Guinea-Bissau
Republic of Guinea-Bissau
Capital: Bissau
History
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
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
36,125
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
724
km
|
| Border Countries |
Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km |
| Coastline |
350
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
300
m
|
| 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 |
| Natural Resources |
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum |
| Arable Land |
8.3% |
| Permanent Crops |
6.92% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$125 million |
| Export Items |
fish, shrimp |
| Export Partners |
India 75.9%, Nigeria 14% (2011) |
| Imports |
$254.1 million |
| Import Items |
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products |
| Import Partners |
Portugal 27.8%, Senegal 15.4%, China 4.6% (2011) |
People
| Population |
1,660,870 |
| Population Growth |
1.95% |
| Ethnic Groups |
African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1% |
| Religion |
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10% |
| Life Expectancy |
49.5 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.95 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
