Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau

Introduction

Background

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 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 elections. 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 ousted by the military in a bloodless coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president 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.

Geography

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 36,125 sq km
country comparison to the world: 138 land:28,120 sq km
water:8,005 sq km

Area – comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries

total: 724 km
border countries:Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Coastline

350 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone:200 nm

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 elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m

Natural resources

fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use

arable land: 8.31%
permanent crops:6.92%
other:84.77% (2005)

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2008)

Total renewable water resources

31 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.18cu km/yr (13%/5%/82%)
per capita:113cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season

brush fires

Environment – current issues

deforestation

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

Geography – note

this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland

People and Society

Nationality

noun: Guinean(s)
adjective:Guinean

Ethnic groups

African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Languages

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Religions

Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%

Population

1,596,677 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.4% (male 321,889/female 323,202)
15-64 years:56.4% (male 435,986/female 465,117)
65 years and over:3.2% (male 19,975/female 30,508) (2011 est.)

Median age

total: 19.5 years
male:18.9 years
female:20 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate

1.988% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52

Birth rate

35.15 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 31

Death rate

15.27 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104

Urbanization

urban population: 30% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population

BISSAU (capital) 302,000 (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:1 male(s)/female
15-64 years:0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.66 male(s)/female
total population:0.95 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Maternal mortality rate

1,000 deaths/100,000 live births (2008)
country comparison to the world: 4

Infant mortality rate

total: 96.23 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 8 male:106.11 deaths/1,000 live births
female:86.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 48.7 years
country comparison to the world: 216 male:46.8 years
female:50.67 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.51 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 33

Health expenditures

8.1% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 54

Physicians density

0.045 physicians/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 179

Hospital bed density

0.96 beds/1,000 population (2009)
country comparison to the world: 149

Drinking water source

improved:
urban: 83% of population
rural: 51% of population
total: 61% of population
unimproved:
urban: 17% of population
rural: 49% of population
total: 39% of population (2008)

Sanitation facility access

improved:
urban: 49% of population
rural: 9% of population
total: 21% of population
unimproved:
urban: 51% of population
rural: 91% of population
total: 79% of population (2008)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate

2.5% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS

22,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75

HIV/AIDS – deaths

1,200 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease:schistosomiasis
animal contact disease:rabies (2009)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

17.2% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 44

Education expenditures

NA

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:42.4%
male:58.1%
female:27.4% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years (2006)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short form:Guinea-Bissau
local long form:Republica da Guine-Bissau
local short form:Guine-Bissau
former:Portuguese Guinea

Government type

republic

Capital

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

Administrative divisions

9 regions (regioes, singular – regiao)

Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

note – Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Independence

24 September 1973 (declared)

10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Constitution

16 May 1984

amended several times

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law (influenced by the early French Civil Code) and customary law

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage

18 years of age

universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Malam Bacai SANHA (since 8 September 2009)
head of government:Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 25 December 2008)
cabinet:NA
(For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections:president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits)

election last held on 28 June 2009 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 26 July 2009 (next to be held by 2014)

prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature
election results:Malam Bacai SANHA elected president

percent of vote, second ballot – Malam Bacai SANHA 63.5%, Kumba YALA 36.5%

Legislative branch

unicameral National People’s Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats

members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:last held on 16 November 2008 (next to be held in 2012)
election results:percent of vote by party – PAIGC 49.8%, PRS 25.3%, PRID 7.5%, PND 2.4%, AD 1.4%, other parties 13.6%

seats by party – PAIGC 67, PRS 28, PRID 3, PND 1, AD 1

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure

final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases)

Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions

first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions

hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at more than $1,000)

24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers

they hear civil cases valued at less than $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)

Political parties and leaders

African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]

Democratic Alliance or AD [Victor MANDINGA]

Democratic Social Front or FDS [Rafael BARBOSA]

Electoral Union or UE [Joaquim BALDE]

Guinea-Bissau Civic Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]

Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG

Guinea-Bissau Socialist Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]

Labor and Solidarity Party or PST [Lancuba INDJAI]

New Democracy Party or PND

Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]

Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP

Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]

Progress Party or PP

Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES]

Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]

Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]

United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB)

