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The Republic of Guinea

The president of Guinea, who took power in a coup d'etat in 1984, has died, and a military-led group says it's taking over for him. It's hard to say which is worse, the president who mismanaged the resource-rich country for more than two decades or the shadowy group that, at least according to one report, is rolling tanks toward the presidential compound in the capital, Conakry.

About the size of the UK, Guinea is one of the many former French colonies in Africa, and it was the first to gain complete independence on October 2, 1958. Most of the population is Muslim, and French is still the primary language. Flying in? You'll likely land at Conakry International, which Air France, Brussels Airlines and Royal Air Maroc all serve.

Though the country only has a limited amount of coastline, you can get a beach fix at the Iles de Los just a short ferry ride from Conakry. Inland, hiking and waterfall hunting are the things to do.

Related Stories:
· Q&A: Guinea [Guardian]
· Military Group Claims a Coup Attempt [NYT]