1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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
Branches
Army (ground forces), Navy (acts primarily as a coast guard), Air Force, paramilitary National Gendaramerie
Civil air
12 major transport aircraft
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
Coastline
350 km
Comparative area
about the size of Connecticut and New Hampshire combined
Environment
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
Ethnic divisions
about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto
Extended economic zone
200 nm
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
Land boundaries
740 km total
Land use
9% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 46% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 6% other
Language
Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
Life expectancy
42
Literacy
9%
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,549,000; 781,000 fit for military service 100km N '^T^ ,* Arquipelago ' dos Bi/agos North Atlantic Ocean Sec regional map VII
Nationality
noun — Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective — GuineaBissauan
Population
928,425 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.36%
Ports
1 major (Conakry), 2 minor
Religion
65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian
Special notes
none
Telecommunications
fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio-relay system; 10,000 telephones (0.2 per 100 popl.); 3 AM, 1 FM, and 1 TV stations; 7,700 TV sets; 100,000 receiver sets; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite ground station Defense Forces
Terrain
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
Government
Administrative divisions
9 regions, 3 circumscriptions (predominantly indigenous population)
Branches
President and Cabinet; 150member National Popular Assembly, overseen by 15-member Council of State
Capital
Bissau
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 GuineaBissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), led by President Vieira, only legal party; GuineaBissau decided to retain the binational party title despite its formal break with Cape Verde
Government leader
Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, President, Council of State (since November 1980)
Legal system
new constitution approved May 1984
Member of
AfDB, CEAO, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE — Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAU, QIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 24 September
Official name
Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Suffrage
universal over age 15
Type
republic; highly centralized oneparty regime since September 1974