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Communications

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 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]

2 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture--products) [time series]

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

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 (Economic aid--recipient) [time series]

$115.4 million (1995)

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. 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. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were 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 had also 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, was expected to support 5% annual growth and contribute to fiscal discipline. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources was not a near-term prospect.

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

40 million kWh (1996)

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

0 kWh (1996)

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

0 kWh (1996)

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

40 million kWh (1996)

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

fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

Exchange rates [time series]

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--566.65 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1-- 26,373 (1996), 18,073 (1995), 12,892 (1994) 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]

$25.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)

Exports - commodities (Exports--commodities) [time series]

cashews 95%, fish, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber (1994)

Exports - partners (Exports--partners) [time series]

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--$1.2 billion (1998 est.)

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

agriculture: 54% industry: 11% services: 35% (1996 est.)

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

purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)

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

3.5% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)

Imports [time series]

$63 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)

Imports - commodities (Imports--commodities) [time series]

foodstuffs, transport equipment, petroleum products, machinery and equipment (1994)

Imports - partners (Imports--partners) [time series]

Portugal 29.2%, Thailand 8.4%, Netherlands 8.4%, US 7.5% (1996)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2.6% (1997 est.)

Industries [time series]

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

25.6% (1997)

Labor force [time series]

480,000

Population below poverty line [time series]

48.8% (1991 est.)

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, 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 may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Capital [time series]

Bissau

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]

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

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique Adriano DA SILVA chancery: Suite 519, 1511 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

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 Francisco FADUL (since NA November 1998); note--named in an agreement between President VIEIRA and a military-led junta which rebelled against the President FADUL's administration in June 1998 cabinet: none; an interim National Unity Government was provided for in the agreement between President VIEIRA and the military junta and was scheduled be inaugurated in February 1999 elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA 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%

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, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WAEMU, 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, 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; 24 Sectoral Courts, 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 elected by popular vote to serve a maximum of four years) elections: last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held by NA) 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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

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

African Party for the Independence secretary general]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Social

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]

$8 million (1996)

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

2.8% (1996)

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

males age 15-49: 284,998 (1999 est.)

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

males age 15-49: 162,485 (1999 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 42% (male 260,821; female 259,520) 15-64 years: 55% (male 322,607; female 356,513) 65 years and over: 3% (male 16,233; female 18,861) (1999 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

38.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate [time series]

15.13 deaths/1,000 population (1999 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]

109.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Languages [time series]

Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 49.57 years male: 47.91 years female: 51.28 years (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Population [time series]

1,234,555 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.31% (1999 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: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.09 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

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

none

Transportation

Airports [time series]

30 (1998 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 (1998 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 (1998 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, Farim

Railways [time series]

0 km

Waterways [time series]

several rivers are accessible to coastal shipping