2018 Edition

CIA World Factbook 2018 Archive (Wayback Machine)

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Countries

268

Data Records

69,324

Guinea-Bissau

2018 Edition · 287 data fields

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Introduction

Background

Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite eventually 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, multiparty election. 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 overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, 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, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place. Following mediation by the Economic Community of Western African States, a civilian transitional government assumed power in 2012 and remained until Jose Mario VAZ won a free and fair election in 2014. A long-running dispute between factions in the ruling PAIGC party has brought the government to a political impasse; there have been five prime ministers since August 2015.

Geography

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

elevation extremes: 0 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean
mean elevation: 70 m
note: 300 highest point: unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country

Environment Current Issues

deforestation (rampant felling of trees for timber and agricultural purposes); 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

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 (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (2): Guinea 421 km, Senegal 341 km
total: 762 km

Land Use

arable land: 8.2% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 6.9% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 29.7% (2011 est.)
agricultural land: 44.8% (2011 est.)
forest: 55.2% (2011 est.)
other: 0% (2011 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, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Population Distribution

approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast; the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions

Terrain

mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east; numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets

People and Society

Age Structure

0-14 years: 43.55% (male 400,666 /female 397,704)
15-24 years: 20.23% (male 181,286 /female 189,515)
25-54 years: 29.9% (male 259,762 /female 288,300)
55-64 years: 3.29% (male 27,621 /female 32,611)
65 years and over: 3.04% (male 24,331 /female 31,451) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

37.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

17% (2014)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

16% (2014)

Death Rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Guinea-Bissau’s young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Its large reproductive-age population and total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offsets the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world’s highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies.Guinea-Bissau’s history of political instability, a civil war, and several coups (the latest in 2012) have resulted in a fragile state with a weak economy, high unemployment, rampant corruption, widespread poverty, and thriving drug and child trafficking. With the country lacking educational infrastructure, school funding and materials, and qualified teachers, and with the cultural emphasis placed on religious education, parents frequently send boys to study in residential Koranic schools (daaras) in Senegal and The Gambia. They often are extremely deprived and are forced into street begging or agricultural work by marabouts (Muslim religious teachers), who enrich themselves at the expense of the children. Boys who leave their marabouts often end up on the streets of Dakar or other large Senegalese towns and are vulnerable to even worse abuse.Some young men lacking in education and job prospects become involved in the flourishing international drug trade. Local drug use and associated violent crime are growing.

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio: 5.2 (2015 est.)
potential support ratio: 19.3 (2015 est.)
total dependency ratio: 80.4 (2015 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 75.2 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 98.8% of population

rural: 60.3% of population

total: 79.3% of population

unimproved: urban: 1.2% of population

rural: 39.7% of population

total: 20.7% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

2.1% of GDP (2013)

Ethnic Groups

Fulani 28.5%, Balanta 22.5%, Mandinga 14.7%, Papel 9.1%, Manjaco 8.3%, Beafada 3.5%, Mancanha 3.1%, Bijago 2.1%, Felupe 1.7%, Mansoanca 1.4%, Balanta Mane 1%, other 1.8%, none 2.2% (2008 est.)

Health Expenditures

5.6% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

3.4% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

1,900 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

40,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

1 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant Mortality Rate

female: 48.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 61 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
total: 54.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Crioulo (lingua franca), Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo

Life Expectancy At Birth

female: 63.6 years (2018 est.)
male: 59.2 years (2018 est.)
total population: 61.4 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
female: 48.3% (2015 est.)
male: 71.8% (2015 est.)
total population: 59.9% (2015 est.)

Major Infectious Diseases

animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
degree of risk: very high (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever (2016)
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

558,000 BISSAU (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

549 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female: 18.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 17.2 years
total: 17.8 years

Nationality

adjective: Bissau-Guinean
noun: Bissau-Guinean(s)

Net Migration Rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

9.5% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

1,833,247 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.48% (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 45.1%, Christian 22.1%, animist 14.9%, none 2%, unspecified 15.9% (2008 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 33.5% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 8.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 20.8% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 66.5% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 91.5% of population (2015 est.)

total: 79.2% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.62 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

4.81 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization: 3.41% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
urban population: 43.4% of total population (2018)

Government

Administrative Divisions

9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama/Bijagos, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

Capital

geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W
name: Bissau
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Constitution

amendments: proposed by the National People’s Assembly if supported by at least one-third of its members, by the Council of State (a presidential consultant body), or by the government; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government and national sovereignty cannot be amended; amended 1991, 1993, 1996 (2017)
history: promulgated 16 May 1984; note - constitution suspended following military coup in April 2012 and restored in 2014 (2017)

Country Name

conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
etymology: the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel; "Bissau," the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea
former: Portuguese Guinea
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

note: the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and a military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC

Executive Branch

cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president
chief of state: President Jose Mario VAZ (since 17 June 2014)
election results: Jose Mario VAZ elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jose Mario VAZ (PAIGC) 41%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (independent) 25.1%, other 33.9%; percent of vote in second round - Jose Mario VAZ 61.9%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 38.1%
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 13 April 2014 with a runoff on 18 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly
head of government: Prime Minister Aristides GOMES (since 16 April 2018)

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 Ghanaian flag

Government Type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

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

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

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 (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

highest courts: Supreme Court or Suprema da Tribunal Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction
judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and judiciary discipline; judges appointed by the president for life
subordinate courts: Appeal Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by early French civil code and customary law

Legislative Branch

description: unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; members directly elected in 2 single constituencies for citizens living abroad (1 for Africa, 1 for Europe) and 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 48%, PRS 30.8%, other 21.2%; seats by party - PAIGC 57, PRS 41, other 4
elections: last held on 13 April 2014 (next to be held on 18 November 2018)

National Anthem

lyrics/music: Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He
name: "Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country)
note: adopted 1974; a delegation from then Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRAL, the leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence

National Holiday

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

National Symbol S

black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black

Political Parties And Leaders

African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde or PAIGC [Domingos SIMOES PEREIRA]Democratic Convergence Party or PCD [Vicente FERNANDES]New Democracy Party or PND [Mamadu Iaia DJALO]Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Alberto NAMBEIA]Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]Union for Change or UM [Agnelo REGALA]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Economy

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

expenditures: 263.5 million (2017 est.)
revenues: 246.2 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

4.25% (31 December 2009)

4.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

5.5% (31 December 2017 est.)

5.3% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$27 million (2017 est.)

$16 million (2016 est.)

Debt External

$1.095 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$941.5 million (31 December 2000 est.)

Economy Overview

Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on subsistence agriculture, cashew nut exports, and foreign assistance. Two out of three Bissau-Guineans remain below the absolute poverty line. The legal economy is based on cashews and fishing. Illegal logging and trafficking in narcotics also play significant roles. The combination of limited economic prospects, weak institutions, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe.Guinea-Bissau has substantial potential for development of mineral resources, including phosphates, bauxite, and mineral sands. Offshore oil and gas exploration has begun. The country’s climate and soil make it feasible to grow a wide range of cash crops, fruit, vegetables, and tubers; however, cashews generate more than 80% of export receipts and are the main source of income for many rural communities.The government was deposed in August 2015, and since then, a political stalemate has resulted in weak governance and reduced donor support.The country is participating in a three-year, IMF extended credit facility program that was suspended because of a planned bank bailout. The program was renewed in 2017, but the major donors of direct budget support (the EU, World Bank, and African Development Bank) have halted their programs indefinitely. Diversification of the economy remains a key policy goal, but Guinea-Bissau’s poor infrastructure and business climate will constrain this effort.

Exchange Rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

605.3 (2017 est.)

593.01 (2016 est.)

593.01 (2015 est.)

591.45 (2014 est.)

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exports

$328.1 million (2017 est.)

$278.6 million (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

fish, shrimp; cashews, peanuts, palm kernels, raw and sawn lumber

Exports Partners

India 67.1%, Vietnam 21.1% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services: 26.4% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 12% (2017 est.)
household consumption: 83.9% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -26.5% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 4.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture: 50% (2017 est.)
industry: 13.1% (2017 est.)
services: 36.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$1.35 billion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$1,900 (2017 est.); $1,800 (2016 est.); $1,700 (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$3.171 billion (2017 est.); $2.994 billion (2016 est.); $2.817 billion (2015 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

5.9% (2017 est.)

6.3% (2016 est.)

6.1% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

8.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

10.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

10.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

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

Imports

$283.5 million (2017 est.)

$136.5 million (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

Imports Partners

Portugal 47.8%, Senegal 12.1%, China 10.4%, Netherlands 8.1%, Pakistan 5.4% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

1.1% (2017 est.)

1.5% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

731,300 (2013 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture: 82%
industry and services: 18% (2000 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

note: NA

Population Below Poverty Line

67% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

53.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

57.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$356.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$349.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$583.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$489.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$250.3 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$232.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$583.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$489.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Taxes And Other Revenues

18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

note: NA

Energy

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)
total: 629 (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

1 state-owned TV station and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (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 Users

percent of population: 3.8% (July 2016 est.)
total: 66,169 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic: fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is roughly 70 per 100 persons
general assessment: small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications; 3 mobile network operators (MNO)
international: country code - 245 (2015)

Telephones Fixed Lines

0 (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 80 (2017 est.)
total subscriptions: 1,434,822 (2017 est.)

Transportation

Airports

8 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 1 (2017)
total: 2 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)
total: 6 (2013)
under 914 m: 3 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

J5 (2016)

Merchant Marine

by type: general cargo 5, other 4 (2017)
total: 9 (2017)

Ports And Terminals

major seaport(s): Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Roadways

paved: 965 km (2002)
total: 3,455 km (2002)
unpaved: 2,490 km (2002)

Waterways

(rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior) (2012)

Military and Security

Military Branches

People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Presidential Guard (2012)

Military Expenditures

1.76% of GDP (2015)

1.94% of GDP (2014)

2.11% of GDP (2013)

2.46% of GDP (2012)

1.58% of GDP (2011)

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 (2013)

Transnational Issues

Disputes International

a longstanding low-grade conflict continues in parts of Casamance, in Senegal across the border; some rebels use Guinea-Bissau as a safe haven

Illicit Drugs

increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

refugees (country of origin): 10,000 (Senegal) (2018)

Trafficking In Persons

current situation: Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the extent to which adults are trafficked for forced labor or forced prostitution is unclear; boys are forced into street vending in Guinea-Bissau and manual labor, agriculture, and mining in Senegal, while girls may be forced into street vending, domestic service, and, to a lesser extent, prostitution in Guinea and Senegal; some Bissau-Guinean boys at Koranic schools are forced into begging by religious teachers
tier rating: Tier 3 - Guinea-Bissau does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; despite enacting an anti-trafficking law and adopting a national action plan in 2011, the country failed to demonstrate any notable anti-trafficking efforts for the third consecutive year; existing laws prohibiting all forms of trafficking were not used to prosecute any trafficking offenders in 2014, and only one case of potential child labor trafficking was under investigation; authorities continued to rely entirely on NGOs and international organizations to provide victims with protective services; no trafficking prevention activities were conducted (2015)