Guinea-Bissau
Population
1,586,000 peopleCapital
BissauCurrency
West African CFA francLanguages spoken in Guinea-Bissau
PortugueseMap of Guinea-Bissau
Area in square kilometers
36,125 km2Gross domestic product per capita
$ 736
Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Gabu, part of the Mali
Empire; parts of this kingdom persisted until the eighteenth century,
while others were part of the Portuguese Empire. Portuguese Guinea was
Guinea-Bissau is a republic. In the past, the government had been
highly centralized, and multiparty governance has been in effect since
mid-1991. The president is the head of state and the prime minister is
the head of government
Guinea-Bissau is divided into 8 regions (regiões) and one autonomous
sector (sector autónomo). These in turn are subdivided into
thirty-seven sectors. The regions are:
* Bafatá
* Biombo
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
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 a former Portuguese colony bordered by Senegal to the
north and Guinea to the south and east. Guinea-Bissau's
post-independence history has been chequered. A civil war in 1998,
followed by the imposition of a military junta in 1999 has been
Guinea-Bissau is divided into 8 regions (regiões) and 1 autonomous
sector (sector autónomo), and are subdivided into 37 sectors.
The regions include:
* Bafatá
* Biombo
that Guinea-Bissau is a poor country and as such the possibilities for
shopping are smaller than in the Gambia or Senegal.
Useful creole shopping phrases: Ke ku bu misti? (what do you want?) N
Guinea-Bissau is a small independent republic which lies on the bulge
of Africa to the north of Guinea and forms part of the West African
Region.
The capital city is Bissau. Other major towns are Nova Lamego and Gabu
The international time zone for Guinea-Bissau is GMT and the
international dialing code is +245. The principal airline flying to
Guinea-Bissau is Air Portugal. A number of regional airlines also
serve the international airport at Bissau. As at January 1996 all
The Guinea-Bissau oil industry is dependent on the importation of all
petroleum products. There is a fledgling mining industry which offers
some investment potential. Although there is potential for gold,
phosphate, bauxite and oil mining, at present the costs of exploration
Guinea-Bissau was occupied by agriculturists using iron implements.
They grew irrigated and dry rice and were also the major suppliers of
marine salt to the western Sudan. At about the same time, the area
Guinea-Bissau was marginal despite their claims to sovereignty there.
The end of the slave trade forced the Portuguese inland in search of
new profits. Their subjugation of the interior was slow and sometimes
Guinea-Bissau is one of the world's poorest nations. Farming and
fishing are the leading occupations; cashew nuts are the main cash
crop, and rice, corn, beans, cassava, and cotton are grown for
domestic use. The country's mineral resources, including phosphates,
Like most sub-Saharan nations, Guinea-Bissau is an arbitrary European
construct, yet it possesses two qualities that make this small country
stand out from its neighbours. First and foremost are the people
themselves. You'll almost never hear the disingenuous ‘bonjour, mon
Flag of Guinea-Bissau is 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.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Republic of Guinea-Bissau
The population of Guinea-Bissau is ethnically diverse with distinct
languages, customs, and social structures. Most people are farmers,
with traditional religious beliefs (animism); 40% are Muslim,
principally Fula and Mandinka speakers concentrated in the north and
northeast
Guinea-Bissau is among the world's least developed nations and depends
mainly on agriculture and fishing. Guinea-Bissau exports some fish and
seafood, although most fishing in Guinea-Bissau's waters is presently
not done by Bissau-Guineans and no fish or seafood is processed in
Guinea-Bissau, a small country in western Africa, is one of the
world’s poorest nations. The capital is Bissau and the official
language is Portuguese. The country underwent a civil war in 1998-99
that devastated the economy. Tourist facilities and infrastructure in
Guinea-Bissau is provided for general reference only, and may not be
totally accurate in a particular location or circumstance.
The public transportation system, urban and rural road conditions, and
the availability of roadside assistance are all poor. There is no
Guinea-Bissau has a cash-only economy, so travelers should not count
on using credit cards and ATMs.
Please see our Customs Information.
Back to Top
CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While in a foreign country, a U.S. citizen is
Guinea-Bissau is a gem with sleepy towns, quiet beaches and beautiful
offshore islands. The 200 km long coast is very rugged and has
difficult access. If you want to see how colonialism has effectively
arrow Climate Guinea-Bissau has a tropical climate with two seasons, a
wet season from June to November with August,the wettest month and a
dry season from December to May with April and May being the hottest
months
Most of Guinea-Bissau is a low-lying, swampy coastal plain. The land
rises gradually to form a plateau region in the E. The maximum
elevation of about 310 m (about 1015 ft) is found in the SE. Numerous
Guinea-Bissau had a population (1979 census) of 777,214; the number of
inhabitants was estimated at 1,050,000 in 1994. The capital and
principal port, Bissau, had a population (1994 est.) of 200,000. Other
ports include Cacheu and Bolama
1990s, Guinea-Bissau is one of the world’s poorest countries.
Subsistence agriculture is the dominant occupation. Food crops include
rice (which is the staple food of the population), plantains, cassava,
and maize. Export crops include peanuts, grown in the interior; palm
coast, Guinea-Bissau is about half the size of South Carolina. The
country is a low-lying coastal region of swamps, rain forests, and
mangrove-covered wetlands, with about 25 islands off the coast. The
Bijagos archipelago extends 30 mi (48 km) out to sea.
The land now known as Guinea-Bissau was once the kingdom of Gabú,
which was part of the larger Mali empire. After 1546 Gabú became more
autonomous, and at least portions of the kingdom existed until 1867.
The first European to encounter Guinea-Bissau was the Portuguese
popular leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, was elected
president in 2000. In Sept. 2003 he was deposed in a military coup.
Yalá's increasingly repressive measures and refusal to hold elections
were cited as causes. In 2005, former president Vieira returned from
Guinea-Bissau is a low-lying, swampy coastal plain. The status of
Guinea-Bissau . . .
Read More
ENCYCLOPEDIA: Guinea-Bissau
ENCYCLOPEDIA: BISSAU
ENCYCLOPEDIA: GUINEA, REPUBLIC OF
ENCYCLOPEDIA: Guinea
Guinea-Bissau is one of the smallest countries in Africa. Bordered by
Senegal to the North and Guinea to the southeast, the country is
located in western Africa and borders the Atlantic Ocean.
Guinea-Bissau is divided up into eight regions, which are in turn
divided up into thirty-seven sectors. Its government is a Republic and
relies on a multi party system to govern.
Assassinations
-
languages listed for Guinea-Bissau is 21. Of those, all are living
languages.
Living languages
Badyara
4,220 in Guinea-Bissau (2002). Northeast corner. Alternate
names: Badian, Badjara, Badyaranke, Pajade, Pajadinca, Pajadinka,
1,000 years ago the coast of Guinea-Bissau was occupied by
agriculturists using iron implements. They grew irrigated and dry rice
and were also the major suppliers of marine salt to the western Sudan.
At about the same time, the area came under the influence of the Mali
Guinea-Bissau is bounded by
Senegal to the north, Guinea to the east and south, and the Atlantic
Ocean to the west. It includes the Bijagós (Bissagos) archipelago and
other islands that lie off the coast.
Citations
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