Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

40,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

poor system domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiotelephone communications international: NA

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

3,000 (1988 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1

Televisions [time series]

NA

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; fishing and forest potential not fully exploited

Budget [time series]

revenues : $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos

Debt - external [time series]

$816 million (1994 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world. Farming and fishing are the main economic activities. Cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and fish are the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. Although Guinea-Bissau won an IMF Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility in 1996, recent political instability and overspending have undermined the progress of economic reform and delayed disbursements of donor aid.

Electricity - capacity [time series]

22,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita [time series]

29 kWh (1991 est.)

Electricity - production [time series]

30 million kWh (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1 - 33,910 (December 1996), 26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995), 12,892 (1994), 10,082 (1993), 6,934 (1992)

Exports [time series]

total value: $33 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: cashews 95%, fish, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber (1994) partners: Spain 35%, India 30%, Thailand 10%, Italy 10% (1995)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture : 44% industry: 8% services: 48% (1994 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $950 (1996 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

4% (1996 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value : $52.4 million (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum products, machinery and equipment (1994) partners: Thailand 27%, Portugal 23%, Japan 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 7% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate - consumer price index) [time series]

45.4% (1995)

Labor force [time series]

NA

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total: 36,120 sq km land: 28,000 sq km water: 8,120 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Climate [time series]

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 [time series]

350 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Irrigated land [time series]

17 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

arable land: 11% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures : 38% forests and woodland: 38% other: 12% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Constitution [time series]

16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991 (currently undergoing revision to liberalize popular participation in the government)

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

PU

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD embassy : Bairro de Penha, Bissau mailing address: C.P. 297, 1067 Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau telephone: [245] 252273, 252274, 252275, 252276

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission : Ambassador Rufino Jose MENDES chancery: 918 16th Street NW, Mezzanine Suite, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 872-4222

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed power 14 November 1980) head of government: Prime Minister Manuel da Costa SATURNINO (since 5 November 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held NA August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Kumba YALLA 48%

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

[1] (202) 872-4226

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

[245] 252282

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic, multiparty since mid-1991, formerly highly centralized

Independence [time series]

10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

International organization participation [time series]

ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers

Legal system [time series]

NA

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) elections : last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB 19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG 0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party - PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6, FLING 1

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Bissau

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 10 September (1974)

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

African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois Kankoila MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Bah Fatah Movement or RGB-MB [Domingos FERNANDES Gomes]; Guinea Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Vi'tor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Koumba YALLA, leader]; Union for Change Coalition or UM [Joao da COSTA, Pres.]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Vi'tor Sau'de MARIA]

Suffrage [time series]

15 years of age; universal

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$9 million (1994)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

4.5% (1994)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49 : 268,000 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males: 152,948 (1997 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 43% (male 251,873; female 250,950) 15-64 years: 54% (male 304,116; female 338,489) 65 years and over : 3% (male 15,771; female 17,385) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

39.17 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate [time series]

15.85 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

113.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages [time series]

Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 48.71 years male: 47.05 years female: 50.42 years (1997 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 54.9% male : 68% female: 42.5% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population [time series]

1,178,584 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.33% (1997 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

none GUYANA

Airports [time series]

16 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m : 8 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 4,350 km paved: 444 km unpaved: 3,906 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Bissau

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce