| Guinea | |
 | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Conakry |
|---|---|
| Area | 245 857 km² |
| Population | 10 211 437 hab. (2008) |
| Density | 41,53 inhab./km² |
| Form of State | Republic |
| Other languages | French (official) |
| Change | Guinean franc (GNF) |
| Electricity | 240 V/50 Hz, French plug |
| Telephone prefix | 224 |
| Internet suffix | .gn |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 0 |
| Location | |
 10 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ N 11 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Guinea, is a country ofWest Africa, former French colony, border of the Guinea-Bissau and Senegal north of Mali to the north and northeast, from the Ivory Coast to the east, from Liberia and some Sierra Leone South. The unrest in Sierra Leone has had repercussions in Guinea, creating humanitarian emergencies and threatening the stability of the country.
Guinea is sometimes called "Guinea Conakry", from the name of its capital, to differentiate it from the Guinea-Bissau neighbor and the Equatorial Guinea.
Understand
Guinea is a remarkable country, with an authentic and warm population, but with little infrastructure. While the country has enormous natural resources (around half of the world's bauxite reserves and many gold, gemstone and metal industries, among the most important), the quality of life of its people is judged very low by the UN. Guinea is about the size of the UK.
History
Guinean territory belonged to a series of empires, until the France colonized it in the 1890s and made it part of French West Africa (A-OF). Guinea declared independence from France on .
The first president, the socialist Ahmed Sékou Touré, faced numerous criticisms from the “West” for his alleged violations of human rights and the “liquidation” of the opposition parties. He believed in building a powerful autonomous nation, not dependent on any foreign power.
When he died in 1984, General Lansana Conté took his place. Under Conté's reign, things did not improve, and Touré's ideals were quickly sidelined. In addition, Conté made a lot of political promises, most of which were never kept. In 1993, the first elections were held, although the results (like those of the following elections) were debated. Conté died in 2008 without having appointed a successor, leaving chaos behind.
Immediately after Conté's death, the , a certain Captain Moussa Dadis Camara took power by a coup, becoming the new president of Guinea. Although Camara came to power with some popularity, his presidency proved to be yet another blow to Guinea and Guineans. Civilian demonstrations were greeted with live ammunition and physical violence from the military and police. In December 2009, Moussa Dadis Camara suffered an assassination attempt and has since left power, taking refuge in Burkina Faso.
A democratic process was then triggered and, the , Alpha Condé became the first democratically elected president of Guinea.
Weather
The coastal region of Guinea, as well as most of the interior regions, has a tropical climate, with a rainy season extending from April to November, relatively high and uniform temperatures, and high humidity. In Conakry, average temperatures range from 23 ° C at 29 ° C and the mean annual precipitation is 4 300 mm. The Sahelian region of Upper Guinea has a shorter rainy season, as well as greater variation in daily temperatures.
Regions
 Guinea regions map in colors |
|
Maritime Guinea - Soussous region, culture and the capital. The coast, from Conakry to Guinea-Bissau, also allows great tourist discoveries: with superb wild beaches, mangroves and the observation of wildlife. "Bel Air" is a well-known tourist destination, on the beach, about two hours from Conakry, via a good road. It is a large hotel, regularly serviced and very popular during the summer holidays. An even nicer place to go, if you like eco-tourism, is "the village of Sabolan" which is a small hotel on a beautiful beach (it is off the right road leading to the "Bel Air ”). There are about ten modern huts here, as well as a restaurant. It's a bit pricey, but the setting is beautiful. If you have a tent, or if you want to find a more authentic and cheaper place, you can go to the beach or along the path, then pass the village: you will find nice huts, made by a villager, and now held by his son. Expats working in the mining areas rent out the huts and come there on weekends, but you can still pitch a tent. You must, however, bring your own food. For the more adventurous, there is a “trip” to do on the Tristao Islands, bordering the border with Guinea-Bissau. To get there, you can go by road, from Conakry to Kamsar, then take a local boat to the islands. The boat trip lasts 4 h and is done once or twice a week. Sometimes, with luck, there is a fishing boat going to Tristao (however, these are very busy and may not be as safe as the passenger boats). Manatees, turtles and different types of birds live on the Tristao archipelago. It is a very isolated place, having preserved many animist traditions. |  |
Average Guinea - Also known as the region Fouta Djallon. Mainly hills and mountains, with a relatively cool climate. Fulani region. The region of Fouta Djallon offers superb hikes, vast panoramas, waterfalls and cliffs. "Fouta trekking aventure" is a local association which promotes fair tourism. It offers hiking tours of 3 to 5 days, or "à la carte" tours. Part of its income is used for the development of village communities. Labé, the historic capital and heart of the Fouta Empire that ruled in pre-colonial times, is a bustling town with an interesting history. You can buy beautiful traditional clothes there, in various "navy blue" colors. On the road to Conakry, via Kindia, is the town of Dalaba where, in 1958, the main leaders of the country met to determine the fate of a country soon to be independent from France. There is an old residence that you can visit, as well as a ceremonial hut with magnificent interior carvings. Kindia has some of the best produce of fruit and vegetables and therefore a bustling market. |  |
Upper Guinea - Sub-Sahelian region, mainly bordered by the Mali and cut in two by the Niger river. Malinké region. |  |
Forest Guinea - Southeast region, bordered by the Liberia and the Ivory Coast. Region of Tomas, Kissis and other ethnic groups, which have preserved very old rituals and beliefs. |  |
Cities
Outside of Conakry, there are many attractive tourist destinations for “backpackers.” However, there is not enough infrastructure - such as hotels, roads, etc. - although you can find simple places to stay (with limited electricity, produced by generators).
