a raid on Conakry by several hundred exiled Guinean opposition forces. Among their goals, the Portuguese military wanted to kill or capture Sekou Touré due to his support ofPAIGC, an independence movement and rebel group that had carried out attacks inside Portuguese Guinea from their bases in Guinea.After some fighting, the Portuguese-backed forces retreated. Guinea was elected as a non-permanent member of theUN Security Council1972–73.
In 1977, a declining economy and a ban on all private economic transactions led to theMarket Women's Revolt, a series of anti-government riots started by women working in Conakry'sMadina Market. Touré vacillated from supporting the Soviet Union to supporting the United States. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw some economic reforms. After the election ofValéry Giscard d'Estaingas French president, trade increased and the two countries exchanged diplomatic visits.
Sékou Touré died on 26 March 1984 after a heart operation in the United States, and was replaced by Prime MinisterLouis Lansana Beavogui, who was to serve as interim president, pending new elections. PDG was due to elect a new leader on 3 April 1984. Under the constitution, that person would have been the only candidate for president. Hours before that meeting, ColonelsLansana ContéandDiarra Traoréseized power in abloodless coup. Conté assumed the role of president, with Traoré serving as prime minister, until December.
Conté denounced the previous regime's record on human rights, releasing 250 political prisoners and encouraging approximately 200 thousand more to return from exile. He made explicit the turn away from socialism. In 1992, Conté announced a return to civilian rule, with a presidential poll in 1993, followed by elections to parliament in 1995 (in which his party—theParty of Unity and Progress—won 71 of 114 seats). In September 2001, the opposition leaderAlpha Condéwas imprisoned for endangering state security and pardoned 8 months later. Subsequently, he spent time in exile in France.
In 2001, Conté organized and won a referendum to lengthen the presidential term, and in 2003, began his third term after elections were boycotted by the opposition. In January 2005, Conté survived a suspected assassination attempt while making a public appearance in Conakry. His opponents claimed that he was a "tired dictator",whose departure was inevitable, whereas his supporters believed that he was winning a battle with dissidents. According toForeign Policy, Guinea was in danger of becoming afailed state.
In 2000, Guinea suffered as rebels crossed the borders fromLiberiaandSierra Leone. Some thought that the country was headed towards a civil war.Conté blamed neighbouring leaders for coveting Guinea's natural resources, and these claims were denied.In 2003, Guinea agreed to plans with her neighbours to tackle the insurgents. The2007 Guinean general strikeresulted in the appointment of a new prime minister.
Conté remained in power until his death on 23 December 2008.Several hours after his death,Moussa Dadis Camaraseized control in acoup, declaring himself head of amilitary junta.Protests against the coup became violent, and 157 people were killed when, on 28 September 2009, the junta ordered its soldiers to attack people gathered to protest Camara's attempt to become president.The soldiers went on a rampage of rape, mutilation, and murder, which caused some foreign governments to withdraw their support for the new regime.
On 3 December 2009, an aide shot Camara during a dispute over the rampage in September. Camara went to Morocco for medical care.Vice-president (and defense minister)Sékouba Konatéflew fromLebanonto run the country.After meeting inOuagadougouon 13 and 14 January 2010, Camara, Konaté andBlaise Compaoré, President ofBurkina Faso, produced a formal statement of 12 principles promising a return of Guinea to civilian rule within six months.The presidential election of 27 Junebrought allegations of fraud, and a second election was held on 7 November.Voter turnout was "high", and the elections went "relatively smoothly".Alpha Condé, leader of the opposition partyRally of the Guinean People(RGP), won the election, promising to reform the security sector and review mining contracts.
In February 2013,political violence eruptedafter street protests over the transparency of the upcomingMay elections. The protests were fueled by the opposition coalition's decision to step down from the elections in protest of the lack of transparency in the preparations for elections.Nine people were killed during the protests, and around 220 were injured. Some deaths and injuries were caused by security forces using live ammunition on protesters.The violence led to ethnic clashes between theMalinkeandFula, who supported and opposed President Condé, respectively.On 26 March 2013, the opposition party backed out of negotiations with the government over the election, saying that the government had not respected them, and had broken all agreements.
