Guinea

Where the name comes from

Guinea comes from Portuguese Guiné, once used broadly for West Africa; links to Ghana or to Amazigh names for southern peoples are disputed.

First people

Medieval Mali and later Fulani-led states crossed today’s borders, including the Islamic state of Fouta Djallon.^1,2,3,4

Known for

Guinea is known as the “water tower of West Africa”: the Niger, Senegal and Gambia rivers all rise in its highlands.⁵

Outside contact

France organized French Guinea in 1891, extending its conquest into the interior and joining coastal, Fouta Djallon and Manding regions.⁶

The modern country

In the 1958 referendum, Guinea alone rejected the proposed French Community and chose immediate independence.³