Guillemin \ge-3-'ma n \, Roger C(harles) L(ouis) (b. Jan. 11, 1924, Dijon, Fr.) French-born U.S. physiologist. He and his colleagues discov¬ ered, isolated, and synthesized hypothalamic hormones that regulate thy¬ roid activity, cause the pituitary to release growth hormone, and regulate the activities of the pituitary and the pancreas. He shared a 1977 Nobel Prize with Andrew V. Schally and Rosalyn Yalow. Guillemin is also known for his discovery of endorphins.
guillemot \ , gi-lo- l mat\ Any of three species of black-and-white seabirds (genus Cepphus , family Alcidae). Guillemots have a pointed, black bill and red legs. Guillemots are deep divers that feed at the bottom. The best- known species, the black guillemot, breeds around the Arctic Circle and winters south to the British Isles, Maine, and the Bering Strait; it is about 14 in. (35 cm) long. The similar pigeon guillemot breeds along both coasts of the North Pacific, south to Japan and southern California; the spec¬ tacled guillemot breeds from Japan to the Kuril Islands. In British usage, the name also refers to birds called murres in the U.S.
guillotine \,ge-9-'ten, 'gi-l9-,ten\ Instrument for inflicting capital pun¬ ishment by decapitation. A minimal wooden structure, it supported a heavy blade that, when released, slid down in vertical guides to sever the victim’s head. It was introduced in France in 1792 in the French Revolu¬ tion, though similar devices had been used in Scotland, England, and other European countries, often for executing criminals of noble birth. The name derived from a French physician and member of the National
Assembly, Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738-1814), who was instrumental in passing a law requiring all sentences of death to be carried out “by means of a machine,” so that execution by decapitation would no longer be confined to nobles and executions would be as painless as possible. The last execution by guillotine in France took place in 1977.
Guin, Ursula Le See Ursula Le Guin
Guinea \'gi-ne\ officially Republic of Guinea formerly French Guinea Country, western Africa. Area: 94,926 sq mi (245,857 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 9,402,000. Capitaclass="underline" Conakry. The Fulani people are
in the majority, followed by the Malinke, the Susu, and many other groups. Language: French (official). Religions: Islam; also Christianity. Currency: Guinean franc.
Facing the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea has four geographic regions. Lower Guinea comprises the coast and coastal plain, which are interspersed with lagoons and mangrove swamps. To the east the Fouta Djallon highlands rise sharply from the coastal plain to elevations above 3,000 ft (900 m); western Africa’s three major rivers—the Niger, Senegal, and Gambia —originate there. Upper Guinea comprises the Niger Plains. The Forest Region, an isolated high¬ land in the southeast, rises to 5,748 ft (1,752 m) at Mount Nimba, the coun¬ try’s highest peak. Most of the country has a humid tropical climate, and there are extensive tracts of tropical rainforest. Export crops include rice, bananas, and coffee. Guinea is a major world producer of bauxite. Its devel¬ oping mixed economy is based on agriculture, mining, and trade. Guinea is a multiparty republic with one legislative house; the head of state and gov¬ ernment is the president, assisted by the prime minister. In successive migrations c. ad 900, the Susu swept down from the desert and pushed the original inhabitants, the Baga, to the Atlantic coast. Small kingdoms of the Susu rose in importance in the 13th century and later extended their rule to the coast. In the mid-15th century the Portuguese visited the coast and developed a slave trade. In the 16th century the Fulani established domi¬ nation over the Fouta Djallon region; they ruled into the 19th century. In the early 19th century the French arrived and in 1849 proclaimed the coastal region a French protectorate. In 1895 French Guinea became part of the federation of French West Africa. In 1946 it was made an overseas territory of France, and in 1958 it achieved independence. Following a military coup in 1984, Guinea began implementing Westernized government systems. A new constitution was adopted in 1991, and the first multiparty elections were held in 1993. During the 1990s Guinea accommodated several hun¬ dred thousand war refugees from neighbouring Liberia and Sierra Leone, and conflicts between these countries and Guinea have continued to flare up over the refugee population.
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Guinea ► Guise I 815
Guinea, Gulf of Great inlet of the Atlantic Ocean on the western Afri¬ can coast. It includes the Bights of Benin and Biafra, and its major tribu¬ taries are the Volta and Niger rivers. Its natural resources include offshore oil deposits and metal ore deposits. Its coastline forms part of the west¬ ern edge of the African tectonic plate and corresponds remarkably to the continental margin of South America from Brazil to the Guianas, provid¬ ing one of the clearest confirmations of the theory of continental drift.
Guinea-Bissau \'gi-ne-bi-'sau\ officially Republic of Guinea- Bissau formerly (until 1974) Portuguese Guinea Country, western Africa. Its territory includes the Bijagos Archipelago, off the Atlantic coast
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© 2002 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
to the southwest. Area: 13,948 sq mi (36,125 sq km). Population (2005 est.):
1,413,000. Capitaclass="underline" Bissau. The four major ethnic groups are the Balanta Brassa,
Fulani, Malinke, and Mandyako. Languages: Portuguese (official), Balante, Fula, Malinke, Mandyako. Religions: traditional beliefs, Islam, Christian¬ ity. Currency: CFA franc. Most of the country consists of low, marshy terrain and flat plateau. The climate is generally hot and tropical. Much of the wildlife is aquatic; crocodiles, snakes, and birds such as pelicans and flamingos abound. Guinea-Bissau has a developing, primarily agri¬ cultural economy; cashews and peanuts are the main cash crops. It is a multiparty republic with one legislative house; its head of state and gov¬ ernment is the president assisted by the prime minister. More than 1,000 years ago the coast of Guinea-Bissau was occupied by agriculturists using iron implements. They grew irrigated and dry rice and were also the major suppliers of marine salt to the western Sudan. At about the same time, the area came under the influence of the Mali empire and became a tributary kingdom known as Gabu. After 1546 Gabu was virtually autonomous; vestiges of it lasted until 1867. The earliest overseas contacts came in the 15th century with the Portuguese, who imported slaves from the Guinea area to the offshore Cape Verde Islands. Portuguese control of Guinea- Bissau was marginal despite their claims to sovereignty there. The end of the slave trade forced the Portuguese inland in search of new profits. Their subjugation of the interior was slow and sometimes violent; it was not effectively achieved until 1915, though sporadic resistance continued until 1936. Guerrilla warfare in the 1960s led to the country’s independence in 1974, but political turmoil continued, and the government was over¬ thrown by a military coup in 1980. A new constitution was adopted in 1984, and the first multiparty elections were held in 1994. A destructive civil war in 1998 was followed by a military coup in 1999, but the coup was followed by elections.