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Communications

Airports [time series]

37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

2 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce

Ports [time series]

Bissau

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; including Army, Navy, Air Force), paramilitary force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$5 million, 3.2% of GDP (1987)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 222,371; 126,797 fit for military service

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 90% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully exploited

Budget [time series]

revenues $22.7 million; expenditures $30.8 million, including capital expenditures of $18.0 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural--pesos); 1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $561 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $68 million

Electricity [time series]

22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1--1987.2 (1989), 1363.6 (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$14.2 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels; partners--Portugal, Senegal, France, The Gambia, Netherlands, Spain

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$462 million (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$154 million, per capita $160; real growth rate 5.0% (1989)

Imports [time series]

$68.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--capital equipment, consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, foods, petroleum; partners--Portugal, Netherlands, Senegal, USSR, Germany

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate - 1.0% (1989 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.)

Industries [time series]

agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

25% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has targeted agricultural development as the top priority.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Coastline [time series]

350 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal)--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Land boundaries [time series]

724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 11%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7%

Natural resources [time series]

unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber

Terrain [time series]

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Area (Total area) [time series]

36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Bissau

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

a few Communists, some sympathizers

Constitution [time series]

16 May 1984

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977; US--Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN, Jr.; Embassy at 17 Avenida Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is 1067 Bissau Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau); telephone [245] 20-1139, 20-1145, 20-1113

Executive branch [time series]

president of the Council of State, vice presidents of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell

Independence [time series]

24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese Guinea)

Judicial branch [time series]

none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers Chief of State and Head of Government--President of the Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14 November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984); First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)

Legal system [time series]

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

only party--African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader; the party decided to retain the binational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 15 President of Council of State--last held 19 June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results--Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA was reelected without opposition by the National People's Assembly; National People's Assembly--last held 15 June 1989 (next to be held 15 June 1994); results--PAIGC is the only party; seats--(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) held an extraordinary party congress in December 1990 and established a two-year transition program during which the constitution will be revised, allowing for multiple political parties and a presidential election in 1993

People

Birth rate [time series]

42 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

125 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

403,000 (est.); agriculture 90%, industry, services, and commerce 5%, government 5%; population of working age 53% (1983)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

45 years male, 48 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

36% (male 50%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective--Guinea-Bissauan

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

only one trade union--the National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)

Population [time series]

1,023,544 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.8 children born/woman (1991)