Guinea Cities

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Guinea Cities by Population

41 cities shown of 41 total Guinea cities that are over 1,000 in population...

1. Camayenne 1,871,242
2. Conakry 1,767,200
3. Nzerekore 132,728
4. Kindia 117,062
5. Kankan 114,009
6. Gueckedou 79,140
7. Coyah 77,103
8. Kamsar 61,527
9. Kissidougou 47,099
10. Labe 46,510
11. Fria 44,369
12. Siguiri 43,601
13. Macenta 43,102
14. Mamou 41,619

15. Telimele 30,311
16. Tougue 25,531
17. Pita 20,052
18. Boke 15,460
19. Kouroussa 14,223
20. Koundara 13,990
21. Dabola 13,057
22. Forecariah 12,358
23. Tondon 12,235
24. Beyla 11,566
25. Mandiana 10,609
26. Dubreka 10,363
27. Koubia 9,909
28. Faranah 9,350

29. Kimbo 9,326
30. Youkounkoun 7,952
31. Gaoual 7,461
32. Kerouane 7,228
33. Dalaba 7,036
34. Tokonou 6,729
35. Sangueya 6,117
36. Dinguiraye 6,062
37. Mali 5,479
38. Lelouma 4,777
39. Yomou 3,614
40. Boffa 2,332
41. Lola 1,982

Guinea History

Europeans first came to the area during the Portuguese Discoveries in the fifteenth century, which reached Guinea approximately in the 1400s through the 1500s. The European slave trade would start in the next century.

One of the strongest successor states of the Mali Empire was the Songhai state, expanding its power from about 1460, eventually becoming the Songhai Empire. It exceeded its predecessors in terms of territory and wealth, but it too fell prey to internal wrangling and civil war and was eventually toppled at the Battle of Tondibi in 1591.

A chaotic period followed, until an Islamic state was founded in the eighteenth century, bringing some stability to the region. A simultaneous important development was the arrival of Fulani Muslims in the highland region of Fouta Djallon in the early eighteenth century.

Guinea was created as a colony by France in 1890 with Nol Balley as the first governor. The capital Conakry was founded on Tombo Island in the same year. In 1895 the country was incorporated into French West Africa.

On 28 September 1958, under the direction of Charles de Gaulle, Metropolitan France held a referendum on a new constitution and the creation of the Fifth Republic. The colonies, except Algeria, which was legally a direct part of France, were given the choice between immediate independence or retaining their colonial status. All colonies except Guinea opted for the latter. Thus, Guinea became the first French African colony to gain independence on October 2, 1958, at the cost of the immediate cessation of all French assistance.

After independence Guinea was governed by president Ahmed Skou Tour. Tour pursued broadly socialist economic policies, suppressed opposition and free expression with little regard for human rights. Under his leadership, Guinea joined the Non-Aligned Movement and pursued close ties with the Eastern Bloc. After Toure's death in 1984, Lansana Cont assumed power and immediately changed his predecessor's economic policies, but the government remained dictatorial. The first elections since independence were held in 1993, but the results and those of subsequent elections were disputed. Cont faces domestic criticism for the condition of the country's economy and for his heavy-handed approach to political opposition.