Tamara

The Los Islands are a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Conakry, the capital of Guinea in West Africa. These islands, including Tamara, Kassa, Roume, Blanche, and De Corail, offer protection to Conakry's port. Tamara is the largest island, measuring 8 miles long and 1-2 miles wide, and features the highest elevation at 499 feet. The islands are of volcanic origin and are covered with palm trees.1

Historically, the Los Islands were named by early Portuguese navigators who found sacred idols there. In 1812, the British established a garrison on Tamara to combat slave trading and piracy. The islands were ceded to the French in 1904 and became part of independent Guinea in 1958. Bauxite mining occurred on Kassa from 1949 to 1966 and on Tamara from 1967 to 1972.1