 | |
| Geography |
| This small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland |
| Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal |
| Geographic coordinates: | 12 00 N, 15 00 W |
| Area: | total: 36,125 sq km land: 28,120 sq km water: 8,005 sq km
Size comparison: 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 elevation in the eastern part 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: | 250 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires |
| Current Environment Issues: | deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| ^Back to Top |
| People |
| Population: | 1,596,677 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 40.4% (male 321,889/female 323,202) 15-64 years: 56.4% (male 435,986/female 465,117) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 19,975/female 30,508) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 19.5 years male: 18.9 years female: 20 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.988% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 35.15 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 15.27 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 96.23 deaths/1,000 live births male: 106.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 86.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 48.7 years male: 46.8 years female: 50.67 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.51 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 2.5% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 22,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,200 (2009 est.) |
| 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: | Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10% |
| 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.) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Government |
| 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 |
| Capital: | name: Bissau geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| 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 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 24 September (1973) |
| Constitution: | 16 May 1984; amended several times |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of civil law (influenced by the early French Civil Code) and customary law |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Malam Bacai SANHA (since 8 September 2009) head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 25 December 2008) cabinet: NA (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 28 June 2009 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature election results: Malam Bacai SANHA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Malam Bacai SANHA 63.5%, Kumba YALA 36.5% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 16 November 2008 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 49.8%, PRS 25.3%, PRID 7.5%, PND 2.4%, AD 1.4%, other parties 13.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 67, PRS 28, PRID 3, PND 1, AD 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 more than $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases valued at less than $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 Alliance or AD [Victor MANDINGA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS [Rafael BARBOSA]; Electoral Union or UE [Joaquim BALDE]; Guinea-Bissau Civic Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau Socialist Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Party or PST [Lancuba INDJAI]; New Democracy Party or PND; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Progress Party or PP; Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]; Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco FADUL] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| 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, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC |
| 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; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau |
| ^Back to Top |
| Economy |
| One of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau's legal economy depends mainly on farming and fishing, but trafficking narcotics is probably the most lucrative trade. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years. 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. 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. The combination of limited economic prospects, a weak and faction-ridden government, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.784 billion (2010 est.) $1.724 billion (2009 est.) $1.674 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $837 million (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 3.5% (2010 est.) 3% (2009 est.) 3.2% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2010 est.) $1,100 (2009 est.) $1,100 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 55.2% industry: 12.8% services: 32% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 632,700 (2007) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 82% industry and services: 18% (2000 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | NA% |
| Population below poverty line: | NA% |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 28% (2002) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2010 est.) -1.7% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 12.7% of GDP (2010 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: | 70 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 65.1 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 3,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 2,565 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$82.6 million (2010 est.) -$120.1 million (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $126 million (2010 est.) $117.5 million (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | fish, shrimp; cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber |
| Exports - partners: | India 76.9%, Nigeria 16.6% (2010) |
| Imports: | $206.1 million (2010 est.) $202.3 million (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners: | Senegal 21.8%, Portugal 20.5%, Brazil 5.6%, Cuba 4.1% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $NA (31 December 2010 est.) $168.6 million (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $941.5 million (2000 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 495.28 (2010) 472.19 (2009) 493.51 (2007) 522.59 (2006) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 5,000 (2010) country comparison to the world: 213 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 594,100 (2010) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile-cellular communications domestic: fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 35 per 100 in 2009 international: country code - 245 (2008) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .gw |
| Internet hosts: | 82 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 37,100 (2009) |
| ^Back to Top |
| Transportation |
| Airports: | 9 (2010) country comparison to the world: 159 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 3,455 km paved: 965 km unpaved: 2,490 km (2002) |
| Waterways: | (rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior) (2009) |
| Ports and terminals: | Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim |
| ^Back to Top |
| Military |
|
| Military branches: | People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Presidential Guard (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger with parental consent, for voluntary service (2010) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 370,790 females age 16-49: 372,171 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 205,460 females age 16-49: 212,277 (2010 est.) |
| ^Back to Top |
Last Country | Next Country 
» Country List
