Official Name: Republic of Guinea (GN)

Capital city; : Conakry

Other Important Cities: 33 regions and 1 special area; Beyla, Boffa, Boke, Conakry, Coyah, Dabola, Dalaba, Dinguiraye, Dubreka, Faranah, Forecariah, Fria, Gaoual, Gueckedou, Kankan, Kerouane, Kindia, Kissidougou, Koubia, Koundara, Kouroussa, Labe, Lelouma, Lola, Magenta, Mali, Mamou, Mandiana, Nzerekore, Pita, Siguiri, Telimele, Tougue, Yomou
Area: 245,857 km²

Population        : 13,970,000 (2020)[1]

Population Growth Rate: 2.63% (2006)
Ethnic Distribution of Population: Peuhl 40%, Malinke 30%, Soussou 20%, other 10%.
Average Human Lifespan:49 years

Language: French

Religion: 88 per cent of the population is Muslim. The number of animists is gradually decreasing and the proportion of Christians is only around 1%. Islam entered this country in the 11th century. Christianity was brought to Guinea by Western colonisers and found a few followers as a result of missionary activities. The majority Catholics have an archbishopric in Conakry.

Geography: It is located in West Africa, on the coast of the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone. The climate is generally hot and humid; June - November is the rainy season, December - May is the dry season.

The country is divided into four geographical regions differing in structure, morphology, climate and vegetation: Lower Guinea (coastal region), Futa Calon, Upper Guinea (Sigiri basin) and Wooded Guinea.

     The temperature and rainfall vary slightly between the regions of the country, which is generally characterised by a tropical climate. Lower Guinea has a dry climate in winter and a very rainy and hot climate in summer.

Mode of Government: Presidential Republic

History: Although there were popular uprisings against the colonialists at various dates in Guinea, which remained under the rule of France until 2 October 1958 when independence was declared, the struggle for independence, which started in an organised manner, emerged only after World War II and showed a development similar to other West African colonies. Seku Ture, one of the descendants of Samori Ture, played the most important role in Guinea's gaining its independence, who made his voice heard for the first time in the general strike organised in Conakry in 1945. During these years, Seku Türe, who was the general secretary of the union established by workers in the postal and communication sector, was elected first as the general secretary of the Guinean Labour Confederation and then as the president of the African Labour Confederation. In 1952, Seku Türe represented the Guinean branch in the African Democratic Community and was secretary-general of the Guinean Democratic Party;

     was elected mayor of Conakry in 1955 and was subsequently appointed vice-president of the Guinean Council of Government. In the 1957 elections, his party was a great success and, with the majority of the population behind him, he began his work that led the country rapidly towards independence. On 28 September 1958, after the people voted 'no' to the union in a referendum, the independent state of Guinea was officially declared. Enraged by Seku Ture and his people who refused to join the French Union with the sentence 'We prefer poverty in freedom to slavery in wealth', France recalled all French officials in the country in order to discourage and punish Guinea from independence. The French, who cut off all kinds of aid and imposed an embargo and took with them the files and technical documents in industrial establishments and government offices, left the country in a very difficult situation. Seku Türe, who was elected as the first head of state, tried to overcome this difficult situation with the sacrifice of the people and the help of Ghana. The new constitution of Guinea, the third independent country in West Africa after Liberia and Ghana, entered into force on 10 November 1958 with the approval of the constituent assembly.

     Having established a one-party authoritarian regime based on a presidential system, Seku Ture's relations with his neighbours who had voted 'yes' to the French Union gradually deteriorated. Guinea then sought rapprochement with the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, Egypt and the United States. Gamal Abd al-Nasser and Seku Turé signed several treaties in Cairo in May 1961, which envisaged cooperation and assistance in commercial and cultural fields between the two countries. Although Guinea received some aid, its relations with the Soviets did not improve. From 1965 onwards, Guinea began to receive economic and technical assistance from the People's Republic of China and co-operated with the USA on some issues.

     There were occasional uprisings against the authoritarian and repressive rule of Seku Ture, who was re-elected president on 1 January 1968, and activists were severely punished. Seku Ture, who was re-elected in 1974, placed emphasis on improving relations with neighbouring countries and with France. Seku Türe, who was elected for the last time in 1982, died on 26 March 1984 in the USA where he had gone for treatment. One week after his death, the military seized power in a coup d'état. The coup plotters closed the only political party in the country, the Guinean Democratic Party, dissolved the national assembly and suspended the constitution. The new administration abandoned the statist policy pursued by the former President Seku Ture and opted for a liberal economy. D. Traore, dismissed by President L. Conte on 18 December 1984, attempted a failed coup d'état in July 1985 and was executed. In October 1989 L. Conte announced a transition to multi-party rule and democracy.

Islam in the country: Most Guinean Muslims belong to the Mâlikî sect. Kadiriyye and Ticâniyye sects are widespread in the country. Seku Ture, the leader of the independence of Guinea, tried to remove the influence of religion on the society with the policies he implemented in line with his socialist views, and within this framework, he closed the Qur'anic schools in 1961, where Muslim clerics had a say. However, Ture's policy changed in the 1970s when his authority began to weaken and he needed the support of Muslims. In 1977, he founded the National Islamic Council. With the help of the Saudi government, he built the Faisal Mosque in the capital city of Conakry, said to be the largest mosque in the region. The Islamic Council, later renamed the National Muslim League, undertook Islamic education at regional and local levels and the organisation of hajj.[2]

Economy: Although Guinea is a country of agriculture and natural wealth, it is among the economically underdeveloped countries in terms of national income per capita. The share of the agricultural sector, where 80% of the working population is employed, in the national income is only around 30%. The main agricultural products are bananas, coffee, pineapples, palm seeds, peanuts, citrus fruits, rice, maize and cassava. The country's largest source of income and foreign exchange is the mining sector, which employs about 5 per cent of the active population; 25 per cent of the national income is provided from this sector. The country has the richest bauxite deposits in the world and 90% of its export revenues are obtained from the sale of this mineral. The facilities to convert bauxite extracted by foreign capital companies into aluminium are located in the city of Fria. Apart from bauxite, iron, gold and diamond reserves also constitute an important source of wealth in the economy of the country, but these are not yet sufficiently utilised. In Guinea, where industry is undeveloped, only small-scale manufacturing industry has been established.

Currency: Guinean franc (GNF)

National Income Per Capita: 1141 USD (2021)

Export products: Bauxite, aluminium, gold, diamonds, coffee, fish, agricultural products
Export partners: Russia 14.6%, South Korea 11.3%, Spain 10.2%, Ukraine 7.9%, USA 6.1%, Ireland 6%, France 5.7%, Germany 5%, Belgium 4%.5% (2005)
Import products: Petroleum products, metals, machinery, vehicle equipment, textiles, cereals and other foodstuffs
Import partners: China 8.5%, USA 7.3%, France 7.2%, Ivory Coast 5.2%, Italy Industry: Bauxite, gold, diamonds, aluminium refining, light industries and agribusiness. Food, meat, leather goods, footwear, matches, furniture, weaving, cigarettes, cement and plastic goods plants are active in the industrial sector, which has a share of 2% in national income. Hydroelectric potential is utilised in energy production.
Transportation: Railways: 837 km; Roads: 44,348 km; Waterways: 1,300 km
Ports: Boke, Conakry, Kamsar; Airports: 16

Education: Ratio of authors: 29.5

International organisations and bodies it is a member of: ACCT, ACP, OIC[3][.

[1]   www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)

[2]   Encyclopaedia of Islam, TDV.

[3]   www.OIC-OCİ.org