Kankan

Kankan is Guinea's eastern region—gateway to the Simandou Mountains holding the world's largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit (2+ billion tonnes). Rio Tinto and Chinalco operate blocks 3 and 4, while SMB-Winning and Baowu (Chinese/Singaporean) hold blocks 1 and 2. The government retains 15% stakes in both mining consortia plus the 600+km railway and Morebaya port under construction (due December 2025). Simandou represents Guinea's transformational bet: if the infrastructure completes on schedule, iron ore exports could rival bauxite and reshape the national economy. But the region's communities have staged protests—Kérouané residents against poor roads, lack of potable water and electricity; Beyla women against Rio Tinto for polluting streams and drilling boreholes that produce insufficient water. Artisanal gold mining remains buoyant, creating informal employment but environmental degradation. Kankan historically served as a commercial center on trans-Saharan trade routes, and remains Guinea's second city—but its future depends on whether Simandou's billions flow through to infrastructure and services, or remain extracted wealth that bypasses local development.