On 25 March 2014, theWorld Health Organizationstated thatGuinea's Ministry of Healthhad reportedan outbreakofEbola virus diseasein Guinea. This initial outbreak had 86 cases, including 59 deaths. By 28 May, there were 281 cases, with 186 deaths.It is believed that the first case was Emile Ouamouno, a two-year-old boy in the village ofMeliandou. He fell ill on 2 December 2013 and died on 6 December.On 18 September 2014, eight members of an Ebola education health care teamwere murderedby villagers in the town ofWomey.As of 1 November 2015, there had been 3,810 cases and 2,536 deaths in Guinea.
Mass civil unrest and violent protests broke outagainst the rule of Alpha Conde on 14 October 2019, against constitutional changes. More than 800 were killed in clashes.After the2020 Guinean presidential election, Alpha Condé's election to a third term was challenged by the opposition, who accused him of fraud. Condé claimed aconstitutional referendum from March 2020allowed him to run despite the 2-term limit.
On 5 September 2021, after hours of gunfire near the presidential palace, Lieutenant ColonelMamady Doumbouyaseized control of state television and declared that PresidentAlpha Conde's government had been dissolved and the nation's borders closed.By the evening, the putschists had declared control of all of Conakry and the country's armed forces. According toGuinée Matin, by 6 September, the military fully controlled the state administration and started to replace the civil administration with its military counterpart.TheUnited Nations,European Union,African Union,ECOWAS(which suspended Guinea's membership), andLa Francophoniedenounced the coup, and called for President Condé's unconditional release. Similar responses came from some neighboring and Western countries (including theUnited States),and fromChina(which relies on Guinea for half of its aluminum ore, facilitated by its connections to President Condé).Despite these, on 1 October 2021, Mamady Doumbouya was sworn in as interim president.
On 11 May 2023, at least seven people were shot dead in anti-government demonstrations in cities across Guinea. The anti-government movement became involved in peaceful protests and called on rulers to end military rule in Guinea and transition the country to democracy.
On 18 December 2023, anexplosion occurredat the country's main oil depot in Conakry, killing 24 people and causing extensive fuel shortages in the country in the following weeks. Existing civil and economic unrest in the country temporarily worsened as a result, with several confrontations between protestors and police in Conakry, increased fuel and travel costs, and general price inflation throughout the country.
Guinea shares a border withGuinea-Bissautothe northwest,Senegaltothe north,Malitothe northeast,Ivory Coasttothe east,Sierra Leonetothe southwestandLiberiatothe south. The nation forms a crescent as it curves from its southeast region to the north and west, to its northwest border withGuinea-Bissauand southwestern coast on the Atlantic Ocean. The sources of theNiger River, theGambia River, and theSenegal Riverare all found in theGuinea Highlands.At 245,857 km(94,926 sq mi), Guinea is roughly the size of the United Kingdom. There are 320 km (200 mi) of coastline and a total land border of 3,400 km (2,100 mi). It lies mostly between latitudes7°and13°N, and longitudes7°and15°W, with a smaller area that is west of 15°.
Guinea is divided into 4 regions:Maritime Guinea, also known as Lower Guinea or the Basse-Coté lowlands, populated mainly by theSusuethnic group; the cooler, more mountainousFouta Djallonthat run roughly north–south through the middle of the country, populated by Fulas; the Sahelian Haute-Guinea to the northeast, populated byMalinké; 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, and rivers flowing to the sea on the west side of the range in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. The highest point in Guinea isMount Nimbaat 1,752 m (5,748 ft). While the Guinean and Ivorian sides of theNimba Massifare aUNESCOStrict Nature Reserve, the portion of the so-called Guinean Backbone continues intoLiberia, where it has been mined for decades; the damage is evident in theNzérékoré Regionat7°32′17″N8°29′50″W﻿ / ﻿7.53806°N 8.49722°W﻿ /7.53806; -8.49722.
Guinea is home to 5 ecoregions:Guinean montane forests,Western Guinean lowland forests,Guinean forest-savanna mosaic,West Sudanian savanna, andGuinean mangroves.
The southern part of Guinea lies within theGuinean Forests of West AfricaBiodiversity hotspot, while the north-east is characterized by dry savanna woodlands. Declining populations of some animals are restricted to uninhabited distant parts of parks and reserves.
Species found in Guinea include the following:
The Republic of Guinea covers 245,857 square kilometres (94,926 sq mi) of West Africa, about10 degrees northof the equator. It is divided into 4 natural regions:
Guinea is divided into eightadministrative regionswhich are subdivided into 33prefectures. The capitalConakrywith a population of 1,675,069 ranks as a special zone.
Guinea is a republic. The president is directly elected by the people and is thehead of stateand thehead of government. The unicameral National Assembly is thelegislative bodyof the country, and its members are directly elected by the people. The judicial branch is headed by theSupreme Court of Guinea[fr], the highest and final court of appeal in the country.
TheNational Assembly of Guinea, the country's legislative body, did not meet from 2008 to 2013, when it was dissolved after the military coup in December.Electionshave been postponed multiple times since 2007. In April 2012, President Condé postponed the elections indefinitely, citing the need to ensure that they were "transparent and democratic".The2013 Guinean legislative electionwas held on 24 September.PresidentAlpha Condé's party, theRally of the Guinean People(RPG), won apluralityof seats in theNational Assembly of Guinea, with 53 out of 114 seats.Cellou Dalein Diallo's UFDG party won 37 seats, and opposition leaders denounced the official results as fraudulent.
Thepresident of Guineais normally elected by popular vote for a 5-year term; the winning candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected president. The president governs Guinea, assisted by acouncilof 25 civilianministers, appointed by him. The government administers the country through 8 regions, 33prefectures, over 100subprefectures, and districts (known ascommunesin Conakry and other cities and villages, orquartiersin the interior). District-level leaders are elected; the president appoints officials to all other levels of the centralized administration. Former PresidentAlpha Condéderived support from Guinea's second-largest ethnic group, theMalinke.Guinea's opposition was backed by theFulaethnic group,who account for around 33.4% of the population.
Guinea is a member of theAfrican Union,Agency for the French-Speaking Community,African Development Bank,Economic Community of West African States,World Bank,Islamic Development Bank,IMF, and theUnited Nations.
According to a February 2009U.S. Department of Statestatement, Guinea's foreign relations, including those with its West African neighbours, had improved steadily since 1985.The Department's October 2018 statement indicated that although "the U.S. condemned" Guinea's "2008 military coup d'etat," the U.S. had "close relations" with Guinea before the coup, and after "Guinea's presidential elections in 2010, the United States re-established strong diplomatic relations with the government." The statement indicated support for the "legislative elections in 2013 and a second presidential election in 2015" as signs of "democratic reform."
A March 2021 report by the U.S. Department of State blasted extensive human rights violations by the government, security forces and businesses in Guinea. The report cited extensive international criticism of the recent national elections, which yielded "President Alpha Conde's re-election (despite disputed results) [...] following a controversial March referendum amending the constitution and allowing him to run for a third term."The department condemned the 2021 coup. The U.S. called for "national dialogue to address concerns sustainably and transparently".
The United Nations promptly denounced the 2021 coup, and some of Guinea's allies condemned the coup. TheAfrican Unionand West Africa's regional bloc (ECOWAS) both threatened sanctions, while some analysts expect the threats to be of limited effect because Guinea is not a member of the West African currency union and is not a landlocked country.ECOWAS promptly suspended Guinea's membership and demanded the unconditional release of President Condé, while sending envoys to Conakry to attempt a "constitutional" resolution of the situation.China (which relies on Guinea for half of its aluminium ore, facilitated by connections to ousted President Condé) openly opposed the coup.
Guinea's armed forces are divided into 5 branches—army, navy, air force, the paramilitary NationalGendarmerieand the Republican Guard—whose chiefs report to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who is subordinate to the Minister of Defence. In addition, regime security forces include the National Police Force (Sûreté Nationale). The Gendarmerie, responsible for internal security, has a strength of several thousand.
The army, with about 15,000 personnel, is by far the largest branch of the armed forces and is mainly responsible for protecting the state borders, the security of administered territories, and defending Guinea's national interests. Air force personnel total about 700. Its equipment includes several Russian-supplied fighter planes and transports. The navy has about 900 personnel and operates several smallpatrol craftand barges.
Homosexualityis illegal in Guinea.The prime minister declared in 2010 that he does not consider sexual orientation a legitimate human right.
Guinea has one of the world's highest rates offemale genital mutilation(FGM, sometimes referred to as 'female circumcision') according to Anastasia Gage, an associate professor atTulane University, and Ronan van Rossem, an associate professor atGhent University.Female genital mutilation in Guinea had been performed on more than 98% of women as of 2009.In Guinea "almost all cultures, religions, and ethnicities" practice female genital mutilation.The 2005Demographic and Health Surveyreported that 96% of women have gone through the operation.
As of the most recent survey in 2018, 66.2% of the population is affected bymultidimensional povertyand an additional 16.4% vulnerable to it.
The agriculture sector at some point employed approximately 75% of the country. The rice is cultivated in the flooded zones between streams and rivers. The local production of rice is not sufficient to feed the country, so rice is imported from Asia. Guinea is one of the emerging regional producers of apples and pears. There are plantations of grapes, pomegranates, and more recent years have seen the development of strawberry plantations, based on the vertical hydroponic system.
Guinea has 25% or more of the world's knownbauxitereserves. It has diamonds, gold, and other metals. The gold production of Guinea in 2015 is 17 metric tonnes.Bauxite andaluminaare the most major exports.
Guinea possesses over 25 billiontonnes(metric tons) ofbauxite—and perhaps up to one half of the world's reserves. Its mineral wealth includes more than 4-billion tonnes of high-grade iron ore, and diamond and gold deposits, anduranium.
Joint venturebauxite miningand alumina operations in north-west Guinea historically provide about 80% of Guinea'sForeign exchange reserves. Bauxite is refined intoalumina, which is latersmeltedinto aluminium. TheCompagnie des Bauxites de Guinée(CBG) exports about 14 million tonnes of high-grade bauxite annually. CBG is a joint venture, 49% owned by the Guinean government and 51% by an international consortium known asHalco MiningInc., itself a joint venture controlled by aluminium producerAlcoa(AA), global minerRio Tinto Groupand Dadco Investments.CBG has exclusive rights to bauxite reserves and resources in north-western Guinea, through 2038.In 2008, protesters upset about poor electrical services blocked the tracks CBG uses. Guinea includes a proviso in its agreements with international oil companies, requiring its partners to generate power for nearby communities.
TheCompagnie des Bauxites de Kindia(CBK), a joint venture between the government of Guinea andRUSAL, produces some 2.5 milliontonnesannually, nearly all of which is exported to Russia and Eastern Europe.Dian Dian, a Guinean/Ukrainianjoint bauxite venture, has a projected production rate of 1,000,000t(1,102,311short tons; 984,207long tons) per year, and is not expected to begin operation for several years. TheAlumina Compagnie de Guinée(ACG) which took over the former Friguia Consortium produced about 2.4 million tonnes in 2004, as raw material for its alumina refinery. The refinery exports about 750,000 tonnes of alumina. Both Global Alumina and Alcoa-Alcan have signed conventions with the government of Guinea to build large alumina refineries, with a combined capacity of about 4 million tonnes per year.
TheSimandou mineis aniron orereserve.In March 2010, Anglo-Australian corporationRio Tinto Groupand its biggest shareholder,Aluminum Corporation of China Limited(Chinalco), signed a preliminary agreement to develop Rio Tinto's iron ore project.In 2017, theSerious Fraud Office(SFO), Britain's anti-fraud regulator, launched an official investigation into Rio Tinto's business and mining practices in Guinea.
Tigui Camara, a former model, is the first woman in Guinea to own a mining company which is partially run as a social enterprise.
In 2006, Guinea signed aproduction sharing agreementwith Hyperdynamics Corporation ofHoustonto explore an offshore tract, and was then in partnership withDana PetroleumPLC (Aberdeen, United Kingdom). The initial well, the Sabu-1, was scheduled to begin drilling in October 2011, at a site in approximately 700 metres of water. The Sabu-1 targeted a 4-wayanticlineprospect withupper Cretaceoussands, and was anticipated to be drilled to a total depth of 3,600 meters.
Following the completion of exploratory drilling in 2012, the Sabu-1 well was not deemed commercially viable.In November 2012, Hyperdynamics subsidiary SCS reached an agreement for a sale of 40% of the concession toTullow Oil, bringing ownership shares in the Guinea offshore tract to 37% Hyperdynamics, 40% Tullow Oil, and 23% Dana Petroleum.Hyperdynamics will have until September 2016, under the current agreement, to begin drilling its next selected site, the FatalaCenomanianturbiditefan prospect.
Among the attractions in Guinea are the waterfalls found mostly in the Basse Guinee (Lower Guinea) and Moyenne Guinee (Middle Guinea) regions. The Soumba cascade at the foot of Mount Kakoulima in Kindia, Voile de la Mariée (Bride's Veil) in Dubreka, the Kinkon cascades that are about 80 m (260 ft) high on the Kokoula River in the prefecture of Pita, the Kambadaga falls that can reach 100 m (330 ft) during the rainy season on the same river, the Ditinn & Mitty waterfalls in Dalaba, and the Fetoré waterfalls and the stone bridge in the region of Labe are among water-related tourist sites.
Ahmed Sékou Touré International Airportis the largest airport in the country, with flights to other cities in Africa and to Europe.
Built between 1904 and 1910, a railway once linked Conakry toKankanviaKouroussaceased operating in 1995and had been dismantled altogether by 2007 with rails mostly stolen or sold for scrap. Plans had at one time been mooted for the passenger line to be rehabilitated as part of an iron-ore development master plan and while the start of work was announced in 2010, corruption charges led the whole master plan to be paused and the line was rebuilt as a 105 km mineral railway, paralleling the older route as far as the mines ofKalia.There is a state run mineral railway linking the bauxite mines ofSangarédito the port ofKamsar(137 km) and a 1960s narrow-gauge line operated by Russian aluminium producerRusAlto the mines atFria(143 km).
As part of the plans to restart iron ore mining atSimandoublocks 1 and 2, the new development consortium pledged in 2019 to fund the construction of a new heavy-dutystandard gaugerailway toMatakongon the Atlantic coast where they would invest some US$20 billion in developing a deepwater port.The 650 km route is longer than an alternative heading south to the port ofBuchanan, Liberia, which was considered as an alternative in an October 2019 feasibility study.
In 2021, the population of Guinea was estimated to be 13.5 million.Conakry, the capital and most populous city, is a hub of economy, commerce, education, and culture. In 2014, thetotal fertility rate(TFR) of Guinea was estimated at 4.93 children born per woman.
Manylanguages are spoken in Guinea. The official language isFrench.Pularwas the native language of 33.9% of the population in 2018, followed byMandingowith 29.4%. The third most spoken native language is theSusu, spoken by 21.2% of the population in 2018 as their first language. The remainder of the population has other native languages, includingKissiandKpelle.
The population of Guinea comprises about 24 ethnic groups. TheMandinka, also known as Mandingo or Malinké, comprise 29.4%of the population and are mostly found in eastern Guinea, concentrated around theKankanandKissidougouprefectures.TheFulas or Fulanicomprise 33.4%of the population and are mostly found in theFuta Djallonregion. TheSoussou, comprising 21.2% of the population, are predominantly in western areas around the capitalConakry,Forécariah, andKindia. Smaller ethnic groups make up the remaining 16%of the population, includingKpelle,Kissi,Zialo, Toma and others.In 2017, approximately 10,000 non-Africans lived in Guinea, predominantly Lebanese, French, and other Europeans.
In 2023, theAssociation of Religion Data Archives(ARDA) noted that the population was made up of Muslims at 86.8%, Christian 3.52%, and Animist 9.42%.In the past Muslims and Christians have incorporated indigenous African beliefs into their outlook.
The majority of Guinean Muslims are adherent toSunni Islam, of theMalikischool of jurisprudence, influenced bySufism.Christian groups includeRoman Catholics,Anglicans,Baptists,Seventh-day Adventists, andEvangelicalgroups.Jehovah's Witnessesare active in the country and recognized by the Government. There is aBaháʼí Faithcommunity. There are numbers ofHindus,Buddhists, and traditional Chinese religious groups among theexpatriatecommunity.
There were three days of ethno-religious fighting in the city ofNzerekorein July 2013.Fighting between ethnicKpellewho are Christian or animist, and ethnic Konianke who are Muslims and close to the largerMalinkeethnic group, left at least 54 dead.The dead included people who were killed with machetes and burned alive.The violence ended after the Guinean military imposed a curfew, and President Conde made a televised appeal for calm.In 2021, violence was limited to Kendoumaya, Lower Guinea, and mainly concerned a land rights dispute between locals and a monastery.
In 2010, it was estimated that 41% of adults were literate (52% of males and 30% of females).Primary education is compulsory for 6 years.In 1999, primary school attendance was 40% and children, particularly girls, were kept out of school to assist their parents with domestic work or agricultureor to be married. In 2015, Guinea had "one of the highest rates" ofchild marriagein the world.
