Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea (French: République de Guinée), is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea (Guinée française), it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea's 8 million people belong to twenty-four ethnic groups. The largest and most prominent groups are the Fula 35%, Mandinka 30%, and Susu 15%. Guinea is surrounded by Mali, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, The Republic of Nimba and The Democratic Republic of Lofa