guinea

1. coastal region of W Africa, between Senegal & Nigeria
2. country in this region: formerly a French colony, it became independent in 1958: 94,926 sq mi (245,857 sq km); pop. 7,300,000; cap. Conakry
3. part of the Atlantic, off the W coast of Africa

1. Abbr. g.
   a. A gold coin issued in England from 1663 to 1813 and worth one pound and one shilling.
   b. The sum of one pound and one shilling.
2. Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person of Italian birth or descent.

Origin:

Origin: After the Guinea coast of Africa, the source of the gold from which it was first made

1. A historical region of western and equatorial Africa extending along the coast from Gambia to Angola. Sections of the area from the Bight of Benin westward were known to early traders as the Slave, Gold, Ivory, and Grain Coasts.
2. A country of western Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. Inhabited by Fulani, Malinke, and Susu peoples, parts of present-day Guinea belonged to the medieval kingdom of Ghana and later to the Mali Empire. Explored by the Portuguese in the 15th century, it came under French control in the 19th century, becoming a French colony in 1893 and a part of French West Africa in 1895. Guinea gained its independence in 1958. Conakry is the capital and the largest city. Population: 9,950,000.

Related Forms:

• Guinˈe·an adjective & n.

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Guinea

, Gulf of