Guinea-Bissau
Country Guide

Explore Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau with its capital Bissau is located in Africa (Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean). It covers some 36,126 square kilometers (slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut) with 1,792,340 citizens. Portuguese is the official language used in Guinea-Bissau. As an interesting fact, is sharing borders with Guinea and Senegal.

Guinea-Bissau is a former Portuguese colony bordered by Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south and east. To go to the islands, there's a choice between cheap, but rather unsafe, canoas (pirogues) leaving from Porto Pidjiguiti or Porto de Bandim, and expensive modern boats owned by french fishing lodges on the Bijagos islands. As Guinea Bissau is very flat and there is virtually no traffic on the roads outside Bissau, it's a good country for cycling.

Popular Destinations in Guinea-Bissau

Administrative regions of Guinea-Bissau

• Bafata
• Biombo
• Bissau Region
• Bolama
• Cacheu Region
• Gabu
• Oio Region
• Quinara
• Tombali

About the country

The topography is mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east with numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets. The average density of population is about 50 per km². The climate in Guinea-Bissau can be described as tropicalgenerally hot and humid, monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds, dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds. Potential natural disasters are brush fires hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

To reach someone Guinea-Bissau dial +245 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".gw". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C). The sign for the locally used currency Franc is XOF.

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.

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite eventually 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, multiparty election. 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 overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place. Following mediation by the Economic Community of Western African States, a civilian transitional government assumed power in 2012 and remained until Jose Mario VAZ won a free and fair election in 2014. A long-running dispute between factions in the ruling PAIGC party has brought the government to a political impasse; there have been five prime ministers since August 2015.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 138)	36,125	sq km
Land (World Rank: 141)	28,120	sq km
Water (World Rank: 57)	8,005	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 56)	29.70	%
Comparative	slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Coastline
350
Landborder
762
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 207)	300	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 81)	44.80	%
Arable (World Rank: 128)	8.20	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 46)	6.90	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 56)	29.70	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 128)	250	sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues	- deforestation - overfishing - overgrazing - soil erosion
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Ozone Layer Protection - Wetlands
Hazzards	- brush fires - hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
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

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 151)	1,792,340
Deathrate (World Rank: 6)	1.39	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 30)	3.25	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 52)	1.86	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 31)	4.09	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 186)	19.70
Female (World Rank: 186)	20.60
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 138)	349,256
0 14 female (World Rank: 137)	350,327
15 24 male (World Rank: 147)	179,389
15 24 female (World Rank: 145)	182,242
25 54 male (World Rank: 154)	292,736
25 54 female (World Rank: 151)	294,526
55 64 male (World Rank: 162)	32,156
55 64 female (World Rank: 152)	49,761
65 x male (World Rank: 163)	22,574
65 x female (World Rank: 155)	39,371
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 4)	8.57	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 220)	51	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 218)	53	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 221)	49	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 167)	0.08
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 147)	1.00
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 191)	20.80	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 143)	9.50	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 161)	79.30	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 207)	34,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 207)	31,620,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 2)	100.00	%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 188)	2,500	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 181)	2,423	bbl / day
Natural gas
Consumption (World Rank: 136)	17	m³
Carbon footprint
500000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 158)	2	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 62)	2	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 120)	6	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 163)	-6	% of GDP
National symbol
black star
National colours
yellow
Adjective
Bissau-Guinean
Noun
Bissau-Guinean(s)
Background
Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite eventually 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, multiparty election. 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 overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place. Following mediation by the Economic Community of Western African States, a civilian transitional government assumed power in 2012 and remained until Jose Mario VAZ won a free and fair election in 2014. A long-running dispute between factions in the ruling PAIGC party has brought the government to a political impasse; there have been five prime ministers since August 2015.
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

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 187)	2,875,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 37)	5.10	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 210)	1,700	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 6)	44.70	%
Source industry (World Rank: 188)	13.20	%
Source service (World Rank: 198)	42.10	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 150)	731,300
In poverty (World Rank: 7)	67.00	%
Products
Industries	- agricultural products processing - beer - soft drinks
Agriculture	- beans - cashew nuts - cassava - corn - cotton - fish - manioc - palm kernels - peanuts - rice - tapioca - timber
Exports	- cashews - fish - palm kernels - peanuts - raw - sawn lumber - shrimp
Imports	- foodstuffs - machinery - petroleum products - transport equipment

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Communication

Phone
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 188)	1.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 175)	73.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 181)	66,169
Population (World Rank: 221)	3.80	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 185)	2.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 147)	6.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 161)	3,455
Paved length (World Rank: 144)	965
Unpaved length (World Rank: 117)	2,490

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