2023 Edition

Background

For much of its history, Guinea-Bissau was under the control of the Mali Empire and the Kaabu Kingdom. In the 16th century, Portugal began establishing trading posts along Guinea-Bissau’s shoreline. Initially, the Portuguese were restricted to the coastline and islands. However, the slave and gold trades were lucrative to local African leaders, and the Portuguese were slowly able to expand their power and influence inland. Starting in the 18th century, the Mali Empire and Kingdom of Kaabu slowly disintegrated into smaller local entities. By the 19th century, Portugal had fully incorporated Guinea-Bissau into its empire.Since gaining independence in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established General Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. VIEIRA's regime suppressed political opposition and purged political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In May 1999, a military mutiny and civil war led to VIEIRA's ouster. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA. In September 2003, a bloodless military coup overthrew YALA and installed businessman Henrique ROSA as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. In June 2009, Malam Bacai SANHA was elected president, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. In April 2012, a military coup prevented the second-round of the presidential election from taking place. Following mediation from the Economic Community of Western African States, a civilian transitional government assumed power. In 2014, Jose Mario VAZ was elected president after a free and fair election. In June 2019, VAZ became the first president in Guinea-Bissau’s history to complete a full presidential term. Umaro Sissoco EMBALO was elected president in December 2019, but he did not take office until February 2020 because of a prolonged challenge to the election results.

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

Dongol Ronde 277 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

70 m

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% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)

forest

55.2% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

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 as shown in this population distribution map

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

42.51% (male 444,214/female 439,517)

15-64 years

54.38% (male 545,116/female 585,284)

65 years and over

3.11% (2023 est.) (male 26,890/female 37,799)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

36.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

2.2% (2019 est.)

women married by age 15

8.1%

women married by age 18

25.7%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

18.8% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

20.6% (2018/19)

Current health expenditure

8.4% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 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 as of 2020. 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

potential support ratio

20.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

76.6

youth dependency ratio

71.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 59.1% of population

improved: total

total: 73.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 90.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 40.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 26.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 9.4% of population

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Balanta 30%, Fulani 30%, Manjaco 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%, unspecified smaller ethnic groups 6% (2015 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

2.29 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

41.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

53.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

47.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Portuguese-based Creole, Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.4 years

male

61.8 years

total population

64.1 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

39.9% (2021)

male

67%

total population

52.9%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

664,000 BISSAU (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

725 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

18.9 years

male

17.7 years

total

18.3 years (2023 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Bissau-Guinean

noun

Bissau-Guinean(s)

Net migration rate

-3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

9.5% (2016)

Physicians density

0.2 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

2,078,820 (2023 est.)

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 as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

2.54% (2023 est.)

Religions

Muslim 46.1%, folk religions 30.6%, Christian 18.9%, other or unaffiliated 4.4% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 7.6% of population

improved: total

total: 31.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 62.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 92.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 68.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 37.6% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.71 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

0.9% (2020 est.)

male

17% (2020 est.)

total

9% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.65 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

45.5% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

the meaning of Bissau is uncertain, it might be an alternative name for the Papel people who live in the area of the city of Bissau

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

history

promulgated 16 May 1984; note - constitution suspended following military coup April 2012, restored 2014; note - in May 2020, President EMBALO established a commission to draft a revised constitution

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Mike RAYNOR (since 20 April 2022)

email address and website

dakarACS@state.govhttps://gw.usmission.gov/

mailing address

2080 Bissau Place, Washington DC  20521-2080

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

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 Umaro Sissoko EMBALO (since 27 February 2020); note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission, in late February 2020, EMBALO inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA

election results

Umaro Sissoco EMBALO elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (PAIGC) 40.1%, Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) 27.7%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (APU-PDGB) 13.2%, Jose Mario VAZ (independent) 12.4%, other 6.6%; percent of vote in second round - Umaro Sissoco EMBALO 53.6%, Domingos Simoes PEREIRA 46.5% (2019)

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms; election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024); 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

head of government

Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 20 December 2023) note- on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament

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

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 court(s)

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 (Africa 1, Europe 1); all members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - PAIGC 39.4%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 14.9%, other 12.5%; seats by party - PAIGC 54, Madem G-15 29, PRS- 12, other 7; composition - men 92, women 10, percent of women 9.8%

elections

last election held 4 June 2023 (next election on 30 June 2027) note: on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections held at a future date

National anthem

lyrics/music

Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He

name

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

note

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 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

Agricultural products

rice, cashew nuts, roots/tubers nes, oil palm fruit, plantains, cassava, groundnuts, vegetables, coconuts, fruit

Budget

expenditures

$278 million (2019 est.)

revenues

$222 million (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

-$54.134 million (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$127.41 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$38.683 million (2020 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2000

$941.5 million (31 December 2000 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2010

$1.095 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Economic overview

extremely poor West African economy; ethnically diverse labor force; increasing government expenditures; slight inflation due to food supply disruptions; major cashew exporter; systemic banking instabilities and corruption; vulnerable to oil price shocks

Exchange rates

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

580.657 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

555.446 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$380.428 million (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$291.805 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$232.536 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

cashews, natural gas, mackerel, fish, scrap vessels (2021)

Exports - partners

India 50%, Belgium 28%, Cote d'Ivoire 8% (2019)

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)

$1.339 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

34.8 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28% (2002)

lowest 10%

2.9%

Imports

Imports 2018

$459 million (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$502 million (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$439 million (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, rice, wheat products, soups/broths, malt extract (2019)

Imports - partners

Portugal 31%, Senegal 20%, China 10%, Netherlands 7%, Pakistan 7% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.7% (2020 est.)

