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CIA World Factbook 1984 (Internet Archive)

Guinea-Bissau

1984 Edition · 61 data fields

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Geography

Agriculture

main crops — rice, palm products, root crops, coconuts, peanuts, wood

Airfields

18 total, 18 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 9 with runways 1,2202,439 m Defense Forces
58 total, 53 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 8 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, National Militia
Presidency and Cabinet overseen by Revolutionary Council
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air Force are separate components

Budget

(1979 est.) revenue $27.4 million, current expenditures $45.4 million, investment expenditures $107.7 million

Capital

Bissau

Civil air

10 major transport aircraft
10 major transport aircraft

Coastline

274 km People
459 km People

Communists

a few Communists, some sympathizers

Elections

elections to choose regional councils held April 1984 Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), led by President Vieira, only legal party; Guinea-Bissau decided to retain the binational party title despite its formal break with Cape Verde

Electric power

20,000 kW capacity (1983); 34 million k Wh produced (1983), 40 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto
51% East Indian, 43% black and mixed, 4% Amerindian, 2% European and Chinese

Exports

$13.5 million (1981); principally peanuts (60%); also palm kernels, shrimp, fish, lumber

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 3,729 metric tons (1980)

GDP

$177 million (FY82), $198 per capita, real growth rate 1.5% (1982)

Government leaders

Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, President, Council of the Revolution; Paulo CORREIA, Prime Minister

Highways

approx. 3,218 km (418 km bituminous, remainder earth)

Imports

$47.7 million (1981); foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, transport equipment

Inland waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce

Labor force

90% agriculture; 5% industry, services, and commerce; 5% government Government
200,000(1982); 44.5% industry and commerce, 33.8% agriculture, 21.7% • services; 64% public sector employment; approximately 21%unemployed

Land boundaries

740 km Water
2,575 km Water

Language

Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
English, Amerindian dialects

Legal system

to be determined

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic including fishing 200 nm)
12 nm (fishing 200 nm; economic zone 200 nm)

Literacy

9%
85%

Major industries

agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks Guinea-Bissau (continued) Guyana

Major trade partners

mostly Portugal, Spain, and other European countries

Member of

AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDE— Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO Economy

Military manpower

males 15-49, 1,249,000; 628,000 fit for military service At Ian tic Ocean Land 36,260 km2 (includes Bijagos archipelago)
males 15-49, 197,000; 1 15,000 fit for military service

Monetary conversion rate

84.5483 Cuinean pesos=US$l (February 1984)

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 September

Nationality

noun — Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective — Guinea-Bissauan
noun — Guyanese (sing., pi.); adjective — Guyanese

Official name

Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Cooperative Republic of

Organized labor

34% of labor force Government

Political subdivisions

9 municipalities, 3 circumscriptions (predominantly indigenous population)

Population

842,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 1.8%
837,000 (July 1984), average annual growth rate 0.5%

Ports

1 major (Conakry), 2 minor
1 major (Bissau)

Railroads

none

Religion

65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian
57% Christian, 33% Hindu, 9% Muslim, 1% other

Ships

no combat ships Atlantic Ocean FRENCH UIANA Land 214,970 km8; 66% forest; 22% water, urban, and waste; 8% savanna; 3% pasture; 1% cropland

Suffrage

universal over age 15

Telecommunications

limited system of open-wire lines, radio-relay links, and radiocommunication stations; 3,000 telephones (0.5 IXT lOOpopl.); 1 AM station and 1 FM station; no TV stations Defense Forces

Type

republic; constitutional commission established February 1983 to update electoral process, with eventual restoration of constitutional government

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