Paper 1 The Fulbhe of Guinea West Africa

Introduction
On the West Coast of Africa between Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau is the small West African, Republic of Guinea / Conakry. It now has more than 10 million inhabitants of whom one third are Fulbhe (Fulani). The official language is French but the main National Languages are Pular, Maninka and Susu. (Patrick Johnstone, Operation World p.255)

The Geography of the Region.
The Fouta Djallon is one of four natural Regions which make up the Republic of Guinea. It is situated between 10'10" and 12'30" South Latitude and between 11'30"and 13'30"West Longitude. This is the home of the Fulbhe of Guinea.
It is limited on the north by the Republics of Senegal and Mali, on the East by Haute-Guinea which were once the empires of Al Hajji Oumar and Samori. In the South there is Sierra Leone, and onthe West by Guinea Maritime [once known as the Rivieres du Sud] and in the North West by Guinea - Bissau. I covers an area of approx. 80,000 km2, twice the size of Switzerland.  {Ishmael Barry, Le Fuuta Jaloo - Face a la Colonisation.Ed l'Harmattan. Vol I p.33]

1. The Fouta Djallon is a mountainous Country.
It is a huge plateau which is known as the 'Chateau d'Eau' of West Africa because of the number of rivers which have their source in this region. Here the Fulbhe {plural of Pullo, which the Fula call themselves} have their towns and villages.
There are three main regions 1.) The high Plateaux of the centre; 2.) The Eastern Plateau and 3.) The Western Plateau.
The High Plateaux of the Centre.
This consists of three huge plateaux about 250 kilometres long facing north/south. From Mali-Yemering the Tange Range overlooking the Sene-Gambian Plains with the huge escarpment of about 3,000 feet at Mt Laura [1538metres] in the north, the plateaux reach to the Labe - Pita areas where it is rarely higher than 1200m. And finally in the south at Dalaba it rises again to 1425m. at Fello-Jaagissaa.
The Eastern Plateau
Is much lower in altitude [about 750m.]. It is much less eroded and therefore this area served as an entrance to both the first Fulbhe using the valleys of the Bafing and the Teene rivers. This region was also used by the first Europeans to enter the area.
The Western Plateau.
The Low Plateau of Gaoual and Telimeli about 600m. and the large Koumba and Tomnie rivers flowing throiugh this area make is this low area.
Many of the Fulbhe live in small hamlets, which are very difficult to access even on moto-cross bikes. They are pereched on the sides of mountains and much patience and perseverence is needed to reach them. being cattle herders they travel to the lowlands in the dry season in search of pastures for the herds

2. The Climate : Tropical but Moderated by Altitude.
The climate of these mountains is well known for its moderation. When the Atlantic Coast or the Northern Guinean Plains are sweltering in a 40+C temperatures of the dry season then the Fouta Djallon Plateaux can heat up to 38 deg. C. but the nights will be pleasant.

It receives up to 2,000 mm. of rain per year from May to October but the coast around Cooyah will receive between 4,000 and 6,000 mms per annum.
The rain helps to bring down the temperature and causes considerable fog. For example, fog is prevalent around Dalaba in October.
During the months of December and January which is Winter in the northern hemisphere, then the nights can become quite cool. After this the Fouta is invaded by the Harmattan. This is the dry dust-laden wind from the Sahara and the north-east. The months of February, March and April before the rains arrive can be dusty, dry and windy. The temperature begins to heat up again as the Wet approaches again.
For the Fulbhe, a year is made up of the following cycle, which has four main components which greatly effect their agricultural activities and the herders.
a) The rainy season, ndunngu,  is the major season of the year. It begins in mid- May and lasts for at least five or six months. I fact they count the number of years by the number of rainy seasons, duubhi, [pl of ndunngu], rather than using the word  for year/s which is hitaande/ kitaale pl.
b) Following ndunngu is the cold season, dabbunde, which is also the harvest time for rice, fonio, millet etc.. It begins in mid- November and ends in January.
c) Then ceedu, the hot, dry season arrives. with the harmattan. (Feb. March ., April)
d) Finally in May comes Setto, or the season of preparing the fields and planting as the rains begin in the nduugu. [Sonja Fagerberg-Diallo p.247]
It is really amazing in the wet season to see the influence of the moon phases on the monsoon tropical low pressure systems similar to their influence on the tides. After the full moon there is rarely a lot of rain. This should be scientifically observed and noted.
So for the Fouta we see that the zone to the West which is more exposed to the monsoons from the Coast and protected from the Harmattan receives the most rain, especially around Telimeli. The zone to the East, has a lower rainfall and has greater diurnal and annual changes of temperature. Barry p.37 

Fulbhe live in the Central and NW Provinces and in the Capital Conakry

Out In a Fulbhe Village in the Fouta