Africa A to Z: Continental and Country Profiles: Third Edition

Guinea

COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z 210 Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles | Africa Institute of South Africa Guinea Orientation Fronting on the Atlantic Ocean, this kidneyshaped country borders on six other Western African countries. The coastline is marked by numerous estuaries and mangrove swamps. The largest city and national capital, Conakry, is situated on the rocky Kaloum peninsula, jutting out to a small group of islets, the Los Islands. Conakry has a good natural harbour and is the country’s main seaport. Kamsar, further up the coast, is another port, used for shipping bauxite ore mined in the coastal area. Oil palm and a variety of tropical crops are cultivated along the coast. From the coast the land rises to the Futa Jallon plateau, or highlands, that extend over much of the country’s western half. The towns of Labe and Pita more or less mark the centre of the plateau, rising to over 900 m above sea level. Cutting into the plateau are deep river valleys that provide excellent sites for hydroelectric dams. Four of Western Africa’s largest rivers, including the Niger, rise in the Futa Jallon. It is an area covered by savanna vegetation that supports large herds of cattle. The eastern half of the country, containing the savanna-covered Malinke Plains, lies in the catchment area of the upper Niger River and some of its tributaries. Much of the country’s cereal crops, including rice, are cultivated here. Kankan, a river port, is the largest town in the east. It is connected to Conakry by a 664 km railway and from Kankan it is possible to reach Bamako, in Mali, by boat. Guinea’s southern border regions are mountainous and covered by dense tropical forests. The highest point here is Mount Nimba (1 752 m), near the juncture of the country’s common borders with Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. Guinea’s tropical climate is characterised by high temperatures and humidity throughout the year and heavy rainfall over six to seven months. The highest rainfall (4 000 mm per annum) occurs at the coast and over the forested mountain slopes, decreasing to about 2 000 mm over the Futa Jallon. The driest parts (700 mm) are in the northeast, bordering on Mali. People Guinea is not as densely populated as some other parts of the continent; although, for example, its territory is about the same size as Ghana’s, its population of some 8 million is less than half that of Ghana. The most densely populated areas in Guinea are the Conakry area (more than one million people), patches of the Futa Jallon Highlands and the eastern plains, and some areas in the far southeast. About a third COUNTRY PROFILES A-Z Africa Institute of South Africa | Africa A-Z: Continental and Country Profiles 211 of the population is urbanised. As a result of the wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia in recent years, about three quarters of a million refugees fled to Guinea. Among the many languages spoken in Guinea, only French has official status. The indigenous Guinean languages belong to two main linguistic groupings: Atlantic and Mande. Speaking an Atlantic language, the Ful (Fulani or Peul) people are the largest single ethnic group; they predominate in the Futa Jallon Highlands. However, the various groups speaking Mande languages account for the majority of the population. Prominent among them are the Susu whose language is widely spoken in the Conakry area, and the Malinke (Maninka) who inhabit the eastern plains. Some of the indigenous languages have the status of national languages. Guinea is a predominantly Muslim country, with only some 5% of the population professing Christianity, mainly Roman Catholics in the capital and the coastal area. An estimated 10% of the population adhere to ethnic faiths. Economy Agriculture, forestry and fishing account for about 13% of GDP and provide a living to a third of the economically active people. Only 4% of the land is being cultivated. Coffee is the principal export crop, others are tropical fruits, palm products, cotton and groundnuts . The main food crops are rice, cassava, maize, yams and vegetables. Livestock herding, especially of cattle and goats, is an important subsistence activity in most parts. There is considerable potential for forestry but commercial timber production is still in the infant stage. The country’s marine fish resource is largely exploited by foreign vessels according to a quota system. Mining is the most dynamic sector of the economy, accounting for...