Guinea-Bissau

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

40,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

Telephones

3,000 (1988 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1

Televisions

NA

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos

Debt - external

$816 million (1994 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy - overview

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

22,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita

29 kWh (1991 est.)

Electricity - production

30 million kWh (1991)

Exchange rates

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

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

calendar year

GDP

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

GDP - composition by sector

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

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $950 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (1996 est.)

Imports

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

NA%

Industries

agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Inflation rate - consumer price index

45.4% (1995)

Labor force

NA

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

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

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

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

Coastline

350 km

Elevation extremes

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

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment - international agreements

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

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Irrigated land

17 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

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

Land use

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

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Terrain

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Administrative divisions

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

Constitution

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

Country name

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

PU

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

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

Executive branch

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%

FAX

[1] (202) 872-4226

FAX

[245] 252282

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; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

republic, multiparty since mid-1991, formerly highly centralized

Independence

10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

International organization participation

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

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

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

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

National capital

Bissau

National holiday

Independence Day, 10 September (1974)

Political parties and leaders

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

15 years of age; universal

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$9 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

4.5% (1994)

Military manpower - availability

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

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: 152,948 (1997 est.)

Age structure

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

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

Death rate

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

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

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

Languages

Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages

Life expectancy at birth

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

Literacy

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

Nationality

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

Net migration rate

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

Population

1,178,584 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

2.33% (1997 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

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

5.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

none GUYANA

Airports

16 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

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

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

Highways

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

Merchant marine

none

Ports and harbors

Bissau

Railways

0 km

Waterways

scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce