Guinea is located to the north of Sierra Leone and Liberia and to the south of Mali and Senegal. To the northwest lies Guinea Bissau. The Slave Trade came to new Guinea in the 1600's. In 1898, the French entered the area with military force. French forces defeated those of Samori Toure, giving France control of what is now Guinea. The French Forth Republic collapsed in 1958 due to political insecurity, and Guinea, with the majority seats in the territorial elections, voted themselves their freedom. With the French leaving, most of their capital went with them. The Guinea people quickly adopted Soviet Union and socialist policies. They soon moved to a Chinese style of socialism. Relationships with neighboring countries improved. They soon turned into a one party ruled nation.

        Guinea failed at becoming a democratic country. At the same time, it moved into a socialist state with a powerful "president" as a ruler. The socialist style still exists today. Guinea also harbors some half million refugees from the fighting in Sierra Leone. Their major exports are bauxite and alumina, 80% of all of Guinea's exports, used to create aluminum. They also export a large amount of gold and diamonds.

Do you think that the Africans would have been better off without the Europeans' interference with their society? Why or why not?