2010 Edition

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; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009.

Area

land

28,120 sq km

total

36,125 sq km

water

8,005 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

highest point

unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

113 cu m/yr (2000)

total

0.18 cu km/yr (13%/5%/82%)

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

border countries

Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

total

724 km

Land use

arable land

8.31%

other

84.77% (2005)

permanent crops

6.92%

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, 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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.8% (male 312,253/female 313,609) 15-64 years: 56.1% (male 414,924/female 445,639) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 19,191/female 28,348) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

35.56 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

15.52 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 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

1.8% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,100 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

16,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

87.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

108.03 deaths/1,000 live births

total

98.05 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

50.22 years (2010 est.)

male

46.44 years

total population

48.3 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

27.4% (2003 est.)

male

58.1%

total population

42.4%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies (2009)

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

Median age

female

19.9 years (2010 est.)

male

18.8 years

total

19.4 years

Nationality

adjective

Guinean

noun

Guinean(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

1,565,126 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

2.004% (2010 est.)

Religions

Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

5 years (2006)

male

8 years

total

9 years

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: 0.66 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.58 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

30% of total population (2008)

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

geographic coordinates

11 51 N, 15 35 W

name

Bissau

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

former

Portuguese Guinea

local long form

Republica da Guine-Bissau

local short form

Guine-Bissau

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

cabinet

NA (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Malam Bacai SANHA (since 8 September 2009)

election results

Malam Bacai SANHA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Malam Bacai SANHA 63.5%, Kumba YALA 36.5%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 28 June 2009 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature

head of government

Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 25 December 2008)

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; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanian flag

Government type

republic

Independence

24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, 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 elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - PAIGC 49.8%, PRS 25.3%, PRID 7.5%, PND 2.4%, AD 1.4%, other parties 13.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 67, PRS 28, PRID 3, PND 1, AD 1

elections

last held on 16 November 2008 (next to be held in 2012)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He note: adopted 1974; a delegation from Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRA, the leader of Guinea-Bissa"s independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence

name

"Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country)

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]; Democratic Alliance or AD [Victor MANDINGA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS [Rafael BARBOSA]; Electoral Union or UE [Joaquim BALDE]; 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 [Lancuba INDJAI]; New Democracy Party or PND; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Progress Party or PP; Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]; Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Frnacisco FADUL]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2009) 4.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

-$6 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$941.5 million (2000 est.)

Economy - overview

One of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau's legal economy depends mainly on farming and fishing, but trafficking narcotics is probably the most lucrative trade. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years. 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. 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. The combination of limited economic prospects, a weak and faction-ridden government, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe.

Electricity - consumption

60.45 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

65 million kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006) note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies trade at par

Exports

$133 million (2006)

Exports - commodities

fish, shrimp; cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber

Exports - partners

India 62.21%, Nigeria 31.28%, Portugal 1.48% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

62%

industry

12%

services

26% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,100 (2010 est.) $1,100 (2009 est.) $1,100 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.8% (2010 est.) 3% (2009 est.) 2.8% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$825 million (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.769 billion (2010 est.) $1.738 billion (2009 est.) $1.687 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 28% (2002)

Imports

$200 million (2006)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

Imports - partners

Portugal 17.33%, Senegal 13.66%, Netherlands 9.27%, India 9.11%, Thailand 5.2%, Brazil 4.49% (2009)

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

632,700 (2007)

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 (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

3,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

2,545 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Stock of broad money

$209.3 million (31 December 2009 est.) $189.2 million (31 December 2008 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$42.56 million (31 December 2009) $58.87 million (31 December 2008)

Stock of narrow money

$192.1 million (31 December 2009) $171.2 million (31 December 2008)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Broadcast media

1 state-owned TV station and a second station, RTP Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster RTP; 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.gw

Internet hosts

82 (2010)

Internet users

37,100 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity reached 35 per 100 in 2009

general assessment

small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile-cellular communications

international

country code - 245 (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

4,800 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

560,300 (2009)

Airports

9 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Roadways

paved

965 km

total

3,455 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 (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 361,785 females age 16-49: 363,488 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 199,771 females age 16-49: 206,240 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

17,523 (2010 est.)

male

17,300

Military branches

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

Military expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger with parental consent, for voluntary service (2010)

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 page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

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)