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Guinea-Bissau Country Guide
Explore Guinea-Bissau in Africa
The topography includes mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east. The average density of population is approximately 42 per km². The notable climate conditions in Guinea-Bissau can be described as tropical with generally hot and humid, monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds and dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds. Possible natural disasters include hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season or brush fires.
To reach someone in Guinea-Bissau dial +245 prior to a number. There are 4,800 installed telephones. And there are 560,300 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".gw". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Guinea-Bissau
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; yellow symbolizes the sun; green denotes hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian flag.
Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo ''Nino'' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country''s first free elections. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA''s ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was re-elected president pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from an existing illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau''s second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA''s successor - from taking place.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Senegal, Guinea Capital: Bissau |
| Size | 36,120 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 13,946 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut |
| Population | 1,503,000 |
| Currency | Name Franc, Currency Code:XOF |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .gw |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +245 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 560,300 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 4,800 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 36,125 (sq km) | 138 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,660,870 | 152 |
| Population growth rate | 1.95 (%) | 56 |
| Birth rate | 34.28 (births/1,000 population) | 30 |
| Death rate | 14.77 (deaths/1,000 population) | 5 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 790.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 6 |
| Infant mortality rate | 92.66 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 5 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 49.50 (years) | 221 |
| Total fertility rate | 4.37 (children born/woman) | 32 |
| Health expenditures | 8.50 (% of GDP) | 52 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 2.50 (%) | 26 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 22,000 | 75 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 1,200 | 65 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 4.90 (%) | 159 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 17.20 (%) | 43 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 1,963,000,000 | 193 |
| GDP - real growth rate | -1.50 (%) | 204 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 1,200 | 212 |
| Labor force | 632,700 | 154 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 15.50 (% of GDP) | 186 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -4.00 (% of GDP) | 137 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.40 (%) | 167 |
| Central bank discount rate | 4.75 (%) | 73 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 15.00 (%) | 42 |
| Stock of narrow money | 323,800,000 | 171 |
| Stock of broad money | 414,300,000 | 180 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 150,800,000 | 184 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.70 (%) | 66 |
| Current account balance | -151,400,000 | 72 |
| Exports | 125,000,000 | 187 |
| Imports | 254,100,000 | 203 |
| Debt - external | 1,095,000,000 | 156 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 65,000,000 (kWh) | 202 |
| Electricity - consumption | 60,450,000 (kWh) | 203 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 21,000 (kW) | 196 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 100.00 (% of total installed capacity) | 31 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 2,922 (bbl/day) | 182 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 2,578 (bbl/day) | 174 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 461,700 (Mt) | 180 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 5,000 | 210 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 869,100 | 157 |
| Internet hosts | 90 | 212 |
| Internet users | 37,100 | 177 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 8 | 161 |
| Roadways | 3,455 (km) | 161 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 4.30 (% of GDP) | 22 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases