Guinea-Bissau

• tropical;
• generally hot and humid;
• monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds;
• dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

• mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in east;
• numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets

• approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast;
• the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this population distribution map

noun:

Bissau-Guinean(s)

adjective:

Bissau-Guinean

total:

18.4 years (2024 est.)

male:

17.8 years

female:

18.9 years

• approximately one-fifth of the population lives in the capital city of Bissau along the Atlantic coast;
• the remainder is distributed among the eight other, mainly rural, regions as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.71 male(s)/female

total population:

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

46.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

52 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

40.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

64.5 years (2024 est.)

male:

62.2 years

female:

66.8 years

total:

3.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.98 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.54 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

1.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

9% (2020 est.)

male:

17% (2020 est.)

female:

0.9% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

8.1%

women married by age 18:

25.7%

men married by age 18:

2.2% (2019 est.)

• deforestation (rampant felling of trees for timber and agricultural purposes);
• soil erosion;
• overgrazing;
• overfishing

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

• tropical;
• generally hot and humid;
• monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds;
• dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

urban population:

45.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.22% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

34.85 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

0.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

1.46 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

10 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

140 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

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

etymology:

• the country is named after the Guinea region of West Africa that lies along the Gulf of Guinea and stretches north to the Sahel;
• "Bissau," the name of the capital city, distinguishes the country from neighboring Guinea

name:

Bissau

geographic coordinates:

11 51 N, 15 35 W

time difference:

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the meaning of Bissau is uncertain, it might be an alternative name for the Papel people who live in the area of the city of Bissau

history:

• promulgated 16 May 1984;
• note - constitution suspended following military coup April 2012, restored 2014;
• note - in May 2020, President EMBALO established a commission to draft a revised constitution

amendments:

• proposed by the National People’s Assembly if supported by at least one third of its members, by the Council of State (a presidential consultant body), or by the government;
• passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly;
• constitutional articles on the republican and secular form of government and national sovereignty cannot be amended;
• amended 1991, 1993, 1996

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (since 27 February 2020)

head of government:

Prime Minister Rui Duarte DE BARROS (since 20 December 2023)

cabinet:

Cabinet nominated by the prime minister, appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for up to 2 consecutive 5-year terms;
• election last held on 24 November 2019 with a runoff on 29 December 2019 (next to be held in 2024);
• prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly;
• note - the president cannot apply for a third consecutive term;
• note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission;
• in late February 2020, EMBALO inaugurated himself with only military leadership present, even though the Supreme Court of Justice had yet to rule on an electoral litigation appeal lodged by his political rival Domingos Simoes PEREIRA

election results:

• 2019: Umaro Sissoco EMBALO elected president in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Domingos Simoes PEREIRA (PAIGC) 40.1%, Umaro Sissoco EMBALO (Madem G15) 27.7%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (APU-PDGB) 13.2%, Jose Mario VAZ (independent) 12.4%, other 6.6%;
• percent of vote in second round - Umaro Sissoco EMBALO 53.6%, Domingos Simoes PEREIRA 46.5%

;

• 2014: Jose Mario VAZ elected president in second round;
• percent of vote in first round - Jose Mario VAZ (PAIGC) 41%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (independent) 25.1%, other 33.9%;
• percent of vote in second round - Jose Mario VAZ 61.9%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 38.1% (2019)

description:

unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; 100 members directly elected in 27 multi-seat constituencies by closed party-list proportional representation vote and 2 elected in single-seat constituencies for citizens living abroad (Africa 1, Europe 1); all members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

• last held on 4 June 2023 (next to be held on 30 June 2027);
• note - on 4 December 2023 the president dissolved the parliament with new elections to be held at a future date

election results:

• percent of vote by party - PAIGC 39.4%, Madem G-15 21.1%, PRS 14.9%, other 12.5%;
• seats by party - PAIGC 54, Madem G-15 29, PRS- 12, other 7;
• composition - men 92, women 10, percentage women 9.8%

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal de Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers);
• note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction

judge selection and term of office:

• judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and judiciary discipline;
• judges appointed by the president for life

subordinate courts:

• Appeals Court;
• regional (first instance) courts;
• military court

• African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde or PAIGC
• Democratic Convergence Party or PCD
• Movement for Democratic Alternation Group of 15 or MADEM-G15
• National People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea Bissau or APU-PDGB
• New Democracy Party or PND
• Party for Social Renewal or PRS
• Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID
• Union for Change or UM

chief of mission:

Ambassador Maria Da Conceição NOBRE CABRAL (since 18 September 2024)

chancery:

918 16th Street, NW (Mezzanine Suite); Washington DC 20006

telephone:

[1] (202) 872-4222

FAX:

[1] (202) 872-4226

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michael RAYNOR (since 20 April 2022)

mailing address:

2080 Bissau Place, Washington DC 20521-2080

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://gw.usmission.gov/

• 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

• extremely poor West African economy;
• ethnically diverse labor force;
• increasing government expenditures;
• slight inflation due to food supply disruptions;
• major cashew exporter;
• systemic banking instabilities and corruption;
• vulnerable to oil price shocks

agriculture:

33.7% (2023 est.)

industry:

16.1% (2023 est.)

services:

45.1% (2023 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

4% (2023 est.)

male:

3.9% (2023 est.)

female:

4.2% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

3.4% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

26.1% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

total subscriptions:

4,800 (2009 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2018 est.) less than 1

general assessment:

• small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications;
• 2 mobile network operators;
• one of the poorest countries in the world and this is reflected in the country's telecommunications development;
• radio is the most important source of information for the public (2020)

domestic:

fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is just over 109 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

country code - 245; ACE submarine cable connecting Guinea-Bissau with 20 landing points in Western and South Africa and Europe (2019)

• 1 state-owned TV station, Televisao da Guine-Bissau (TGB) and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP);
• 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations;
• multiple international broadcasters are available (2019)

total:

4,400 km

paved:

453 km

unpaved:

3,947 km (2016)

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

0

very small:

2

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Bissau, Rio Cacheu

• 18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service for men and women (Air Force service is voluntary);
• 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service (2023)

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — The Government of Guinea-Bissau does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so, therefore Guinea-Bissau was upgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/guinea-bissau/

• important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe;
• enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption;
• archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling