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Conakry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Conakry, Guinea Kɔnakiri |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Province | |
| Population (2007) | |
| - Total | 2,000,000 (est.) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+1) |
Conakry or Konakry (Malinké: Kɔnakiri) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. The city is a port on the Atlantic Ocean. The population of Conakry is difficult to ascertain, although the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs has estimated it at 2 million.[1]
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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.[2]
Conakry was originally settled on Tombo Island and later spread to the neighboring Kaloum Peninsula. The city was essentially founded after Britain ceded the island to France in 1887. It became the capital of French Guinea in about 1904 and prospered as an export port, particularly after a (now closed) railway to Kankan opened.
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 hundreds of Portuguese prisoners of war kept there by the PAIGC before being repulsed by local troops.[3]
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.
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.
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, e.g. KA002 for a northbound street in the Kaloum district.
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There are currently no working stoplights in Conakry and a good part of the city has electricity only from 6PM to 6AM.
- Conakry is at coordinates Coordinates:
- ^ "Background Note: Guinea". Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, January 2007. Accessed February 24, 2007.
- ^ Histoire de Conakry - (French)
- ^ "Cloudy Days in Conakry", Time Magazine, December 7, 1970.