Abstract
Along the coast of the Republic of Guinea, the term “Baga” has been used to cover a large amalgamation of cultural groups, always previously misinterpreted. There are five dialect groups called Baga within the Temne language group. The question raised here concerns the etymology of the name Baga, as it has evolved in juxtaposition to the name Temne in Sierra Leone. It is an attempt to parse the intricate use of language to describe the historical and hierarchical relationship between these two segments of the same group.
AbstractThe Republic of Guinea is thought to contain the largest population of common hippopotamus in West Africa. However, no systematic field survey has been carried out recently and the information available is limited to informal observations. To clarify the status of the common hippopotamus in Guinea, we carried out a biannual population survey along the section of the Niger River (the largest river in Guinea) within the Haut Niger National Park. We counted 93 hippopotamuses in 28 groups in the dry season and 77 hippopotamuses in 23 groups in the wet season. Mean group size and number of neonates did not change between the seasons. Hippopotomuses were more numerous along the river sections bordering uncultivated floodplains. This underlines the significance of this habitat (which is used as a grazing area) for conservation of this species. Haut Niger National Park is the most important protected area in Guinea for conservation of the common hippopotamus. Hippopotamus-human and -cattle conflicts in terms of floodplain use in the park's buffer zone should be closely monitored. Floodplain conversion to rice fields represents one of the most important threats to the long-term conservation of hippopotamus populations in Guinea.
FAMILY DOCTOR ACTIVITY AT THE RUSSIAN ENTERPRISE IN THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA
