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Guinea
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Upper Guinea is composed of the Niger Plains, which slope northeastward toward the Sahara. The flat relief is broken by rounded granite hills and outliers of the Fouta Djallon. Composed of granite, gneiss, schist (crystalline rock), and quartzite, the region has an average elevation of about 1,000 feet (305 metres).
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At the EITI London Conference on 17 March 2005, a delegation from Guinea was led by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Madikaba Camara. In addition, the Government of Guinea organized an EITI launch Seminar that took place in Conakry on 27-28 April 2005. Prime Minister Cellou Dalein Diallo delivered the opening speech expressing his government's commitment to EITI implementation. Over 150 people attended the Seminar, including representatives from the Government, industry and civil society. Representatives from the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the World Bank were ... present. The main outcome was a Final Declaration, which provided for the creation of a temporary EITI Committee.
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Located in West Africa, Guinea has a population of approximately 8 million people, 51% of whom are women and 45% under the age of 30. Once a French colony, it was the first African country to gain independence in 1958. The country is rich in natural resources, most of which have yet to be exploited. Following a one-party, authoritarian First Republic, the current president, Lansana Conté, came to power through a coup in 1984. Even though Guinea opted for multiparty system in 1991, the president recently began his third term following controversial 2003 elections and changes to the national constitution that made it possible for him to run indefinitely. Despite its severe economic problems, Guinea has maintained political stability in an unstable region.
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Like other West African countries, Guinea has a rich musical tradition. The group Bembeya Jazz became popular in the 1960s after Guinean independence. The Vancouver-based guitarist Alpha Yaya Diallo hails from Guinea and incorporates its traditional rhythms and melodies into his original compositions, for which he has won two Juno Awards.
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By the early traders the coast of Upper Guinea was given names founded on the productions characteristic of the different parts. The Grain coast, that part of the Guinea coast extending for Soo m. from Sierra Leone eastward to Cape Palmas received its name from the export of the seeds of several plants of a peppery character, called variously grains of paradise, Guinea pepper and melegueta. The name Grain coast was first applied to this region in 1455. It was occasionally styled the Windy or Windward coast, from the frequency of short but furious tornadoes throughout the year. Towards the end of the 18th century, Guinea pepper was supplanted in Europe by peppers from the East Indies. The name now is seldom used, the Grain coast being divided between the British colony of Sierra Leone and the republic of Liberia.
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In a new report, “Liberian Refugees in Guinea: Refoulement, Militarization of Camps, and Other Protection Concerns”, Human Rights Watch said the Guinean government’s close relationship with Liberian rebel groups is posing a serious threat to refugees’ security and protection in Guinea. Hundreds of Liberians seeking asylum in Guinea are being forced back to Liberia to join the ranks of the rebel group Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), either as fighters or to work for them as porters. LURD soldiers have prevented others from even reaching the border. International human rights law prohibits the return, or refoulement, of people to situations where their life or freedom would be threatened.
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