Guinea - Guinea

Guinea
Location
Coat of arms and flag
Capital	Conakry
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Currency	Guinean Franc (GNF)
Surface	245,857 km²
Inhabitants	10.057.975 (2009 estimate)
Tongue	French
Religion	Islam (85%), Christianity (8%), Animism (7%)
Electricity	220V / 50Hz (British plug)
Prefix	224
TLD	.gn
Time zone	UTC
Website	Guinea Tourist Board

Disambiguation - For toponyms of identical name, see Guinea (disambiguation).

Guinea, also known informally as Guinea Conakry to distinguish it from Guinea-Bissau, is a nation ofWest Africa which faces the Atlantic Ocean to the east and borders on Guinea-Bissau is Senegal North, Mali to the north and north-east, Ivory Coast to the southeast, Liberia to the south, e Sierra Leone West

To know

The name Guinea probably derives from the term Susu which indicates "woman" but could also derive from the Berber Akal n-Iguinawen, "land of the blacks". The Italian form derives from the Portuguese Guiné, an indigenous name of Africa.

The state has magnificent hilly scenery (called the "Switzerland of Africa "), important rainforests and Atlantic beaches, devastated by decades of political instability and illegality.

Geographical notes

Many rivers flow through Guinea. Some of these are Konkourè, Moa, Saint Paul, Saint John, Sankarani, Koro, Corubal, Gambia. The two most important rivers are the Bafing (second in length) and the Niger (the longest). It has two tributaries: Bala and Milo; it flows into the gulf of Guinea.

In this state are found the sources of three important rivers of West Africa such as: the Niger River, the Senegal River and the Gambia River.

When to go

The rainy season lasts from April to November, and has fairly high temperatures and high humidity. On the contrary, from November to March there is a dry season. Despite this, it rains on average 11 months out of 12.

Background

Today Guinea before being colonized was part of several African empires, the first of these was the Empire of Ghana, which conquered this territory in 900. In the eighteenth century Islam spread. In 1890 Guinea became a French colony and the French founded the capital, Conakry, on the island of Tombo. On 28 September 1958, after a referendum, it gained independence.

Spoken languages

In addition to the official language, each ethnic group has its own dialects. The most common are: fula, maninka, susu and wolof. Arabic has a modest diffusion fueled by the strong presence of Islam.

Territories and tourist destinations

Guinea is administratively organized into 7 regions, which in turn are divided into 32 prefectures. The capital Conakry enjoys the status of a region and is a special area, which has its own prefecture.

      Maritime Guinea - The coast of Guinea, the land of the Susu people and includes the capital Conakry.

      Guinea Moyenne - He understands Dalaba. Also known as Fouta Djallon, mostly hilly and mountainous inland with a relatively cool climate. Land of the Pular people (Peuls).

      Upper Guinea - He understands Kankan and the Upper Niger National Park. The sub-Saharan region on the border with Mali, cut in two by the Niger River and land of the Malinke people.

      Wooded Guinea - He understands Beyla and the natural reserve of Mount Nimba. Southeast region bordering the Liberia and the Ivory Coast, land of the Toma, Kissi peoples and other ethnic groups who have maintained ancient beliefs and rituals.

Urban centers

Other destinations

How to get

Entry requirements

Passport and VISA. The VISA can be obtained from the Guinean embassy in Rome, bring your passport valid for at least 6 months, 2 passport photos, a photocopy of the return ticket, and the completed form. The cost is 60 euros and the release times of 3/4 days.

On the train

Although freight trains operate between the old tracks they connect Conakry is Kankan, there is no passenger train in Guinea. The old station of Conakry however, it may be worth a visit.

How to get around

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What see

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What to do

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Currency and purchases

WAMZ - Map of participating countries

The national currency is the Guinean Franc (GNF). There Monetary Zone of West Africa (West African Monetary Zone - WAMZ), to which the following states belong: Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, adheres to Economic Community of West African States (Economic Community of West African States - ECOWAS / Communauté Économique des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest - CEDEAO). The WAMZ plans to introduce a single currency called by 2020 Echo.

ECOWAS - Map of participating countries

Below are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:

At the table

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Tourist infrastructure

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Events and parties

National holidays

Safety

Petty crime has seen an increase in recent years especially in major cities, so carry small amounts of money with you.

Health situation

Sanitary facilities are very poor, running water even in hotels is unreliable. Antimalarial prophylaxis and vaccinations against cholera, typhus, meningitis and hepatitis A and B are recommended. Finally, Ebola continues to be a serious problem in the country, especially in Wooded Guinea.

Respect the customs

How to keep in touch

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Other projects

• Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Guinea
• Commons contains images or other files on Guinea
• Wikinews contains current news on Guinea
  

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