The African country of Guinea is divided into eight regions within itself as the highest administrative structure.
The regions in question are divided into 33 provinces, and the provinces are divided into 341 districts.
Conakry, which is located in these eight regions, has a different status as the capital region and does not have any provinces or districts.
In addition to these regions, Guinea is also more informally separated into four geographical regions. The so-called upper regions and the areas they cover throughout the country are as follows:
- Upper Guinea (La Haute-Guinée) – covers 38% of the territory of the country,
- Central Guinea (La Moyenne-Guinée) – covers 20% of the territory of the country,
- Lower Guinea ( La Guinée Maritime) – covers 18% of the country’s land, Mountain
- Guinea (Guinée Forestière) – covers 23% of the country’s territory.
Eight Regions of Guinea
Guinea is divided into eight regions. These regions are Boké, Conakry, Faranah, Kankan, Kindia, Labé, Mamou and Nzérékoré.
Boké
Boké is one of the eight regions of Guinea. The region is located in the west of the country. The capital city of the region is Boké. According to the data of 2014, the surface area of the region, which has a population of 1,083,147, is 31,186 square kilometers.
Conakry
Conakry is one of the eight regions of Guinea. Conakry is also the capital of the Republic of Guinea. Conakry is a harbor town on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It was founded in 1884 by the French on the island of Tombo and the peninsula of Kalum.
In the period of the French occupation in 1893, it was declared the capital. After 1958, Conakry remained the capital. Conakry made progress with the production of iron and bauxite in industrial and mining areas after the independence of Guinea. According to the data of 2014, the surface area of the region, which has a population of 1,660,973, is 450 square kilometers.
Faranah
Faranah is one of the eight regions of Guinea. The region is located in the middle and east of the country. The Faranah region constitutes the border with the Sierra Leone and Mali, while it has borders with the Kankan region, the Mamou region, and the Nzérékoré region and the Labé region inside of the country. Faranah is the capital of the region. According to the data of 2014, the area of the region, which has a population of 942,733, is 35,581 square kilometers.
Kankan
Kankan is one of Guinea’s eight regions. The region is located to the east of the country. The Kankan region forms the border with the Mali and Ivory Coast countries, while it has borders with the Nzérékoré region and the Faranah region in the country. Kankan is the capital of the region. According to the data of the year 2014, the surface area of the region, which has a population of 1,986,329, is 72,145 square kilometers.
Kindia
Kindia is one of the eight regions of Guinea. The region is located in the north and west of the country. Kindia region is a border with the country of Sierra Leone. The region also has borders with the Conakry region, Labé region, Mamou region, and Boké region. The capital of the region is the city of Kindia. According to the data of 2014, the surface area of the region, which has a population of 1,561,374, is 28,873 square kilometers.
Labé
Labé is one of the eight regions of Guinea. The region is located in the north of the country. The Labé region forms a border with Senegal and Mali, while it has borders with the Faranah region, the Kindia region, the Mamou region, and the Boké region in the country. The capital of the region is the city of Labé. According to the data of the year 2014, the surface area of the region, which has a population of 995,717, is 22,869 square kilometers.
Mamou
Mamou is one of the eight regions of Guinea. The region is located in the middle and west of the country. The capital of the region is the city of Mamou. According to the data of 2014, the area with a population of 732,117 is 17,074 square kilometers.
Nzérékoré
Nzérékoré is one of the eight regions of Guinea. The region is located in the northernmost part of the country. The Nzérékoré region forms a border with the Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast countries and forms a border with the Kankan and Faranah region. The capital of the region is Nzérékoré. According to the data of the year 2014, the surface area of the region, which has a population of 1,663,582, is 37,658 square kilometers.
Guinea Geography and Facts
Guinea is neighbor with Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone in the north, Liberia in the south, Mali and Ivory Coast in the east, and the Atlantic Ocean in the west.
- Population: 13,275,951
- Population Density: 55 per Km2
- Land Area: 245,720 Km2
Geography
As the country moves from the coast to the inner parts of the country, the land rises up to 1,000 m in height. There is also rainforest in the mountainous region called Futa-Djalon. The plateaus located in the southeast of this mountainous region serve as a bridge with the mountainous regions in this part of the country.
The regions in the southeastern part of Guinea are the highest points of the country and are located in Nimba Mountain, which is the highest point of the country with 1,752 m. Nimba Mountain and its vicinity have been included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1982.
In the eastern part of the Futa-Djalon region and in the northern part of the Nimba region, the plains are located. The Niger River and its branches, one of the important rivers of the African continent, are irrigating these plains.
Governance
Guinea is a republic presided over by the presidential system. The country’s president is elected for a five-year term with the amendment of the November 2001 amendment and is elected by the people for a period of seven years with the amendment made on that date. Guinea council has 114 seats in total.
Climate
In general, tropical climatic conditions prevail in Guinea. Although some differences can be observed regionally, the dry period and the rainy period are long. In the coastal regions, as well as a hot and humid climate and heavy rainfall is seen, rainfall decreases as it moves to the east of the Futa-Djalon region.
Across the country, the Monsoon raining season takes place between April and November, often accompanied by heavy storms and heavy thunder. The rains in question can begin in the rain forest regions in the southern part of the country as of February.
In the July-August period, Guinea has been experiencing the most intense period of monsoon rains, and the period between November and April is drought. Especially during this period, the country is under the influence of winds blowing in the direction of the Sahara Desert.
Religion
The religion in Guinea is the religion of Islam. Accordingly, 85% of the population lives according to the belief in Islam. A large part of the Islamic community lives according to the Sunni sect of Islam.
Christian religion is the second most common religion in the country and 8% of the population lives according to Christian faith.
Around 7% who believe in local religions.
Industry and Tourism
Guinea’s economy is based on agriculture and mining. Most of the working population is employed in the agricultural sector. The main export products are bauxite, aluminum, gold, diamond, coffee, fish and agricultural products. Russia is the largest export partner. Petroleum products, metals, machinery, vehicle equipment, textiles, cereals, other foodstuffs are the main products they import. The biggest import partner is China and the USA.
Art
Music and dance, which are performed in local languages and especially encouraged during Sekou Touré management, have an important place in Guinea culture. Ballet Africain and Ballet Djoliba are the most important dance groups of the country.
Sports
The country’s most popular sport is football. Although the national team of Guinea football has not shown any success in the international arena, it has a great interest throughout the country. The biggest success of the Guinea national football team, called Le Sylli National, was second in the African Nations Cup held in Ethiopia in 1976.
The country football is managed by the Guinea Football Federation (Fédération Guinéenne de Football), founded in 1960. In December 2006, the Guinea national football team achieved the biggest success in the FIFA rankings and achieved 23rd place in the overall ranking.