In 2014, an outbreak of theEbola virus occurred in Guinea, first started in a village called Meliandou.In response, the health ministry bannedthe sale and consumption of bats, thought to be carriers of the disease. The virus eventually spread from rural areas to Conakry,and by June 2014, had spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia. In August 2014, Guinea closed its borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, as more new cases of the disease were being reported in those countries than in Guinea.
"Unsafe burials" is a source of the transmission of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the inability to engage with local communities hindered the ability of health workers to trace the origins and strains of the virus.While WHO terminated thePublic Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC) on 29 March 2016,the Ebola Situation Report released on 30 March confirmed 5 more cases in the preceding 2 weeks, with viral sequencing relating 1 of the cases to the November 2014 outbreak.Healthcare visits by the population declined due to fear of infection and to mistrust in the health-care system, and the system's ability to provide routine health-care and HIV/AIDS treatments decreased due to the Ebola outbreak.
Ebola re-emerged again in Guinea in January–February 2021.
An estimated 170,000 adults and children were infected at the end of 2004.Surveillance surveys conducted in 2001 and 2002 show higher rates of HIV in urban areas than in rural areas. Prevalence was highest inConakry(5%) and in the cities of theForest Guinearegion (7%) borderingCôte d'Ivoire,Liberia, andSierra Leone.
HIVis spread primarily throughmultiple-partner intercourse. Men and women are at nearly equal risk for HIV, with people aged 15 to 24 most vulnerable. Surveillance figures from 2001 to 2002 show the rates among commercial sex workers (42%), active military personnel (6.6%), truck drivers and bush taxi drivers (7.3%), miners (4.7%), and adults withtuberculosis(8.6%).Several factors were attributed to what fuel the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Guinea. They include unprotected sex, multiple sexual partners, illiteracy, endemic poverty, unstable borders, refugee migration, lack of civic responsibility, and scarce medical care and public services.
Malariais transmitted year-round, with peak transmission from July through October.It is a cause of disability in Guinea.
The first case ofCOVID-19was reported in Guinea on 13 March 2020.By the end of 2020, the total number of confirmed cases was 13,722. Of these, 13,141 had recovered, 500 were active, and 81 people had died.
The 2021 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Guinea is 576.This is compared with 680 in 2010, 859.9 in 2008 and 964.7 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate per 1,000 births is 146 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 29. In Guinea, the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 1 and the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women is 1 in 26.Guinea has the second highest prevalence offemale genital mutilationin the world.
A 2012 study reported malnutrition rates with levels ranging from 34% to 40% by region, and acute malnutrition rates above 10% in Upper Guinea's mining zones. The survey showed that 139,200 children underwent acute malnutrition, 609,696 underwent chronic malnutrition and further 1,592,892 haveanemia. Degradation of care practices, limited access to medical services, inadequate hygiene practices and a lack of food diversity were said to explain these levels.
Footballis the "most popular sport" in the country of Guinea,alongsidebasketball.Football operations are run by theGuinean Football Federation.The association administers thenational football team, and the national league.It was founded in 1960 and affiliated withFIFAsince 1962and with theConfederation of African Footballsince 1963.TheGuinea national football team, nicknamedSyli nationale(National Elephants), have played international football since 1962.Their first opponent wasEast Germany.They have yet to reachWorld Cupfinals, and were runners-up to Morocco in theAfrica Cup of Nationsin 1976.
Guinée Championnat Nationalis the top division of Guinean football. Since it was established in 1965, 3 teams have dominated in winning theGuinée Coupe Nationale.Horoya AChas at least 16 titles and is the 2017–2018 champion.Hafia FC(known as Conakry II in 1960s) has at least 15 titles, having dominated in 1960s and 70s.AS Kaloum Star(known as Conakry I in the 1960s) has at least 13 titles. All 3 teams are based in Conakry.Hafia FC won theAfrican Cup of Champions Clubs3 times, in1972,1975and1977, while Horoya AC won the1978 African Cup Winners' Cup.
Polygamy is generally prohibited by law in Guinea, but there are exceptions.In 2020, it was estimated that about 26% of marriages were polygamous (29% Muslim and 10% Christian).
Guinean cuisinevaries by region with rice as a staple.Cassavais consumed.Part ofWest African cuisine, the foods of Guinea includeyétissé,peanut sauce,okra sauceandtapalapa bread. In rural areas, food is eaten from a "large serving dish" and eaten by hand outside of homes.
The traditional instruments of Guinea are thedrum,kora, bala and koni.
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