Everything about Conakry totally explained
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. 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.
Conakry was originally settled on tiny
Tombo Island and later spread to the neighboring
Kaloum Peninsula, a 36 km long strech of land 0.2 to 6 km wide. The city was essentially founded after
Britain ceded the island to
France in
1887. 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. 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. Its small size a relative isolation from the mainland, while an advantage to its colonial founders, has created an infrastructural burden since independence.
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.
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. 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. At two million inhabitants, it's 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.
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. 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. 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. Violence reached a peak in
January-February 2007 in a general strike, which saw over a hundred deaths when the Army confronted protesters
Attractions
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 city is noted for its botanical garden. The
Polytechnical Institute of Conakry is also located in Conakry.
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, for example KA002 for a northbound street in the Kaloum district.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Conakry'.
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