A republic in western Africa, south of SENEGAL and MALI, east of GUINEA-BISSAU. Its capital is Conakry. Its coastal region was proclaimed a French protectorate in 1849, was established as a separate colony called French Guinea in 1893, and gained its independence in 1958. This Guinea gave its name to the coin originally made out of gold coming from there. Guinea is from a Tuareg word aginaw, meaning black people. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p474 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p222).