- 1 Conakry – In Conakry, the country's capital, one of the best places to have a beer and socialize is the Taouyah beach bar, a residential area with a large market and a few nightclubs and restaurants. Many expats live there and meet at the beach, at sunset, for great pizzas or fish or chicken dishes. There is good chat, live music, and lots of locals playing soccer until the sun goes down, especially on weekends. Music is one of the best cultural activities Guinea has to offer. Some of the best Kora players in the world come from Guinea. There are a lot of bars that offer live music.
- 2 Kankan – the second city.
- Siguiri
- Dinguiraye
- Labé
- 3 Kamsar – Kamsar is the main bauxite export mining town, with the main shipments coming from the Boke region. There are some very good hotels and restaurants, which cater to mining executives and expatriates.
- 4 Boke – the administrative capital of the region, has an interesting museum of colonization, a few decent hotels, and a Lebanese store on the main road, where everyone goes to watch football matches and drink fresh Amstel (when the generator wants to walk).
- Faranha
- Forecariah
- Kissidougou
- Guéckédou
- N'zérékoré
- Lola
- 5 Kindia
- Mamou
- Beyla
- 6 Dalaba – small town often nicknamed "the Switzerland of Guinea", because of its mild temperatures and its beautiful landscapes.
- Dabola
Other destinations
- Fouta Djalon - picturesque region of forests and cultivated valleys, ideal for hiking through villages Fulanis or looking for waterfalls.
- Loos Islands - former slave base, these islands of forests and fine sand, near Conakry, are a popular place for expatriates on weekends.
- Niokolo-Badiar National Park - savannah along the Senegalese border where antelopes, monkeys, lions and leopards live.
- Mount Nimba Nature Reserve - classified in Unesco heritage
, is found in both Guinea and Ivory Coast. - Haut Niger National Park - upper course of the Niger river, where hippos, elephants, buffaloes, chimpanzees and waterbucks live.
- Many points of interest have been identified on this card.
To go
Formalities
Visa applications must be made at Guinean embassies and consulates (Paris, Dakar, etc.). Any Visa is not delivered to Guinean airports, nor to borders.
In France, a "single entry" visa costs around 60 € for 1 month, and 90 € for 3 months.
Documents to present, for a visa application:
- 2 passport photos
- 1 photocopy of passport
- 1 form to be completed at the embassy
- Probably :
- hotel reservation confirmation
- or accommodation certificate certified by local authorities
- Guinea
- Exemption from Visa
By plane
Air Senegal International : since Paris with stopover at Dakar ; since Dakar directly. Air France of Paris in direct flight, and Brussels Airlines since Brussels
Royal Air Morocco of Montreal at Casablanca, with stopover at new York, is the only direct flight between the Canada and Africa (several connections to Conakry from Casablanca).
On a boat
A trip is organized every day between Conakry and the Loos Islands for boats of 50 to 100 people on board which leave at 8 am and return at 6 pm.
By train
After Conakry Express which serves the city of Conakry during the week (a trip from the suburbs to the city in the morning, a return in the evening), we have the passenger train which connects Kamsar - Sangaredie through kolaboui, Boke and tinguilinta with its beautiful landscape. The old train station, in downtown Conakry, is worth a visit.
By car
Crossing the border between Guinea and Senegal is possible and requires patience during the journey. In the interior of Guinea, the road between Labe and Koundara has just been paved. There are a few decent and inexpensive places to stay in Koundara. The stage between Koundara and Diaoube (Senegal) is similar. The border passes without too much hassle. There are approximately 20 km of "no man's land" between the 2 border posts. And the only clue to entering Senegal is the improvement of the track. It is possible to change your currencies at any time of day or night, in border towns on both sides of "no man's land". Go from Diaoube to Tambacounda, then to Dakar, by local transport, is relatively easy.
Koundara is also the main starting point for a trip to Guinea-Bissau.
Crossing by car or motorbike, between Kopoto (Guinea) and Kambia (Sierra Leone), is possible with the "Vehicle pass", available at the Embassy of Guinea (40 $ US), and with the "Vehicle Clearance Permit", available at the Embassy of Sierra Leone (40 $ US). An “ECOWAS International Driving Permit” is required for Sierra Leone (available at the border for 100,000 Leones).
A "brown card" of ECOWAS, [1], may also be necessary to prove that the vehicle is properly insured.
