The town lies on the N7 road and the River Gambia amid the Pays Bassari hills and Fouta Djallon foothills.

The main sources of income in the town are agriculture, small-scale commerce, construction, and gold mining.

There is a military camp, a hospital, a community radio station and library, a Peace Corps Office and a number of small businesses.

On 23 December 2008, a protest march culminated in the burning of government buildings and the security forces firing on demonstrators.

The next several days saw widespread destruction of property, looting, and according to a Senegalese human rights group, the mass arrest and torture of suspects.