Travel guide Guinea

Ochre-colored ore from which alumina, the basis of aluminum, is extracted. Guinea has become the world's second largest producer. Mostly mined in the west of the country, it accounts for 80% of export earnings. A start for the Guinean authorities despite the serious social and environmental problems posed by this development.

Palm wine, produced mainly in maritime Guinea and in the forest, is the result of the fermentation of the sap of palm trees. To collect this sap, the men climb to the top of the said trees with the help of a simple strap. Impressive! Palm wine is the drink of conviviality, often offered to visitors as a welcome.

It's the equivalent of toubab in other African countries or around Kankan. You can hear it in some Conakry neighborhoods from the mouths of children, who are still sometimes surprised to come across foreigners. Foté means "white" in Sousou. You can always say forè, which means "black". In the interior of the country, foté becomes porto in Fouta.

Traditional Malinke festivity (Upper Guinea). It is a dance performed by men and women dressed in large embroidered boubous who parade to the slow rhythm of traditional music. The Mamaya of Kankan has become a major cultural event that takes place once a year during the Tabaski festival and brings together hundreds of dancers.

Designates men with a good knowledge of the Koran, who are consulted for all reasons and occasions (ceremony, travel, etc.) in order to obtain a talisman or to know what sacrifice to make in order to influence fate. Here everyone "consults" and some can pay large sums of money to obtain the services of the most reputable.

A tree and fruit, it is prescribed as a powder to combat yellow fever. Its roots are used as medicine, while its wood is used to make djembes. The multi-purpose néré tree is best known for soumbara, a powder made by crushing its dried, cooked and fermented seeds, used as a "bouillon cube" with a powerful aroma.

Baga mask (Maritime Guinea) representing the idealization of the role of women in society. It evokes a mother who has given birth to many children, and who has prepared them for a fertile adulthood. It has become a symbol of Guinea, so much so that nimba statuettes have become a staple of woodcarvers.

In 1958, Sékou Touré decided to say "no" to the referendum organized by de Gaulle proposing that metropolitan France and the colonies form a Franco-African community. Guinea, he said, "prefers freedom in poverty to wealth in slavery". The country became independent on October 2, and Sékou Touré became its first president.

The country's currency under Sékou Touré, syli means "elephant" in Sousou. For Guineans, it is a strong symbol: the elephant knows only one road and nothing can stop it. It always reaches its goal. It represents strength. It is also the name of the national soccer team. It is a pity that this species has almost disappeared from the country.

Poular term designating the bread that is sold throughout the territory and expressing the fact that the dough is literally slapped during preparation. Sold in the form of a large baguette, it is the tastiest when it comes out of the oven in the early morning. There is not a town that does not have its own oven. An oddity for a country that does not produce a grain of wheat.

Proud of the no of 1958. Proud to be Guinean. This pride, built in adversity, sometimes sounds like a slogan that is a little out of touch with the realities of daily life. This term is often used by Guineans abroad to mark their attachment to their homeland despite all the difficulties that the country of their ancestors faces.

A Soussou term that means "We are together", "We are united". It expresses the fact of being united, of helping each other in adversity. This expression used in many advertising slogans on posters has lost some of its strength, but it is still often taken up and shared in the face of daily trials.