 Country name conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau
local short form: Guine-Bissau
local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau
former: Portuguese Guinea Background In 1994, 20 years after independence from Portugal, the country"s first multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held. An army uprising that triggered a bloody civil war in 1998 created hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. A military junta ousted the president in May 1999. An interim government turned over power in February 2000 when opposition leader Kumba YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections. Guinea-Bissau"s transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy, devastated in the civil war.Location Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal Area total: 36,120 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km
land: 28,000 sq km Area - comparative slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut Coastline 350 km 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 Terrain mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m Natural hazards hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing Geography - note this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland Population 1,360,827 (July 2003 est.) Age structure 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 284,150; female 285,370)
15-64 years: 55.2% (male 358,891; female 392,703)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,285; female 22,428) (2003 est.) Median age total: 18.8 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19.4 years (2002) Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.) Nationality noun: Guinean(s)
adjective: Guinean Ethnic groups African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1% Religions indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5% Languages Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages Internet country code .gw Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.4%
male: 58.1%
female: 27.4% (2003 est.) Government type republic, multiparty since mid-1991 National holiday Independence Day, 24 September (1973) Legal system NA International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Economy - overview One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country"s infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country"s structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However, unexploited offshore oil reserves could provide much-needed revenue in the long run. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. Government drift and indecision, however, have resulted in low growth in 2002 and dim prospects for 2003. Exports - partners India 51.5%, Uruguay 19.5%, Thailand 19.4% (2002) Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States; previously the Guinea-Bissau peso (GWP) was used Currency code XOF; GWP Exchange rates Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)
note: as of 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted the XOF franc as the national currency; since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro Airports 28 (2002) Airports - with paved runways total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) Airports - with unpaved runways total: 25
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 20 (2002) Disputes - international separatist war in Senegal"s Casamance region results in refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling and other illegal activities, and political instability in Guinea-Bissau |
