Guinea-Bissau Population: 1,660,870
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| Background | |
| Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite 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 elections. 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 re-elected president 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 an existing illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place. |
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| 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 (2003) |
| 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 |
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| People | |
| Population: | 1,660,870 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 40% (male 331,406/female 332,662) 15-24 years: 20.2% (male 166,339/female 168,906) 25-54 years: 31.9% (male 263,190/female 266,963) 55-64 years: 4.7% (male 28,333/female 49,322) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 20,807/female 32,942) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 19.6 years male: 19.1 years female: 20.1 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.971% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 34.72 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 15.01 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 94.4 deaths/1,000 live births male: 104.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 84.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 49.11 years male: 47.16 years female: 51.11 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.37 children born/woman (2013 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: 54.2% male: 68.2% female: 40.6% (2010 est.) |
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| 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: [Transitional] President Manuel Serifo NHAMADJO (since 11 May 2012) note: in the aftermath of the April 2012 coup that deposed the government, an agreement was reached between ECOWAS mediators and the military junta to name NHAMADJO as transitional president with a one year term head of government: [Transitional] Prime Minister Rui Duarte BARROS (since 16 May 2012) 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 18 March 2012 with a runoff between the two leading candidates scheduled for 22 April 2012; prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature election results: with no candidate receiving a minimum 50% of the vote in the first round, a runoff between the two leading candidates was scheduled for 22 April 2012; percent of vote (first round) - Carlos GOMES Junior 49.0%, Kumba YALA 23.4%, others 27.6% |
| 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 (no legislative elections currently scheduled) 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 [Rui Dia de SOUSA]; Democratic Alliance or AD [Victor MANDINGA]; New Democracy Party or PND; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Sory DJALO]; Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU (suspended), 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, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, 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 |
| 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 |
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| Economy | |
| One of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau's legal economy depends mainly on farming and fishing, but trafficking in narcotics is probably the most lucrative trade. 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. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years; low rainfall hindered cereals and other crops in 2011. 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 government is successfully implementing a three-year $33 million extended credit arrangement with the IMF that runs through 2012. In December 2010 the World Bank and IMF announced support for $1.2 billion worth of debt relief. Guinea-Bissau made progress with debt relief in 2011 when members of the Paris Club opted to write-off much of the country's obligations. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.902 billion (2012 est.) $1.956 billion (2011 est.) $1.858 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $884 million (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | -2.8% (2012 est.) 5.3% (2011 est.) 3.5% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2012 est.) $1,200 (2011 est.) $1,100 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 56.3% industry: 13.1% services: 30.7% (2012 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): 6.4% (2012 est.) 5% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $134.6 million expenditures: $169.4 million (2012 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | rice, corn, beans, cassava (manioc), 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: | 65 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 202 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 60.45 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$151.4 million (2012 est.) -$95.9 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $125 million (2012 est.) $244.6 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | fish, shrimp; cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber |
| Exports - partners: | India 75.9%, Nigeria 14% (2011) |
| Imports: | $254.1 million (2012 est.) $327.6 million (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners: | Portugal 27.8%, Senegal 15.4%, China 4.6% (2011) |
| Debt - external: | $1.095 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $941.5 million (31 December 2000 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 514.1 (2012 est.) 471.87 (2011 est.) 495.28 (2010 est.) 472.19 (2009) 447.81 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 5,000 (2010) country comparison to the world: 210 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 869,100 (2011) |
| 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 is roughly 50 per 100 persons international: country code - 245 (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .gw |
| Internet hosts: | 90 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 37,100 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 8 (2012) country comparison to the world: 161 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (2012) |
| 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) (2012) |
| Ports and terminals: | Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Presidential Guard (2012) |
| 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 (2012) |
| 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.) |
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