Why are there so many countries called Guinea?

The word has Portuguese origins during the colonial era and was used to describe the regions of West Africa where the Guinees lived, the blacks who lived south of the Senegal River.

Have you ever looked at a map and wondered why there are so many “guinea”? Since Guinea herself, passing the Equatorial Guinea, Papua New Guinea and the former Portuguese colonial of Guinea-Bissau, There are four countries with this name.

The word “guinea” in English derives from the Portuguese “Guinea”, a term that emerged in the mid -15th century. At the time, the Portuguese explorers used it to describe the coastal lands Inhabited hairs “Guineus”the term used to describe black African peoples who lived south of the Senegal River. These regions, rich in natural resources and cultural diversity, became focused points for commercial routes during the colonial era, explains the.

Another theory proposes that the term had Origin in the city of Djennéan important center in present -day Mali, known for its prominence in transaarian trade between the 15th and 17th centuries. According to this theory, the term Arabic “Genawah” (a form of “Ghinawen”, which means “blacks”) may have influenced the conventions of European nomenclature, eventually giving rise to “Guinea”.

As the European powers widened their colonial presence in Africa, several coastal territories were labeled the word Guinea. Many of these names continued in use after independence Of the respective countries: French Guinea became simply “Guinea”, the Spanish Guinea evolved into “Equatorial Guinea” and the Portuguese Guinea became “Guinea-Bissau”. In contrast, the German Guinea was divided into current Cameroon and Togo, completely eliminating the designation “Guinea”.

The name “Guinea” also found its place in European economic systems. The British gold coin known as Guinea was named because the gold used in his coinage came from the Guinea region.

Interestingly, the scope of the term extended far beyond Africa. Papua New Guinea, located in Southeast Asia, was thus designated by Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who noticed a similarity between the peoples Indigenous Papua and those of the African coast of Guinea. The name “Papua” refers to the island’s native terminology, while “New Guinea” reflects the explorer comparison with African territories.

Together, the multiple uses of “Guinea” reveal a legacy shaped by exploration, trade, colonization and cultural meetings that cover various continents and centuries.