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

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Background:


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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: 36,125 km²
Land: 28,120 km²
Water: 8,005 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Country comparison total: 762 km
Country comparison border countries: (2) Guinea 421 km; Senegal 341 km

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.)
Agricultural land forest: 55.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land 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 m³ (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


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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 population distribution map
Total: 2,132,325
Male: 1,042,910
Female: 1,089,415 (2024 est.)
Growth rate: 2.54% (2024 est.)
Below poverty line: 47.7% (2018 est.)
Below poverty line note: % of population with income below national poverty line

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.3% (male 453,513/female 448,514)
15-64 years: 54.6% (male 561,868/female 602,280)
65 years and over: 3.1% (2024 est.) (male 27,529/female 38,621)

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: 18.4 years (2024 est.)
Male: 17.8 years
Female: 18.9 years

Population growth rate: 2.54% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 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 population distribution map

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 (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

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

Infant mortality rate
Total: 46.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 52 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 40.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 62.2 years
Female: 66.8 years

Total fertility rate: 4.62 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 20.6% (2018/19)

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

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 62.4% of population
Improved rural: 7.6% of population
Improved total: 31.8% of population
Unimproved urban: 37.6% of population
Unimproved rural: 92.4% of population
Unimproved total: 68.2% of population (2020 est.)

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

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: 4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 3.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 4.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment


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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: 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)
Head of government: Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 20 December 2023)
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: 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
Election results: 2019: 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%; 2014: Jose Mario VAZ elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jose Mario VAZ (PAIGC) 41%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (independent) 25.1%, other 33.9%; percent of vote in second round - Jose Mario VAZ 61.9%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 38.1% (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 held on 4 June 2023 (next to be held on 30 June 2,027)
Note: on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections to be held at a future date
Elections 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, percentage 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: African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde or PAIGC , Democratic Convergence Party or PCD , Movement for Democratic Alternation Group of 15 or MADEM-G15 , National People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea Bissau or APU-PDGB , New Democracy Party or PND , Party for Social Renewal or PRS , Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID , Union for Change or UM

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: Ambassador Maria Da Conceição NOBRE CABRAL (since 18 September 2024)
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 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: dakarACS@state.gov; [link]

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


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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: $5.099 billion (2023 est.); $4.892 billion (2022 est.); $4.694 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 4.25% (2023 est.); 4.2% (2022 est.); 6.4% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: $2,400 (2023 est.); $2,300 (2022 est.); $2,300 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.6% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 19% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.8% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.2% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 17.9% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -28.3% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 33.7% (2023 est.)
Industry: 16.1% (2023 est.)
Services: 45.1% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Agriculture products: rice, groundnuts, cashews, root vegetables, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, vegetables, sweet potatoes, coconuts (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 726,000 (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 3.18% (2023 est.); 3.2% (2022 est.); 3.63% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 4% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 3.9% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 female: 4.2% (2023 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Population below poverty line: 47.7% (2018 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $220.219 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $210.858 million (2019 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 9.16% (of GDP) (2019 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Public debt: 53.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

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

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9.39% (2022 est.); 2.24% (2021 est.); 1.14% (2020 est.)
Note: annual % change based on 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: -$146.64 million (2022 est.); -$14.128 million (2021 est.); -$38.683 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Exports: $280.065 million (2022 est.); $334.904 million (2021 est.); $232.536 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: India 92%, Cote d'Ivoire 2%, Togo 2%, Netherlands 1%, South Korea 1% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: coconuts/Brazil nuts/cashews, fish, fish oil, palm oil, dried fruits (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $577.899 million (2022 est.); $518.162 million (2021 est.); $439.386 million (2020 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Partners: Portugal 34%, Senegal 22%, China 14%, Netherlands 6%, Spain 3% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, steel, rice, flavored water, beer (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $356.4 million (31 December 2017 est.); $349.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $808.187 million (2022 est.)
Note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 37.4% (2022 est.)
Access electrification urban areas: 61%
Access electrification rural areas: 15.8%
Installed generating capacity: 28,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 78.87 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 6 million kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 97.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Generation sources solar: 2.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 362,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 362,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 2.372 million Btu/person (2022 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4,800 (2009 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2018 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2.652 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 126 (2022 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.8% of GDP (2021 est.); 1.7% of GDP (2020 est.); 1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military and security forces: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (Forcas Armadas Revolucionarias do Povo or FARP): Army, Navy, Air Force; Ministry of Internal Administration: National Guard (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2024)
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


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: J5

Airports: 7 (2024)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,400 km
Paved: 453 km
Unpaved: 3,947 km (2016)

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

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

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