1986 Edition

Airfields

17 total, 17 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 9 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m Defense Forces

Branches

Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, paramilitary National Gendaramerie

president and cabinet; 150-member National Popular Assembly, overseen by 15-member Council of State

Capital

Bissau

Civil air

1 major transport aircraft

Coastline

274 km People

Communists

a few Communists, some sympathizers

Elections

legislative elections held March 1984; legislature elected Vieira to serve a five-year term as President in May 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

Ethnic divisions

about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto

Government leaders

Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, President, Council of State (since November 1980); Paulo CORREIA, First Vice President, Council of State (since May 1984); lafai CAMARA, Second Vice President, Council of State (since May 1984)

Highways

30,000 km total; 1,087 km paved, 13,013 km gravel or laterite, 16,000 km unimproved earth

Infant mortality rate

250/1,000(1982)

Inland waterways

1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft

Labor force

90% agriculture; 5% industry, services, and commerce; 5% government Government

Land boundaries

740 km Water

Language

Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages

Legal system

new constitution approved May 1984

Life expectancy

42

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (200 nm exclusive economic zone)

Literacy

9%

Member of

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

Military manpower

males 15-49, 1,282,000; 645,000 fit for military service 100km >•, "" , f Arquipelagd • dos Btfagos North Atlantic Ocean S«e regional map VII Land 36,260 km2 (includes Bijagos archipelago); about the size of New Hampshire and Connecticut combined

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 September

Nationality

noun — Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective — GuineaBissauan

Official name

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Political subdivisions

9 regions, 3 circumscriptions (predominantly indigenous population)

Population

875,000 (July 1986), average annual growth rate 1.9%

Ports

1 major (Conakry), 2 minor

Religion

65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian

Suffrage

universal over age 15

Type

republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974