2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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 ousted by the military in a bloodless 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.
Geography
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
total: 0.18 cu km/yr (13%/5%/82%) per capita: 113 cu m/yr (2000)
Geographic coordinates
12 00 N, 15 00 W
Geography - note
this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland
Irrigated land
250 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries
total: 724 km border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Land use
arable land: 8.31% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 84.77% (2005)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Natural hazards
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Natural resources
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Terrain
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Total renewable water resources
31 cu km (2003)
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 41% (male 307,353/female 308,726) 15-64 years: 55.9% (male 404,747/female 436,245) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 18,819/female 27,292) (2008 est.)
Birth rate
36.4 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
16.05 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Education expenditures
5.2% of GDP (1999)
Ethnic groups
African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
10% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
1,200 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
17,000 (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 101.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 111.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Languages
Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 47.52 years male: 45.71 years female: 49.39 years (2008 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.4% male: 58.1% female: 27.4% (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)
Median age
total: 19.2 years male: 18.6 years female: 19.8 years (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Population
1,503,182 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate
2.035% (2008 est.)
Religions
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 5 years male: 7 years female: 4 years (2001)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.72 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Capital
name: Bissau geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution
16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 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
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC
Executive branch
chief of state: President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA (since 1 October 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Carlos CORREIA (since 5 August 2008) cabinet: NA elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52.4%, Malam Bacai SANHA 47.6%
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
Independence
24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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)
Legal system
based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held 16 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%, PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1
National holiday
Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Political parties and leaders
African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS; Electoral Union or UE; Guinea-Bissau Civic Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau Socialist Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Party or PST [Iancuba INDJAI]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; Progress Party or PP [Ibrahima SOW]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Central bank discount rate
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Currency (code)
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code
XOF; GWP
Current account balance
-$6 million (2007 est.)
Debt - external
$941.5 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$79.12 million (2005)
Economy - overview
One of the five 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. 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. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were 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 had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. Offshore oil prospecting is underway in several sectors but has not yet led to commercially viable crude deposits. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. 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. Government drift and indecision, however, resulted in continued low growth in 2002-06. Higher raw material prices boosted growth to 3.7% in 2007.
Electricity - consumption
55.8 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production
60 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003) note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Exports
$133 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities
cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber
Exports - partners
Brazil 56.2%, India 33.6%, Nigeria 8.3% (2007)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 62% industry: 12% services: 26% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$600 (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.7% (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$343 million (2007 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$826.4 million (2007 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
Imports
$200 million f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Imports - partners
Portugal 21.7%, Senegal 16.8%, France 6%, Pakistan 4.7% (2007)
Industrial production growth rate
4.7% (2003 est.)
Industries
agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force
480,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 82% industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
2,520 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports
2,560 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Stock of domestic credit
$46.44 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of money
$142.5 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money
$12.04 million (31 December 2007)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Internet country code
.gw
Internet hosts
82 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2 (2002)
Internet users
37,000 (2006)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios
49,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: small system domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications; fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 20 per 100 in 2007 international: country code - 245
Telephones - main lines in use
4,600 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular
296,200 (2007)
Television broadcast stations
NA (2005)
Televisions
NA
Transportation
Airports
27 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 24 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 19 (2007)
Ports and terminals
Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
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 (2007)
Military and Security
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 344,087 females age 16-49: 347,886 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 188,605 females age 16-49: 195,429 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 16,634 female: 16,841 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures
3.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for selective compulsory military service (2006)
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP)
Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary force
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
in 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau
Illicit drugs
increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 7,454 (Senegal) (2007)
Trafficking in persons
current situation: Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children trafficked primarily for forced begging and forced agricultural labor to other West African countries tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - for the second year in a row, Guinea-Bissau is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to combat severe forms of trafficking in persons, as evidenced by the continued failure to pass an anti-trafficking law and inadequate efforts to investigate or prosecute trafficking crimes or convict and punish trafficking offenders (2008)