The natural wonder of Fouta Djallon

A French colony since 1891, it gained its independence in 1958. It has an area of 245,857 square kilometres, a population of around 12 million, six ethnic groups, an average lifespan of 63 year, an average birth rate of 4.5 children per woman, and four major geographical regions. Located in West Africa, with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean and a tropical climate comprising a dry season and a rainy season, the Republic of Guinea (which means ‘woman’ in Sudanese) is home to one of the most breathtaking environmental paradises in sub-Saharan Africa: the highland region of Fouta Djallon.

Hidden away in its heights are a chimpanzee sanctuary, an extraordinary array of biodiverse flora and fauna, and the sources of some of the most important waterways in West Africa, such as Senegal, Gambia and Niger Rivers. As an introduction to the spirit of this extraordinary country, we leave you with ‘Yé ké yé ké’ by Guinean singer Mory Kanté: the number one bestselling African single in the world, with over a million copies sold in a vast number of countries.