Circulate
The Guinean road network is limited to a few hundred km of paved RNs from Conakry to a few provincial towns. The network is limited and very impractical. 4X4 essential on most of the road network. The roads are mainly made up of improved or drivable tracks
There is no bus that Conakry called urban transport. The traffic in Conakry can be very dense. Local transport vans seem to be the most saturated in all of West Africa.
The taxis are very inexpensive, even if you want to hire one for the half day or the day. However, as soon as you get in the car, expect the driver to stop to refuel. The business and administrative center is unfortunately located at the end of a long and narrow peninsula, connected to the rest of Conakry by only two roads. Getting there can be particularly frustrating during rush hour. Queues at gas stations can be quite long and disorganized at certain times.
The bush taxis (very often Peugeot 504, a model widely used in Africa) are used as transport, from one city to another. There is never a defined schedule for local transport. In the early hours of the morning, you could ask a taxi to leave "immediately" that it would not leave Conakry until nightfall! In Guinea, inter-city trips require a lot of patient care and a very “flexible” schedule.
Despite several revival projects by Air Guinea, there are no longer any national airlines.
The motorcycle taxi are a fast and comfortable way to travel.
The road remains dangerous in Guinea and fatal accidents frequent due to speeding and rolling stock and roads in deplorable condition.
Speak
The official language is French. There are many ethnic languages, the most common being soussou (in Lower Coast), the Fulani (originally from Fouta-Djalon) and the malinke (of the forest). Sousou is spoken in the coastal region and in the capital. Toma, Guerze, Kissi and others are spoken in the interior region (the Sacred Forest) bordering Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In remote regions, the level of French remains fairly academic and is never the mother tongue). English is not widely used in Guinea, even in the capital.
Buy
The currency of Guinea is the Guinean franc (F, franc, GNF)
Eat
In Conakry you can eat at any time of the day, there are several restaurants to try in town. Very good dishes are prepared there: grilled fish, rice, attiéké, fonio ... and mafé (sauce) of all kinds.
Drink / Go out
Night clubs abound in Conakry. Just have a drink and let yourself be guided by the music!
However, here are some famous addresses:
- Fougoufougou Fagafaga: a typical Guinean place that hosts many concerts on the southern corniche by the sea. Ideal for a drink accompanied by the music of the Espoirs de Coronthie.
- MLS: international nightclub easily accessible from the highway
- The 3615: international nightclub renowned among the expatriate population, relaxed atmosphere
- The Baron: favorite nightclub of wealthy populations, blazing atmosphere
Housing
The hotels are inaccessible to the majority of the local population since the prices charged are high. Count a minimum of 60 € per night in the center of Conakry to have water, electricity and air conditioning 24/7.
Here are some addresses in Conakry:
- Mid-range
- Hotel Coleah, count 60 € breakfast included. Very good value for money, in Coleah
- Top of the line
- The Palm Camayenne, post-colonial style hotel by the sea à la Camayenne
- The Millenium, modern hotel by the sea à la Camayenne
- The Noom, recent hotel in Kaloum
- The Sheraton, the best in the city at Caporo (near suburb)
Learn
To work
The country lives mainly from the mining sector, agriculture and international aid is omnipresent.
International NGOs are very active and employ many expatriates in Guinea Conakry: Croix Rouge, Alima, UNDP ...
Likewise, the volunteering system has proved its worth among young people under VSI (in solidarity), VIE (in the private sector), VIA (in the administration, such as the French Development Agency) and the Peace Corps contracts. (American volunteering).
In addition, you will be able to work in large global companies which have their representations in Guinea (Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Rusal, Bolloré ...), in the hotel sector and in the banking sector etc ...
Communicate
The majority of the inhabitants speak French which is however quite academic in remote areas (it is only the official language and not mother tongue). You can make yourself understood in English in the capital and in the main cities (not by everyone though).
The local telephone operators are: orange, MTN, Cellcom. The price per GB is generally between 3 and 8 € depending on the quantity purchased.
The internet network is essentially mobile or wireless (3G on mobile, wimax / 3G on fixed computers). However, in the city center there is a fiber or pseudo-fiber offer (wireless sharing of a fiber for Mouna Telecom) for several hundred euros. Count 40 € for unlimited wimax at 1MB / s at Mouna.
security
There is no major security problem in the capital (outside the suburbs). As everywhere, it is advisable to be careful when traveling at night (avoid being alone, prefer transported trips) however crime affecting Westerners remains very rare. A few thefts are reported, the vast majority without violence or coercion (home visits during working hours, pick-pocketing at markets, etc.).
However, Guinea is not spared from political violence. The general strike last January / February left dozens of civilians dead in Conakry and other cities. However, no Westerner was worried. The problem was Guinean / Guinean. Crowds should be avoided.
Government travel advice
.svg/20px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png)
Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
.svg/20px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small}
Respect
Ramadan date
Majority of Muslims insist on local sighting of the crescent moon to mark the start of Ramadan, but others insist on calculating the new moon or declaring it saudi to determine the start of the month. Since the first crescent after the new moon is not visible everywhere at the same time, the start and end dates of the month depend on what is visible in each location. Therefore, the dates vary from country to country, but usually only one day. |
Respect local customs. The majority of the population is Muslim and practices their religion with tolerance.
