Conakry Kɔnakiri
Conakry, Guinea
Conakry Map of Guinea showing the location of Conakry.
Coordinates: 9°31′N 13°42′W / 9.517, -13.7
Region	Conakry Region
Population (2007)
- Total	2,000,000 (est. The Conakry Region is located in western Guinea and shares the same borders as the city of Conakry. )
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+1)

Streetmap of the city centre of Conakry, 1981. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city

Conakry or Konakry (Malinké: Kɔnakiri) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Maninka is the name of several closely related languages and dialects of the southeastern Manding subgroup of the Mande branch of the Niger-Congo languages Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea Guinea's capital 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. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo Tombo Island is an island located at the tip of Kaloum Peninsula in Guinea at the Atlantic Ocean in front of Los Islands. The Iles de Los are an Island group lying off Conakry in Guinea. The population of Conakry is difficult to ascertain, although the U. S. Bureau of African Affairs has estimated it at 2 million. In the United States Government the Bureau of African Affairs is part of the U ^[1] Even given this uncertainty, Conakry makes up almost a quarter of the population of Guinea.

History

According to a legend, the name of the city comes from the fusion of the name "Cona", a wine and cheese producer of the Baga people, and the word "nakiri", which means the other bank or side. The Baga people live in the coastal area of Guinea. They can be subdivided into five groups of which Landouma is the largest accounting for fifty percent of all ethnic Bagas ^[2]

Conakry was originally settled on tiny Tombo Island and later spread to the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula, a 36 km long strech of land 0. Tombo Island is an island located at the tip of Kaloum Peninsula in Guinea at the Atlantic Ocean in front of Los Islands. 2 to 6 km wide. The city was essentially founded after Britain ceded the island to France in 1887. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In 1885, the two island villages of Conakry and Boubinet had less than 500 inhabitants. Conakry became the capital of French Guinea in 1904 and prospered as an export port, particularly after a (now closed) railway to Kankan opened the large scale export of groundnut from the interior. French Guinea (Guinée française was a French protectorate in West Africa. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. Kankan is the second largest city in Guinea, located on the River Milo in eastern Guinea and lying about 300 Miles east of the nation's The peanut, or Groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the Legume family Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico In the decades after independece, the population of Conakry exploded, from 50,000 inhabitants in 1958 to 600,000 in 1980, to over two million today. ^[3] Its small size a relative isolation from the mainland, while an advantage to its colonial founders, has created an infrastructural burden since independence. ^[4]

A monument to commemorate the 1970 military victory over the Portuguese invasion

In 1970, conflict between Portuguese forces and the PAIGC in neighboring Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau) spilled into the Republic of Guinea when a group of 350 Portuguese troops and Guinean dissidents landed near Conakry, attacked the city, and freed 26 Portuguese prisoners of war held by the PAIGC before retreating, failing to overthrow the government or kill the PAIGC leadership. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde ( Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde) or PAIGC is a Political party Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974. The Republic of Guinea-Bissau (ˈgɪni bɨˈsaʊ República da Guiné-Bissau ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɐ giˈnɛ biˈsau is a country in Western Africa, and one of the smallest ^[5]

Conakry today

Today, the city has grown along the peninsula to form five main districts. From the tip in the south west, these are Kaloum (the city centre), Dixinn (including the University of Conakry and many embassies), Ratoma (known for its nightlife), Matam and finally Matoto, home to Gbessia Airport. A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city The Polytechnical Institute of Conakry, also known as University of Conakry, was the first higher education school in independent Guinea. A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in NightLife with Tony Delroy is a popular late night talkback show across ABC Local Radio, Broadcasting from the 702 ABC Sydney studios in Ultimo Conakry International Airport, also known as Gbessia International Airport, is an Airport located in Conakry, the capital of the Republic of The city itself makes up one of the eight Regions of Guinea, the Conakry Region, includes 5 of the nation's 38 urban communes, and at the prefect level is designated the Conakry Special Zone. |||} Guinea is divided into 8 administrative regions which are further subdivided into 34 prefectures. The Conakry Region is located in western Guinea and shares the same borders as the city of Conakry. At two million inhabitants, it is far and away the largest city in Guinea, making up almost a quarter of the nation's population and making it more than four times bigger than its nearest rival, Kankan. Kankan is the second largest city in Guinea, located on the River Milo in eastern Guinea and lying about 300 Miles east of the nation's

Economy

Conakry is Guinea's largest city and its administrative, communications, and economic center. The city's economy revolves largely around the port, which has modern facilities for handling and storing cargo, through which alumina and bananas are shipped. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. Manufactures include food products and Housing Materials. An average Guinean in Conakry will get a monthly wage of about 225 000 GNF or about $45.

