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The Guinea Highlands is a densely forested mountainous plateau extending from central
In Guinea they are known as ''Dorsale Guinéenne''. The highest peak in the region is Mount Bintumani in Sierra Leone, at 1,945 metres (6,381 ft). Other peaks include Sankan Biriwa () in Sierra Leone and Mount Richard-Molard (Mount Nimba) () on the border of Guinea and Ivory Coast. The highlands mostly lie between above sea level.
The Guinea Highlands are the source of many of West Africa's rivers, including the
Geologically the composition of the sediments in the highlands are the same as in Upper Guinea and include
The Guinea Highlands form the transition between the Western Guinean lowland forests, moist tropical rainforests that lie to the south between the Guinea Highlands and the Atlantic Ocean, and the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic to the north.
The Guinean montane forests ecoregion covers the portion of the highlands above 600 meters elevation. It includes montane forests, grasslands, and savannas, with a distinct flora and fauna from the surrounding lowlands.
Encyclopædia Britannica
Retrieved on June 18, 2008 The region is mainly inhabited by the Guerze ( Kpelle) and Mano (Manon) peoples.
* Mount Bintumani (Loma Mansa), Sierra Leone, 1945 meters (6381 feet)
* Sankan Biriwa, Sierra Leone, 1,850 metres (6,070 ft)
* Mount Richard-Molard, also known as Mount Nimba, Ivory Coast and Guinea, 1752 meters (5748 feet)
* Grand Rochers, Guinea, 1694 meters (5558 feet)
* Mont Sempéré, Guinea, 1682 meters (5518 feet)
* Mont Tô, Guinea, 1675 meters (5495 feet)
* Mont Piérré Richaud, Guinea, 1670 meters (5479 feet)
* Pic de Fon, Guinea, 1658 meters (5440 feet)
* Mont LeClerc, Guinea, 1577 meters (5174 feet)
* Pic de Tibé, Guinea, 1504 meters (4934 feet)
* Mount Wuteve, Liberia, 1420 meters (4659 feet)
* Pic de Tétini, Guinea 1257 meters
* Kourandou Massif, Guinea, 1236 meters
* Béro Massif, Guinea, 1210 meters
Guinea
Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...
through northern Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
and Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
to western Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
. The highlands include a number of mountains, ranges and plateaus, including the Fouta Djallon highlands in central Guinea, the Loma Mountains in Sierra Leone, the Simandou and Kourandou massifs in southeastern Guinea, the Nimba Range at the border of Guinea, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, and the Monts du Toura in western Ivory Coast.
Geography
In Guinea they are known as ''Dorsale Guinéenne''. The highest peak in the region is Mount Bintumani in Sierra Leone, at 1,945 metres (6,381 ft). Other peaks include Sankan Biriwa () in Sierra Leone and Mount Richard-Molard (Mount Nimba) () on the border of Guinea and Ivory Coast. The highlands mostly lie between above sea level.
The Guinea Highlands are the source of many of West Africa's rivers, including the Niger River
The Niger River ( ; ) is the main river of West Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Nige ...
, West Africa's longest river, the Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
and Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
rivers, and the rivers of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...
, Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
, Maritime Guinea
Maritime Guinea (), also known as Lower Guinea, is one of the four natural regions of Guinea. It is located in the west of the country, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Fouta Djallon plateau. Conakry, Guinea's capital and largest city, is located ...
, and western Ivory Coast.
Geology
Geologically the composition of the sediments in the highlands are the same as in Upper Guinea and include granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
s, schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
s, and quartzites.
Ecology
The Guinea Highlands form the transition between the Western Guinean lowland forests, moist tropical rainforests that lie to the south between the Guinea Highlands and the Atlantic Ocean, and the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic to the north.
The Guinean montane forests ecoregion covers the portion of the highlands above 600 meters elevation. It includes montane forests, grasslands, and savannas, with a distinct flora and fauna from the surrounding lowlands.
People
Yomou is the chief market town for the densely forested region of the Guinea Highlands. Main commodities sold in the town includerice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
, cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
, coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
, palm oil and kernels.Retrieved on June 18, 2008 The region is mainly inhabited by the Guerze ( Kpelle) and Mano (Manon) peoples.
Peaks
* Mount Bintumani (Loma Mansa), Sierra Leone, 1945 meters (6381 feet)
* Sankan Biriwa, Sierra Leone, 1,850 metres (6,070 ft)
* Mount Richard-Molard, also known as Mount Nimba, Ivory Coast and Guinea, 1752 meters (5748 feet)
* Grand Rochers, Guinea, 1694 meters (5558 feet)
* Mont Sempéré, Guinea, 1682 meters (5518 feet)
* Mont Tô, Guinea, 1675 meters (5495 feet)
* Mont Piérré Richaud, Guinea, 1670 meters (5479 feet)
* Pic de Fon, Guinea, 1658 meters (5440 feet)
* Mont LeClerc, Guinea, 1577 meters (5174 feet)
* Pic de Tibé, Guinea, 1504 meters (4934 feet)
* Mount Wuteve, Liberia, 1420 meters (4659 feet)
* Pic de Tétini, Guinea 1257 meters
* Kourandou Massif, Guinea, 1236 meters
* Béro Massif, Guinea, 1210 meters
References
{{WikidataCoord, display=t Mountains of Guinea Mountains of Liberia Mountains of Sierra Leone Mountains of Ivory Coast Highlands