The official language of Guinea is French. Other significant languages spoken are Pular (Fulfulde or Fulani), Maninka, Susu, Insula, Kissi, Kpelle, and Loma.

Politics of Guinea takes place in a framework of a presidential republic, whereby the President of Guinea is both head of state, head of government, and the commander in chief of the Guinean Military. The president is elected to a maximum of two 7 year terms, although the current Guinee Lansana Conte, who has been in power since 1984, continues to run for further terms. Executive power is exercised by the president and members of his cabinet. To be elected president of Guinea a candidate must be a Guinean born citizen by birth, be at least 35 years of age and must be able to speak and read the French language.

Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly. The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 114 members, elected for a four year term, 38 members in single-seat constituencies and 76 members by proportional representation. Guinea is a one party dominant state with the Party of Unity and Progress in power. Opposition parties are allowed, but are widely considered to have no real chance of gaining power.

Ahmed Tidiane Souare was appointed prime minister in May 2008.

He replaced Lansana Kouyate, a former UN diplomat who had been appointed by President Conte fifteen months earlier under a deal to end a general strike against the president’s rule.

Following his appointment, Mr Souare said he planned to continue changes begun by Mr Kouyate and “to restore authority to the state because we’re in a state of disarray.”

He is a member of President Conte’s Party of Unity and Progress and has previously served as minister of mines and geology and as minister of state for higher education and scientific research.

The best time to visit is November and December, after the rains but before the dusty harmattan winds (December to March) spoil the views. The rains sometimes make minor roads impassable, though there’s something to be said for visiting the Fouta Djalon when it’s wet. The rains, which generally don’t last very long, make the waterfalls more explosive and the countryside more verdant while the clouds lower the daytime temperatures.

Conakry or Konakry (Malinké: Kɔnakiri) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. The city is a port on the Atlantic Ocean, originally situated on Tombo Island, one of the Îles de Los, it has since spread up the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula. The population of Conakry is difficult to ascertain, although the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs has estimated it at 2 million.^[1] Even given this uncertainty, Conakry makes up almost a quarter of the population of Guinea.

Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (French: République de Guinée), is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea. Guinea’s territory has a curved shape, with its base at the Atlantic Ocean, inland to the east, and turning south. The base borders Guinea-Bissau and Senegal to the north, and Mali to the north and north-east; the inland part borders Côte d’Ivoire to the south-east, Liberia to the south, and Sierra Leone to the west of the southern tip. Its water sources include the Niger, Senegal, and Gambia rivers. Guinea is sometimes called Guinea-Conakry (Conakry being its capital) to differentiate it from the neighboring Guinea-Bissau (whose capital is Bissau).