Infrastructural crisis

Periodic power and water cuts are a daily burden for Conakry's residents, dating back to early 2002. Government and power company officials blame the drought of 2001-2 for a failure of the hydro-electric supply to the capital, and a failure of aging machinery for the continuation of the crisis. Critics of the government cite mis-management, corruption, and the pull out of the power agency's French partner at the beginning of 2002. As of 2007, much of the city has no traffic lighting in the overnight hours. ^[6] Popular anger at shortages in Conakry were entwined with anti-government protests, strikes, and violence over the rule of President Lansana Conté and the successive prime ministers, Cellou Dalein Diallo and Eugène Camara, appointed to fill the post after the resignation of PM François Lounseny Fall in April 2004. Lansana Conté (born ca 1934 has been the President of Guinea since 3 April 1984. Cellou Dalein Diallo (born February 3, 1952) is a Guinean economist and politician who was Prime Minister of Guinea from 2004 to 2006 Eugène Camara (born 21 January 1942) was briefly Prime Minister of Guinea in February 2007 Violence reached a peak in January-February 2007 in a general strike, which saw over a hundred deaths when the Army confronted protesters^[7]

Attractions

People's Palace

Attractions in the city include the Guinea National Museum, several markets, the Guinea Palais du Peuple, Conakry Grand Mosque which was built by Sekou Toure, the city's nightlife and the nearby Iles de Los. The 2007 Guinean general strike began on January 10, 2007. Guinea 's Trade unions and opposition parties called on President Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information Ahmed Sékou Touré (var Ahmen Seku Ture) (January 9 1922--March 26 1984 was an African political leader and president of the Republic of Guinea The Iles de Los are an Island group lying off Conakry in Guinea.

The city is noted for its botanical garden. The Polytechnical Institute of Conakry is also located in Conakry. The Polytechnical Institute of Conakry, also known as University of Conakry, was the first higher education school in independent Guinea.

The street numbering scheme of Conakry labels all roads with a two-letter code for the urban district, followed by a three digit number: odd for north-south streets and even for east-west, e. g. KA002 for a northbound street in the Kaloum district.

See also

• 2007 Guinean general strike

References

• Thomas O'Toole, Janice E. Baker. Historical Dictionary Of Guinea. Scarecrow Press (2005). ISBN 0810846349
• Odile Goerg. Chieftainships between Past and Present: From City to Suburb and Back in Colonial Conakry, 1890s-1950s. Africa Today, Summer 2006, Vol. 52, No. 4, Pages 2-27

• FallingRain Map - elevation = 28m
• Conakry the Capital: history of the city at site of expat artist.
• HISTOIRE DE CONAKRY, 1463 to present, by Luc MOGENET, reprinted at guineeconakry. info (no date)
• Kids in Guinea Study Under Airport Lamps, RUKMINI CALLIMACHI The Associated Press, Thursday, July 19, 2007.
• Archdiocese of Conakry: history and structure (at catholic-hierarchy. org)
• Guinea's Telecommunication Infrastructure, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), 1999 figures.

External links

• http://www.portautonomedeconakry.com/: official site of the Conakry Port Authority.
• http://www.guineeconakry.info/: Conakry - based news portal
• Office de Promotion des Investissements Privés, République du Guinée.
• Office National du Tourisme, République du Guinée.
• l’Université Kofi Annan de Guinée (UNIKAG)
• Satellite image of Conakry and the Kaloum Peninsula, from the European Space Agency's Envisat: image description at http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMAV21XDYD_index_1.html. The European Space Agency ( ESA) established in 1975 is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 17 member Envisat (Environmental Satellite is an Earth-observing satellite built by the European Space Agency.