United Popular Alliance or APU

United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco FADUL]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: none

note – Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US

the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta

the US Ambassador to Senegal is accredited to Guinea-Bissau

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

National anthem

name: “Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada” (This Is Our Beloved Country)
lyrics/music:Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He
note:adopted 1974

a delegation from Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He

Amilcar Lopes CABRA, the leader of Guinea-Bissau’s independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence

Economy

Economy – overview

One of the poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau’s legal economy depends mainly on farming and fishing, but trafficking narcotics is probably the most lucrative trade. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years. 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. In December 2003, the World Bank, IMF, and UNDP were forced to step in to provide emergency budgetary support in the amount of $107 million for 2004, representing over 80% of the total national budget. The combination of limited economic prospects, a weak and faction-ridden government, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.784 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 189 $1.724 billion (2009 est.)
$1.674 billion (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate)

$837 million (2010 est.)

GDP – real growth rate

3.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111 3% (2009 est.)
3.2% (2008 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP)

$1,100 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209 $1,100 (2009 est.)
$1,100 (2008 est.)
note:data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP – composition by sector

agriculture: 55.2%
industry:12.8%
services:32% (2010 est.)

Labor force

632,700 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 153

Labor force – by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Population below poverty line

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%:28% (2002)

Investment (gross fixed)

12.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176

Budget

revenues: $NA
expenditures:$NA

Taxes and other revenues

19.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85 -1.7% (2009 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 76 4.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

15% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56 15% (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$238.5 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173 $192.1 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$258.1 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184 $209.3 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$95.33 million (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184 $42.56 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Agriculture – products

rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton

timber

fish

Industries

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate

4.7% (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89

Electricity – production

70 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199

Electricity – consumption

65.1 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199

Electricity – exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity – imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Oil – production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Oil – consumption

3,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180

Oil – exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203

Oil – imports

2,565 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174

Oil – proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180

Natural gas – production

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Natural gas – consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Natural gas – exports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

Natural gas – imports

0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

Natural gas – proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182

Current account balance

-$82.6 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75 -$120.1 million (2009 est.)

Exports

$126 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186 $117.5 million (2009 est.)

Exports – commodities

fish, shrimp

cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber

Exports – partners

India 76.9%, Nigeria 16.6% (2010)

Imports

$206.1 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202 $202.3 million (2009 est.)

Imports – commodities

foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products

Imports – partners

Senegal 21.8%, Portugal 20.5%, Brazil 5.6%, Cuba 4.1% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$NA (31 December 2010 est.)
$168.6 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Debt – external

$941.5 million (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
495.28 (2010)
472.19 (2009)
493.51 (2007)
522.59 (2006)

Transportation

Airports

9 (2010)
country comparison to the world:159

Airports – with paved runways

total: 2
over 3,047 m:1
1,524 to 2,437 m:1 (2010)

Airports – with unpaved runways

total: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m:1
914 to 1,523 m:3
under 914 m:3 (2010)

Roadways

total: 3,455 km
country comparison to the world: 161 paved:965 km
unpaved:2,490 km (2002)

Waterways

(rivers are navigable for some distance

many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior) (2009)

Ports and terminals

Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim

Military

Military branches

People’s Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional)

Presidential Guard (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 (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 370,790
females age 16-49:372,171 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 205,460
females age 16-49:212,277 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 17,639
female:17,865 (2010 est.)

Military expenditures

3.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39

Transnational Issues

Disputes – international

in 2006, political instability within Senegal’s Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 7,454 (Senegal) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Guinea-Bissau is a country of origin for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking

the scope of the problem of trafficking women or men for forced labor or forced prostitution is unknown

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 Senegal
tier rating:Tier 3 – Guinea-Bissau is not making significant efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking

the government acknowledged that human trafficking is a problem in the country and took steps to enact legislation outlawing all forms of trafficking

Guinea-Bissau did not increase efforts to prosecute and punish trafficking offenders

the government did not take steps to proactively identify victims and lacked resources to provide victim services directly, but provided some resources to NGOs that care for victims (2011)

Illicit drugs

increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine enroute to Europe

enabling environment for trafficker operations thanks to pervasive corruption

archipelago-like geography around the capital facilitates drug smuggling