Kankan

Kankan is a town on the River Milo in eastern Guinea. It is the country's third-biggest city with a population of 100,192 in 1996 (census). It was founded by the Soninké people in the seventeenth century and became capital of the Baté Empire and an important trading centre, particularly for kola nuts. It was defeated by Samory Touré in 1879 and occupied by the French in 1891.

The town is known for its university, for its religious scholars and its mango trees. It is also a port and is home to an airport.