1998 Edition

Area

total: 36,120 sq km land: 28,000 sq km water: 8,120 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

Environment-current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment-international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Irrigated land

17 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 724 km border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Land use

arable land: 11% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 38% forests and woodland: 38% other: 12% (1993 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Natural resources

fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Terrain

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 256,315; female 255,208) 15-64 years: 55% (male 313,270; female 347,431) 65 years and over: 3% (male 15,986; female 18,101) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

38.67 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

15.48 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

111.61 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49.14 years male: 47.47 years female: 50.85 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 53.9% male: 67.1% female: 40.7% (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun: Guinean (s) adjective: Guinean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

1,206,311 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

2.32% (1998 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.17 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 regions (regioes, singular-regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali note: Bolama is reported to be renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Constitution

16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993 and 1996

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

Data code

PU

Executive branch

chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed power 14 November 1980 in a coup d'etat) head of government: Prime Minister Carlos CORREIA (since 30 May 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held July 1999); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote-Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Koumba YALLA 48%

FAX

[1] (202) 347-3954 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD embassy: 1 Rua Ulysses S. Grant, Bairro de Penha, Bissau mailing address: C.P. 297, 1067 Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau telephone: [245] 252273, 252274, 252275, 252276

[245] 252282

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

republic, multiparty since mid-1991

Independence

24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

International organization participation

ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mario LOPEZ DA ROSA chancery: Suite 519, 1511K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica, consists of 9 justices who are appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure, final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases; Regional Courts, supposed to be one in each of nine regions, first court of appeals for sectoral court decisions, hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000; Sectoral Courts, supposed to be 24 of them, judges are not necessarily trained lawyers, hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Manuel Saturnino da COSTA, secretary general]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Jose Katengul M. ENDES]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Ba Fata Movement or RGB-MB [Domingos FERNANDES Gomes]; Guinean Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; International League for Ecological Protection or LIPE [Alhaje Bubacar DJALO, president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Abubacer BALDE, secretary general]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Koumba YALLA, leader]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president and Dr. Anne SAAD secretary general]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Victor Sau'de MARIA]

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve a maximum of four years) elections: last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held by NA 1998; the president determines the date for each legislature election, which must be held within four years of the last election) election results: percent of vote by party-PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB 19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG 0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party - PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6, FLING 1

National capital

Bissau

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; fishing and forest potential not fully exploited

Budget

$NA

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes; note - on 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted as its currency the CFA franc following its membership into the BCEAO

Debt-external

$953 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy-overview

One of the 20 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. Trade reform and price liberalization are the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector have begun to reinvigorate the economy. Inflation dropped sharply in the first quarter of 1997. Membership in the WAMU (West African Monetary Union), begun in May 1997, should help support 5% annual growth and contribute to fiscal discipline. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect.

Electricity-capacity

11,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

40 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

45 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997); Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1-26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995), 12,892 (1994), 10,082 (1993) note: as of 2 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau has adopted the CFA franc as the national currency following its membership in BCEAO

Exports

total value: $25.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: cashews 95%, fish, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber (1994) partners: Spain 35%, India 30%, Thailand 10%, Italy 10% (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$1.15 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 45% industry: 18% services: 37% (1997 est.)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$975 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

5% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $63 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum products, machinery and equipment (1994) partners: Thailand 27%, Portugal 23%, Japan 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 7% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (1997 est.)

Industries

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate-consumer price index

65% (1996)

Labor force

480,000

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

40,000 (1994 est.)

Telephone system

small system; only 11 telephones per 1,000 persons domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications international: NA

Telephones

13,120 (1997 est.)

Television broadcast stations

2

Televisions

NA

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

30 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 22 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 4,400 km paved: 453 km unpaved: 3,947 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Railways

0 km

Waterways

several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping Ports and harbors: Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, and Farim

Military branches

People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$9 million (1994)

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

4.5% (1994)

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 276,417 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 157,674 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

none