Guinea has a population of over six million people consisting of a number of ethnic groups. Since 1984, and the death of the Marxist dictator Sekou TourΘ, traditional rivalries have re-emerged. The largest ethnic group, the Malinke, lost the power they held under TourΘ, and have suffered reprisals. Today, the coastal peoples, including the Soussou, are dominant, benefiting from renewed rivalry between the two major groups û Malinke and Fulani, the latter based in the western highland region of Fouta Jallon.
Daily life in Guinea revolves around the extended family, which survived the climate of suspicion generated by paid informers under TourΘ. Women acquired influence within TourΘ's Marxist party, but a Muslim revival since 1984 has reversed this trend.
