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Guinea-Bissau
Intro Official Name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau Government Type: Multiparty, Republic Capital: Bissau (pop: 105,273) (1979) Size: 13,946 sq miles or about three times the size of Connecticut One of the least developed and poorest countries in the world Guinea-Bissau relies on farming and fishing for its livelihood. Beginning in the 15th century, a slave trade, run by Portugal, France and Great Britain, dominated Guinea-Bissau. In the late 19th century, the country became a Portuguese colony and won its independence only in 1974 after a ten-year war. Multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held 20 years later. Four years later, in 1998, a military revolt led to a bloody civil war that left hundreds of thousands of refugees and destroyed much of Guinea-Bissau's economy. Since early 2000, the country has been ruled by an elected president, Koumba Yalla, a former opposition leader. Half the population lives beneath the poverty line. If the cease-fire holds, hope for the economic future centers on unexploited oil reserves off Guinea-Bissau's coast. People Population: 1,285,715 Life Expectancy: 49 years HIV/AIDS Rate Of Infection: 2.15 % (1999) Infant Mortality Rate: 112.25 deaths/1,000 live births Fertility Rate: 5.27 children born/woman Ethnic Groups: Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7% Religions: Indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5% Languages: Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages Literacy Rate: 53.9% Cell Phones: NA Telephones: 13,120 (1995) Radios: 49,000 (1997) Televisions: NA Economy Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $1.1 billion (1999 est.) GDP per capita: $900 (1999 est.) GDP Growth Rate: 9.5% (1999 est.) Inflation: 5.5% (1999) Unemployment: NA Exports: $26.8 million (f.o.b., 1998) Major Exports: Cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber (1996) Economic Aid Recipient: $115.4 million (1995) External Debt : $921 million (1997 est.) Currency: Communauté Financière Africaine franc Environment Physical Description: Scrunched between Guinea and Senegal, Guinea-Bissau is made up mostly of low coastal plains with rivers and swamps and savannas. The capital city, Bissau, sits on the Giba River estuary and is the country's major port. Climate: Tropical Irrigated Land: 6.56 sq. miles (1993 est.) Land Use: Arable Land: 11% Permanent Crops: 1% Permanent Pastures: 38% Forests and Woodland: 38% Other: 12% (1993 est.) Natural Resources: Fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum Natural Hazards: Hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires. Eco-alerts: Guinea-Bissau is plagued by the standard Sahel environmental problems: deforestation; soil erosion and overgrazing (Statistics Sources: CIA World Factbook 2000, UNAIDS, Encyclopedia Britannica) |
