| Guinea-Bissau |  | Click to enlarge

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

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This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006

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| Introduction | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Background:

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA, after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In August 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president in the second round of presidential polling. Since formally assuming office in October 2005, Vieira has pledged to pursue economic development and national reconciliation.

| Geography | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Geographic coordinates: | 12 00 N, 15 00 W
Map references: | Africa
Area: | total: 36,120 sq km land: 28,000 sq km water: 8,120 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries: | total: 724 km border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Coastline: | 350 km
Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate: | tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain: | mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
Natural resources: | fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Land use: | arable land: 8.31% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 84.77% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 170 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland

| People | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Population: | 1,442,029 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41.4% (male 297,623/female 298,942) 15-64 years: 55.6% (male 384,559/female 417,811) 65 years and over: 3% (male 18,048/female 25,046) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 19 years male: 18.4 years female: 19.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.07% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 37.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 16.53 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 105.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 115.53 deaths/1,000 live births female: 94.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 46.87 years male: 45.05 years female: 48.75 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 4.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 10% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 17,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,200 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
Nationality: | noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean
Ethnic groups: | African 99% (includes - Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Religions: | indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%
Languages: | Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.4% male: 58.1% female: 27.4% (2003 est.)

| Government | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau local short form: Guine-Bissau former: Portuguese Guinea
Government type: | republic, multiparty since mid-1991
Capital: | Bissau
Administrative divisions: | 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Independence: | 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Constitution: | 16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, NA 1996
Legal system: | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA (since 1 October 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Aristides GOMES (since 2 November 2005)
cabinet: NA
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 24 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature
election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52.4%, Malan Bacai SANHA 47.6%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve a maximum of four years)
elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%, PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders:

African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Democratic Social Front or FDS [leader NA]; Electoral Union or UE [leader NA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Alberto NAMBEIA]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Platform or UP [coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB]; United Popular Alliance or APU [leader NA]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco Jose FADUL]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique Adriano DA SILVA; note - his address is 15929 Yukon Lane, Rockville, MD 20855 mailing address: P. O. Box 33813, Washington, DC 20033 telephone: [1] (301) 947-3958 FAX: [1] (202) 347-3954
Diplomatic representation from the US: | the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; US Embassy Dakar is responsible for covering Guinea-Bissau: telephone - [221] 823-4296; FAX - [221] 822-5903
Flag description: | two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

| Economy | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Economy - overview:

One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However, offshore oil prospecting has begun and could lead to much-needed revenue in the long run. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total national budget. Government drift and indecision, however, have resulted in continued low growth in 2002-05.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $1.103 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $280.1 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 2.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 62% industry: 12% services: 26% (1999 est.)
Labor force: | 480,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture 82% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: | NA%
Population below poverty line: | NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 4% (2002 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - products: | rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Industries: | agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Industrial production growth rate: | 4.7% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production: | 56 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption: | 52.08 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 2,450 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Exports: | $116 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: | cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber
Exports - partners: | India 52.2%, US 22.2%, Nigeria 13.2% (2004)
Imports: | $176 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Imports - partners: | Senegal 44.6%, Portugal 13.8%, China 4.2% (2004)
Debt - external: | $941.5 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $115.4 million (1995)
Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 10,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,300 (2003)
Telephone system: | general assessment: small system domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications international: country code - 245
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002)
Television broadcast stations: | NA (2005)
Internet country code: | .gw
Internet hosts: | 5 (2005)
Internet users: | 26,000 (2005)

| Transportation | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Airports: | 28 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 25 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 20 (2005)
Roadways: | total: 4,400 km paved: 453 km unpaved: 3,947 km (1999)
Waterways: | four largest rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2006)
Ports and terminals: | Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

| Military | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Military branches: | People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 288,770 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 152,760 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $9.46 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 3.1% (2005 est.)

| Transnational Issues | Guinea-Bissau | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and political instability from a separatist movement in Senegal's Casamance region

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006