Industries

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

0.25% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

1.14% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.24% (2021 est.)

Labor force

867,500 (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

67% (2015 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

57.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

53.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$3.725 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$3.636 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.774 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

4.5% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-2.4% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.8% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$1,900 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$1,800 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$1,800 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$349.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$356.4 million (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

9.46% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

NA

Unemployment rate 2019

6.04% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

6.74% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

6.76% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

14.2%

male

11.6%

total

12.8% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

342,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

342,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

76.458 million kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

28,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

6 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

15.8% (2021)

electrification - total population

35.7% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

60.5% (2021)

population without electricity

1 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

97.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

2.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

2.46 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

2,200 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 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

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

2,383 (2020 est.)

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

35% (2021 est.)

total

735,000 (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is just over 109 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications; 2 mobile network operators; one of the poorest countries in the world and this is reflected in the country's telecommunications development; radio is the most important source of information for the public (2020)

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

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2009 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

4,800 (2009 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

109 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,236,511 (2021 est.)

Airports

8 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

2

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

6

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

J5

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, other 3

total

8 (2022)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Roadways

paved

453 km (2018)

total

4,400 km (2018)

unpaved

3,947 km (2018)

Waterways

1,367 km (2022) major rivers Geba- 550km, Corubal 560 km, Cacheu 257 km (rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior)

Military - note

the FARP is focused on external security, but also has some internal security duties, and it has been influential in the country’s politics since independence was gained in 1974, having staged at least nine coups as well as several mutinies; FARP members were suspected of coup plotting as recently as 2021, and the military has been accused of involvement in narcotics trafficking; since the 2000s, the FARP has undergone various attempts at defense and security sector reforms with limited success under the auspices of the African Union, the EU, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), and the UN from 2012-2020, ECOWAS deployed a security force to Guinea-Bissau to manage the post-coup transition, including protecting key political figures and public buildings, restoring civil institutions, and re-establishing the rule of law; at the height of the deployment, the force, known as the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deployed nearly 700 military and police personnel from Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Senegal (2023)

Military and security forces

People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, Air ForceMinistry of Internal Administration: Guard Nacional (a gendarmerie force), Public Order Police, Border Police, Rapid Intervention Police, Maritime Police (2023)

note

note: the Public Order Police is responsible for maintaining law and order, while the Judicial Police, under the Ministry of Justice, has primary responsibility for investigating drug trafficking, terrorism, and other transnational crimes

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 4,000 active troops, including a few hundred air and naval personnel (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FARP is armed mostly with Soviet-era equipment, much of which is reportedly unserviceable (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

1.7% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.9% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2023)

Disputes - international

Guinea-Bissau - Senegal: there are no border disputes and the frontier is relatively stable although some rebels conducting a longstanding low-grade insurgency in the southern Casamance region of Senegal have used Guinea-Bissau as a safe haven

Illicit drugs

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)

7,757 (Senegal) (2022)

Trafficking in persons

tier rating

Tier 3 — Guinea-Bissau does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore Guinea-Bissau remained on Tier 3; despite the lack of efforts, the government took some steps to address trafficking, including investigating cases, identifying potential victims, launching a national referral mechanism, and convening its anti-trafficking committee; however, Guinea-Bissau has never convicted a trafficker and failed to prosecute alleged traffickers for the third consecutive year; the government continued to lack adequate victim identification and services, and has lacked sufficient resources and political will to comprehensively combat trafficking (2022)

trafficking profile

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Guinea-Bissau and Bissau-Guineans abroad; forced child begging is the most prevalent form of trafficking; boys reportedly were transported to southern Senegal for forced manual and agricultural labor; girls may be subjected to forced domestic service and child prostitution in Guinea, Senegal and the Gambia; women are recruited and exploited in domestic servitude abroad; girls, and to a lesser extent boys, are exploited in child sex tourism in the Bijagos, an archipelago off the coast of Guinea-Bissau that is largely devoid of government and law enforcement presence; Cuban nationals in Guinea-Bissau may have been forced to work by the Cuban government (2022)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

0.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

1.46 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

34.85 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

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, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

44.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 8.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 6.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 29.7% (2018 est.)

forest

55.2% (2018 est.)

other

0% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Senegalo-Mauritanian Basin

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

9.24% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

31.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

45.5% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

289,514 tons (2015 est.)