Guinean

Guineans as a people group are the citizens of Guinea (Guinea-Conakry) counted by nationality rather than by ethnicity. Guinea's main peoples are the Fula (Peul) of the Fouta Djallon highlands, a third or more of the population, the Malinke (Maninka) of Upper Guinea, the Susu of the coast around Conakry, and the Kissi, Kpelle (Guerzé), Toma and other peoples of the forest region; Pular, Maninka and Susu are the main languages and French the official one. Abroad they share a national identity and, for most, Islam. Splitting them into their peoples is a recommendation, since no source counts them.

Rice with leaf, peanut or okra sauces, fonio and ginger and bissap drinks are the food of home. The Fula keep a pastoral and scholarly Islamic heritage from the Fouta Djallon, the Malinke the griots' praise songs and djembe drumming, and hometown associations pool money for families and projects in Guinea.

Most Guineans are Sunni Muslims of the Maliki school, strongest among the Fula, Malinke and Susu, with Sufi orders (Tijaniyya, Qadiriyya), Qur'an schools and respected marabouts; amulets and spirit beliefs persist. Christians, Catholic and Protestant, are mostly among the forest peoples, who also keep sacred forests and initiation societies.

The Bible is complete in Susu and French, with Scripture portions or more in Pular, Maninka and the forest languages, plus the JESUS film and Global Recordings audio. The Fula, Malinke and Susu majorities are among the least reached peoples of West Africa; Guinea's churches are mostly among the forest peoples.