Guinea (country)

This article is about the country. For other uses of the term Guinea, please see Guinea (disambiguation).

Guinea is a country in West Africa. The nation has approximately 10,057,975 people and its capital is the city of Conakry.

History

Originally a French territory, Guinea obtained its independence in 1958 when it became the only the nation to reject Charles de Gaulle's revised French Constitution in a referendum, opting for immediate self-rule instead. A key leader in the campaign against continued association with France, Sékou Touré became the first President of Guinea, and pursued leftist economic policies during his rule. Additionally, the president gradually expanded the power of his office, ruling until his death in 1984. Lansana Conté succeeded Touré and held the presidency until his death in 2008, whereupon a group of army officers led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara quickly seized control of the government.