2019 Edition

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. Beginning in 2015, a political dispute between factions in the ruling PAIGC party brought government gridlock. It was not until April 2018 that a consensus prime minister could be appointed, the national legislature reopened (having been closed for two years), and a new government formed under Prime Minister Aristides GOMES. In March 2019, the government held legislative elections, voting in the PAIGC as the ruling party; however, President VAZ continues to perpetuate a political stalemate by refusing to name PAICG President Domingos SIMOES PEREIRA Prime Minister.

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

Highest Point

unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m

Lowest Point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Mean Elevation

70 m

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

Guinea 421 km, Senegal 341 km

Total

762 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

44.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

8.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

6.9% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

29.7% (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

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)

Current Health Expenditure

6.1% (2016)

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 Rural

60.3% of population

Improved Total

79.3% of population

Improved Urban

98.8% of population

Unimproved Rural

39.7% of population

Unimproved Total

20.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.2% of population

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.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

3.5% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

1,800 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

44,000 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

1 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

48.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

61 deaths/1,000 live births

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

Male

59.2 years

Total Population

61.4 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

48.3% (2015)

Male

71.8%

Total Population

59.9%

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

579,000 BISSAU (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

667 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

18.5 years

Male

17.2 years

Total

17.8 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Bissau-Guinean

Noun

Bissau-Guinean(s)

Net Migration Rate

-4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

9.5% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

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 Rural

8.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

20.8% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

33.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

91.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

79.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

66.5% of population (2015 est.)

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

0.96 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.9 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.85 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.77 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.95 male(s)/female (2018 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

43.8% of total population (2019)

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

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

the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998; 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; election last held on 13 April 2014 with a runoff on 18 May 2014 (next to be held on 24 November 2019); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly; note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term, nor during the 5 years following the end of the second term

Head Of Government

(vacant)

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

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 Supremo Tribunal de 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

Appeals Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court

Legal System

mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), African Francophone Public Law, and customary law

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; 100 members directly elected in 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 2 elected in single-seat constituencies for citizens living abroad (1 for Africa, 1 for Europe); all members serve 4-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - PAIGC 35.2%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 21.1%, other 22.6%; seats by party - PAIGC 47, Madem G-15 27, PRS 21, other 7; composition - men 88, women 14, percent of women 13.7%

Elections

last held on 10 March 2019 (next to be held in March 2023)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He

Name

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

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] Movement for Democratic Alternation Group of 15 or MADEM-G15 [Braima CAMARA] National People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea Bissau or APU-PDGB [Nuno Gomes NABIAM] 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

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

31 December 2008

4.75%

31 December 2009

4.25%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

5.3%

31 December 2017

5.5%

Current Account Balance

2016

$16 million

2017

-$27 million

Debt External

31 December 2000

$941.5 million

31 December 2010

$1.095 billion

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

2013

494.42

2014

591.45

2015

593.01

2016

593.01

2017

605.3

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$278.6 million

2017

$328.1 million

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.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$1,700

2016

$1,800

2017

$1,900

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$2.817 billion

2016

$2.994 billion

2017

$3.171 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

6.1%

2016

6.3%

2017

5.9%

Gross National Saving

2015

10.5% of GDP

2016

10.1% of GDP

2017

8.6% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

28% (2002)

Lowest 10

2.9%

Imports

2016

$136.5 million

2017

$283.5 million

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

2016

1.5%

2017

1.1%

Labor Force

731,300 (2013 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

82%

Industry And Services

18% (2000 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

NA

Population Below Poverty Line

67% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

57.9% of GDP

2017

53.9% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$349.4 million

31 December 2017

$356.4 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$489.2 million

31 December 2017

$583.6 million

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$232.4 million

31 December 2017

$250.3 million

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$489.2 million

31 December 2017

$583.6 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

NA

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

397,900 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

4% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

14.7% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

29.8% (2016)

Population Without Electricity

2 million (2017)

Electricity Consumption

36.27 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

28,300 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

39 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

2,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

2,625 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

less than 1 (2017 est.)

Total

629

Broadcast Media

1 state-owned TV station, Televisao da Guine-Bissau (TGB) 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 (2019)

Internet Country Code

.gw

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

3.8% (July 2016 est.)

Total

66,169

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is roughly 70 per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications; 2 mobile network operators (MTN and Orange) (2018)

International

country code - 245; ACE submarine cable connecting Guinea-Bissau with 20 landing points in Western and South Africa and Europe (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

0

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

80 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

1,434,822

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 (2018)

Total

9

Ports And Terminals

Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Roadways

Paved

453 km (2018)

Total

4,400 km (2018)

Unpaved

3,947 km (2018)

Waterways

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

Military And Security Forces

People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Guard Nacional (2019)

Military Expenditures

2011

1.6% of GDP

2012

1.46% of GDP

2013

2.08% of GDP

2014

2.04% of GDP

2015

1.64% of GDP

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)

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

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)