Map of Guinea-Bissau | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

top of page


Background:


top of page


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: 36,125 km²
Land: 28,120 km²
Water: 8,005 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 762 km
Border countries: (2) Guinea 421 km; Senegal 341 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-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east; numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets

Elevation
Highest point: Dongol Ronde 277 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 70 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 44.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 55.2% (2018 est.)
Other: 0% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 250 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 31.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

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

Geography
Note: this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland


top of page


Population
Distribution: approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this [link]: 2,078,820 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 2.54% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 67% (2015 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bissau-Guinean(s)
Adjective: Bissau-Guinean

Ethnic groups: Balanta 30%, Fulani 30%, Manjaco 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%, unspecified smaller ethnic groups 6% (2015 est.)

Languages: Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo

Religions: Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est.)

Demographic profile: Guinea-Bissau’s young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25 as of 2020. Its large reproductive-age population and total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offsets the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world’s highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies.

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.51% (male 444,214/female 439,517)
15-64 years: 54.38% (male 545,116/female 585,284)
65 years and over: 3.11% (2023 est.) (male 26,890/female 37,799)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 76.6
Youth dependency ratio: 71.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 5
Potential support ratio: 20.1 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.3 years (2023 est.)
Male: 17.7 years
Female: 18.9 years

Population growth rate: 2.54% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 36.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this [link]

Urbanization
Urban population: 45.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 664,000 BISSAU (capital) (2023)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation (rampant felling of trees for timber and agricultural purposes); soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 34.85 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.29 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 1.46 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio: 725 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 47.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 53.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 41.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.1 years (2023 est.)
Male: 61.8 years
Female: 66.4 years

Total fertility rate: 4.65 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 20.6% (2018/19)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 90.6% of population
Improved rural: 59.1% of population
Improved total: 73.1% of population
Unimproved urban: 9.4% of population
Unimproved rural: 40.9% of population
Unimproved total: 26.9% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 8.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 9.5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 1.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 9% (2020 est.)
Male: 17% (2020 est.)
Female: 0.9% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.8% (2019)

Education expenditures: 2.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 52.9%
Male: 67%
Female: 39.9% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 12.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.6%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 14.2%


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
Etymology: the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel; "Bissau," the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea

Government type: semi-presidential republic

Capital
Name: Bissau
Geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the meaning of Bissau is uncertain, it might be an alternative name for the Papel people who live in the area of the city of Bissau

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Constitution
History: promulgated 16 May 1984; note - constitution suspended following military coup April 2012, restored 2014; note - in May 2020, President EMBALO established a commission to draft a revised constitution
Amendments: proposed by the National People’s Assembly if supported by at least one third of its members, by the Council of State (a presidential consultant body), or by the government; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government and national sovereignty cannot be amended; amended 1991, 1993, 1996

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), African Francophone Public Law, and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (since 27 February 2020); note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission, in late February 2020, EMBALO inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA
Head of government: Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 27 December 2023) note- on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term
Election results: Umaro Sissoco EMBALO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (PAIGC) 40.1%, Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) 27.7%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (APU-PDGB) 13.2%, Jose Mario VAZ (independent) 12.4%, other 6.6%; percent of vote in second round - Umaro Sissoco EMBALO 53.6%, Domingos Simoes PEREIRA 46.5% (2019)

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; 100 members directly elected in 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 2 elected in single-seat constituencies for citizens living abroad (Africa 1, Europe 1); all members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last election held 4 June 2023 (next election on 30 June 2,027) note: on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections held at a future date
Election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 39.4%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 14.9%, other 12.5%; seats by party - PAIGC 54, Madem G-15 29, PRS- 12, other 7; composition - men 92, women 10, percent of women 9.8%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction
Judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and judiciary discipline; judges appointed by the president for life
Subordinate courts: Appeals Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 20 April 2022)
From the us mailing address: 2,080 Bissau Place, Washington DC 20,521-2,080
From the us email address and website:

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; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian flag

National symbols: black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black

National anthem
Name: "Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country)
Lyrics/music: Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He
Note: adopted 1974; a delegation from then Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRAL, the leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: extremely poor West African economy; ethnically diverse labor force; increasing government expenditures; slight inflation due to food supply disruptions; major cashew exporter; systemic banking instabilities and corruption; vulnerable to oil price shocks

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 83.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 4.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -26.5% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 50% (2017 est.)
Industry: 13.1% (2017 est.)
Services: 36.9% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, cashew nuts, roots/tubers nes, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, vegetables, coconuts, fruit

Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: -0.7% (2020 est.)

Labor force: 867,500 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 12.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.6%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 14.2%

Population below poverty line: 67% (2015 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 34.8 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 2.9%
Highest 10%: 28% (2002)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $222 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $278 million (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 9.46% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 9.24% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

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:
Partners: India 50%, Belgium 28%, Cote d'Ivoire 8% (2019)
Commodities: cashews, natural gas, mackerel, fish, scrap vessels (2021)

Imports:
Partners: Portugal 31%, Senegal 20%, China 10%, Netherlands 7%, Pakistan 7% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, rice, wheat products, soups/broths, malt extract (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Access population without electricity: 1 million (2020)
Access electrification-total population: 35.7% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 60.5% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 15.8% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 28,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 76.458 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 6 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 2,625 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 342,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 342,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 2.46 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


top of page


Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4,800 (2009 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2009 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2,236,511 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 109 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 1 state-owned TV station, Televisao da Guine-Bissau (TGB) and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP); 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet
Country code: .gw
Users total: 735,000 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 35% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2,383 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)


top of page


Military expenditures:

Military and security forces:
Note: the Public Order Police is responsible for maintaining law and order, while the Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2023)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J5

Airports: 8 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 6
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,400 km (2018)
Paved: 453 km (2018)
Unpaved: 3,947 km (2018)

Waterways: 1,367 km (2022) major rivers Geba- 550km, Corubal 560 km, Cacheu 257 km (rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior)

Merchant marine
Total: 8 (2022)
By type: general cargo 5, other 3

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim


top of page


Disputes international: Guinea-Bissau - Senegal: there are no border disputes and the frontier is relatively stable although some rebels conducting a longstanding low-grade insurgency in the southern Casamance region of Senegal have used Guinea-Bissau as a safe haven

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 7,757 (Senegal) (2022)

Illicit drugs: important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling