Kankan

Kankan
Sub-prefecture and town
Kankan Kabada health center
Country	Guinea
Region	Kankan Region
Prefecture	Kankan Prefecture
Population  (2009)
• Total	207,790 [1]

Kankan (in Maninka: Kánkàn) is the largest city in Guinea in land area, and the third largest in population at 207,790 [2] (2009). The city is located on the Milo River in eastern Guinea and lying about 345 miles east of Conakry.

The population of the city is largely from the Mandinka ethnic group. Kankan serves as the capital and largest city of Kankan Prefecture and Kankan Region.

History

Kankan was founded by the Mandinka people in the seventeenth century and became capital of the Baté Empire and an important trading centre, particularly for kola nuts. It was conquered by Samory Touré in 1881 and occupied by the French in 1891. The population of the city is predominantly from the Mandinka ethnic group and their language is widely spoken throughout the city.

Features

The town is known for its university (Université de Kankan), for its religious scholars and its mango trees. It is home to the Kankan Airport. It is an eleven hour drive from Conakry. It also has one of the oldest mosques in West Africa. The Mandingo cultural site Gberedou/Hamana is located about 40 km to the northeast.

Transport

Kankan is the terminus of the lightduty narrow gauge railway from Conakry. The N1 highway connects the city with Nzerekore in the south. In addition, the town is served by Kankan Airport.