GUINEA: 10 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know

GUINEA: 10 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know

Photo Credit: www.cffacape.org

Guinea is a country found in West Africa and it's bordered by six countries which include; Guinea Bissau-North West, Senegal-North, Mali-North East, Ivory Coast-East, Sierra Leone-South West and Liberia-South. The country has a population of 13 million people and its capital is Conakry.

Guinea has very many interesting facts but in this write up, we share the 10 Interesting Facts that you probably Didn't know about this West African nation

1. No Fixed Telephone Lines. Guinea is one of the only four countries in the world that do not have fixed telephone lines. In case you're wondering which the other three countries are; we have Guinea Bissau, South Sudan and DR. Congo. To bring you back to Guinea, I must say it's one of those countries that jumped a level or Generation of technology and today they're all wireless. The communication networks today are all wireless in nature so incase you're lets say trying to make a phone call to another person, this can only and only be done using the wireless system

2. Trusts Traditional Medicine. In Guinea when someone falls sick/ill, it is said that 80% of the population of the country seeks remedy from the traditional healers. Very surprising, right?. Because as it is with many other African countries, the people from the oter countries always seek medical attention from trusted health facilities

3. Agricultural Country. Guinea is considered one of those agricultural countries and it is said that 75% of the working class in the country or population in the country is employed in the agricultural sector. Agriculture is one of the main sources of livelihood in the country and also agricultural products are one of the major contributors to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

4. Rice is the Staple Food. In Guinea, Rice is the staple food of the country. As you move from one region of the country to another, you might notice various cuisines that are prepared by the different communities in the country by rice still remains a staple for many in the country. So if you're planning a visit to Guinea, you should probably prepare yourself for some good Jollof rice.

5. Second Largest Bauxite Producer. Guinea is the World's second largest Bauxite producing nation. Although considered on of the poorest nations on paper, Guinea is the second largest Bauxite producing nation in the world. This is the rock whose ore is used in aluminium production and also the making of aluminium products. Bauxite to date still remains the largest export of the country

6. Known By The Capital. Guinea is the only country that is called by its national capital. Am sure you've always heard the name Guinea-Conakry. Well the reason the country is called this way it's simply because there are other countries that go by the name GUINEA like Papua Guinea, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau so as a way to distinguish Guinea from the other countries, The country is usually referred to as Guinea Conakry which Conakry is the capital of the country

7. Highest Female Genital Mutilation. Guinea has the world's highest number of Female Genital Mutilation. As we talk today, 98% of women and girls in Guinea go through Female genital mutilation. This is majorly because of cultural beliefs where they think doing this will enhance a girl's or woman's performance in her marriage

8. West African Source. The other fact that we felt you should know about Guinea is the fact that it's the source of the 3 major rivers in West Africa and these rivers include; River Gambia, The Niger river and River Senegal. All these rivers stretch going through various countries in West Africa which makes Guinea one of those very important countries in West Africa

9. African Acrobatic Center. Guinea is also referred to as the African Center for Acrobatics. The Center d'Art Acrobatique (Read in French) which is found in Conakry is very popular for producing some of the best acrobats in Africa and the entire world. These acrobats travel around the world performing in many countries and for many people that want to learn acrobatic skills, this is the country where they always go to.

10. Islamic Dominated. Guinea is predominantly a Muslim country. It is said that 85% of the population follows the Islamic faith and only 15% of the population is comprised of other religions such as Christianity and Traditional believers.

Well, that's Guinea and the 10 Interesting facts about the country. You can let us know down in the comments which amongst these 10 facts stood out for you and also watch the video format of this blog