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"All I wanted to do now was get back to Africa. We had not left it, yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already." E. Hemingway. "Green hills of Africa"
Some generalities about Guinea… as I know it. Population : 8 160 000 Superficie : 245 857 km2 Langues: français (officielle), peul, malinké et soussou
Guinea is situated in West Africa, on the Atlantic Ocean and has about eight millions of inhabitants. Guinea, whose limits have been drawn by the colonial powers, is border with 5 countries: Senegal to the north, Guinea-Bissau to the Northwest, Mali to the East, Liberia and Sierra-Leone to the South and the Ivory Coast to the Southeast. Climat : généralement chaud et humide; saison des pluies de type mousson (de juin a novembre) avec des vents du sud-ouest; saison seche (de décembre a mai) pendant laquelle souffle l'harmattan (vent du nord-est)It is in Guinea where are born some of the big streams of Africa of the west: Bafing and Gambia. Both of them are taking their source from the plateau of the mountain Fouta-Djalon. The Niger stream and its important affluent, the Milo, have their source on heights of the Guinea' dorsal. Reptiles are represented well in the Guinea's' fauna, also rich of a multitude of bird varieties. Also one can find leopards, hippos, boars, antelopes and "civets" – the African squirrels. Guinea is subdivided in four geographical zones: the Maritime Guinea, the High Guinea, the Central Guinea and Forest Guinea. To each of these zones corresponds a group of population: Mandingues or Malinkés, the Peuls, the Soussous and peoples of the forest. Every ethnic group preserved its language and its social & cultural features. Besides the French language (official language of the country), eight languages are spoken thus: the malinké, the soussou, the peul, the kissi, the bassari, the loma, the koniagi and the kpelle. Traditions and animist beliefs are fiercely maintained, in spite of the adoption of the Islam (85% of the population) and of more than one century of colonisation… Speaking from geographical point of view, it is necessary to know that the humid inshore plain is dominated by the massif of the Fouta-Djalon, the water tower of West Africa (sources of Gambia and Senegal). These regions with a high population density are continuing itself of others less populated: to the East a high tray covered with savanna, to the elevated massif southeast, domains of the dense forest (1752 ms to the Nimba mount). Main cities - The Guinea population is a rural one in to 69 %. However, the capital, Conakry, exercises a big power of attraction. More of 1,5 million of Guineas live in this city. To the example of several other African States you may consider creating an administrative capital in the inside of the country. The other centers urban Kankans, Kindia, Zérékoré, Kamsar and Kissidougou - knowing all a fast growth.
Economy - Guinea is endowed of one of the potential economic most important of Africa. Produit intérieur brut (PIB) : 3,3 milliards $US Structure du PIB : agriculture 22,3 %; industrie 35,3 %; services 42,4 % (est. 1998) Croissance du PIB : 5 % (est. 2000) Inflation : 6 % Dette étrangere : 3,5 milliards $US Monnaie nationale : franc guinéen (GNF) Taux de change : 1 $CAN = 1,27982 francs (2002) Ressources naturelles : bauxite, or, diamants, nickel, minerai de fer Productions agricoles : riz, café, ananas, amandes de palme, manioc (tapioca), bananes, patates douces Industries principales : exploitation miniere Exportations : 820 millions $US Importations : 634 millions $US Exportations principales: bauxite, alumine, or, diamants, café, poisson, produits agricoles Importations principales: produits du pétrole, métaux, machinerie, matériel de transport, textiles, céréales et autres denrées alimentaires
