Map of Guinea-Bissau | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: In 1994 20 years after independence from Portugal the country's first multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held.


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Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 36,120 km²
Land: 28,000 km²
Water: 8,120 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 724 km
Border countries: (2) Guinea 386 km; , Senegal 338 km

Coastline: 350 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 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
Extremes highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

Natural resources: fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use
Arable land: 11%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 38%
Forests and woodland: 38%
Other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 17 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Geography


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Population: 1,178,584 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.33% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guinea-Bissauan(s)
Adjective: Guinea-Bissauan

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Languages: Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages

Religions: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 43% (male 251,873; female 250,950)
15-64 years: 54% (male 304,116; female 338,489)
65 years and over: 3% (male 15,771; female 17,385) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.33% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 39.17 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 15.85 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 113.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 48.71 years
Male: 47.05 years
Female: 50.42 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 54.9%
Male: 68%
Female: 42.5% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
Local long form: Republica de Guine-Bissau
Local short form: Guine-Bissau
Former: Portuguese Guinea

Government type: republic, multiparty since mid-1991, formerly highly centralized

Capital: Bissau

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao; Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

Dependent areas

Independence: 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 10 September (1974)

Constitution: 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991 (currently undergoing revision to liberalize popular participation in the government)

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 15 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed power 14 November 1980)
Head of government: Prime Minister Manuel da Costa SATURNINO (since 5 November 1994)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held NA August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Kumba YALLA 48%

Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB 19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG 0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party - PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6, FLING 1

Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Rufino Jose MENDES
In the us chancery: 918 16th Street NW, Mezzanine Suite, Washington, DC 20,006
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 872-4,222
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 872-4,226
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD
From the us embassy: Bairro de Penha, Bissau
From the us mailing address: C.P. 297, 1067 Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
From the us telephone: [245] 252,273, 252,274, 252,275, 252,276
From the us FAX: [245] 252,282

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world. Farming and fishing are the main economic activities. Cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and fish are the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. Although Guinea-Bissau won an IMF Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility in 1996, recent political instability and overspending have undermined the progress of economic reform and delayed disbursements of donor aid.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $950 (1996 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 44%
Industry: 8%
Services: 48% (1994 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; fishing and forest potential not fully exploited

Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $N/A
Expenditures: $N/A, including capital expenditures of $N/A

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports
Total value: $33 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities: cashews 95%, fish, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber (1994)
Partners: Spain 35%, India 30%, Thailand 10%, Italy 10% (1995)

Imports
Total value: $52.4 million (f.o.b., 1994)
Commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum products, machinery and equipment (1994)
Partners: Thailand 27%, Portugal 23%, Japan 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 7% (1995)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $816 million (1994 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1 - 33,910 (December 1996), 26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995), 12,892 (1994), 10,082 (1993), 6,934 (1992)


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Electricity
Capacity: 22,000 kW (1991)
Production: 30 million kWh (1991)
Consumption per capita: 29 kWh (1991 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones: 3,000 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: poor system
Domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communications
International: NA

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $9 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 4.5% (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 16 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 12
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs