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Economy

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]

$NA

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes; note - on 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted as its currency the CFA franc following its membership into the BCEAO

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$953 million (1996 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

One of the 20 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. Trade reform and price liberalization are 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 have begun to reinvigorate the economy. Inflation dropped sharply in the first quarter of 1997. Membership in the WAMU (West African Monetary Union), begun in May 1997, should help support 5% annual growth and contribute to fiscal discipline. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

11,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

40 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

45 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997); Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1-26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995), 12,892 (1994), 10,082 (1993) note: as of 2 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau has adopted the CFA franc as the national currency following its membership in BCEAO

Exports [time series]

total value: $25.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) 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 Communications

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

purchasing power parity-$1.15 billion (1997 est.)

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

agriculture: 45% industry: 18% services: 37% (1997 est.)

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

purchasing power parity-$975 (1997 est.)

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

5% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $63 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) 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]

2.6% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

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

65% (1996)

Labor force [time series]

480,000

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

40,000 (1994 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

small system; only 11 telephones per 1,000 persons domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications international: NA

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

13,120 (1997 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

Televisions [time series]

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative (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 (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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 regions (regioes, singular-regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali note: Bolama is reported to be renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Constitution [time series]

16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993 and 1996

Country name [time series]

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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD embassy: 1 Rua Ulysses S. Grant, 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 Mario LOPEZ DA ROSA chancery: Suite 519, 1511K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed power 14 November 1980 in a coup d'etat) head of government: Prime Minister Carlos CORREIA (since 30 May 1997) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held July 1999); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote-Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Koumba YALLA 48%

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

[1] (202) 347-3954

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

Independence [time series]

24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by 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, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica, consists of 9 justices who are appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure, final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases; Regional Courts, supposed to be one in each of nine regions, first court of appeals for sectoral court decisions, hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000; Sectoral Courts, supposed to be 24 of them, judges are not necessarily trained lawyers, hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases

Legal system [time series]

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve a maximum of four years) elections: last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held by NA 1998; the president determines the date for each legislature election, which must be held within four years of the last election) 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, 24 September (1973)

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

African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Manuel Saturnino da COSTA, secretary general]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Jose Katengul M. ENDES]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Ba Fata Movement or RGB-MB [Domingos FERNANDES Gomes]; Guinean Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; International League for Ecological Protection or LIPE [Alhaje Bubacar DJALO, president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Abubacer BALDE, secretary general]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Koumba YALLA, leader]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president and Dr. Anne SAAD secretary general]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Victor Sau'de MARIA]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

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 (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$9 million (1994)

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

4.5% (1994)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 276,417 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 157,674 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 42% (male 256,315; female 255,208) 15-64 years: 55% (male 313,270; female 347,431) 65 years and over: 3% (male 15,986; female 18,101) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

38.67 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

15.48 deaths/1,000 population (1998 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]

111.61 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 49.14 years male: 47.47 years female: 50.85 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 53.9% male: 67.1% female: 40.7% (1997 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Guinean (s) adjective: Guinean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

1,206,311 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.32% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, 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: 0.88 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.17 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

none GUYANA

Transportation

Airports [time series]

30 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 22 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 4,400 km paved: 453 km unpaved: 3,947 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, and Farim

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping