Conakry

Why it's the capital

The city was essentially founded after Britain handed its island site to France in 1887. Conakry became the capital of French Guinea in 1904, grew as an export port, and stayed the capital when Guinea became independent in 1958.

Fun facts

1. The city began on little Tombo Island, where in 1885 the two villages of Conakry and Boubinet had fewer than 500 people between them.
2. It is a very wet city: nearly 3,800 mm of rain falls in a year, with more than 1,100 mm in each of July and August.
3. In 1970, Portuguese troops fighting in neighbouring Portuguese Guinea landed near Conakry, attacked the city and freed 26 Portuguese prisoners of war before retreating.