Location:
Western Africa
Capital City:
Bissau
Area:
total: 36,125 sq km
land: 28,120 sq km
water: 8,005 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 762 km
border countries (2):
Guinea 421 km,
Senegal 341 km

Guinea-Bissau


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
Terrain:
mostly low-lying coastal plain with a deeply indented estuarine coastline rising to savanna in the east; numerous off-shore islands including the Archipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and many small islets
Elevation:
mean elevation: 70 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m
Natural resources:
fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Land use:
agricultural land: 44.8%
arable land 8.2%; permanent crops 6.9%; permanent pasture 29.7%
forest: 55.2%
other: 0% (2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (2012)
Population – distribution:
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
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

People and Society
According to the CIA Factbook, Guinea-Bissau’s population was 1,792,338 in 2017, compared to 518,000 in 1950. The proportion of the population below the age of 15 in 2010 was 41.3%, 55.4% were aged between 15 and 65 years of age, while 3.3% were aged 65 years or older. Guinea-Bissau’s young and growing population is sustained by high fertility; approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Its large reproductive-age population and the total fertility rate of more than 4 children per woman offset the country’s high infant and maternal mortality rates. The latter is among the world’s highest because of the prevalence of early childbearing, a lack of birth spacing, the high percentage of births outside of health care facilities, and a shortage of medicines and supplies.
Guinea-Bissau’s history of political instability, a civil war, and several coups (the latest in 2012) have resulted in a fragile state with a weak economy, high unemployment, rampant corruption, widespread poverty, and thriving drug and child trafficking. With the country lacking educational infrastructure, school funding and materials, and qualified teachers, and with the cultural emphasis placed on religious education, parents frequently send boys to study in residential Koranic schools (daaras) in Senegal and The Gambia. They often are extremely deprived and are forced into street begging or agricultural work by marabouts (Muslim religious teachers), who enrich themselves at the expense of the children. Boys who leave their marabouts often end up on the streets of Dakar or other large Senegalese towns and are vulnerable to even worse abuse.
Population:
1,792,338 (July 2017 est.)
Nationality:
Bissau-Guinean(s)
Ethnic groups:
Fulani 28.5%, Balanta 22.5%, Mandinga 14.7%, Papel 9.1%, Manjaco 8.3%, Beafada 3.5%, Mancanha 3.1%, Bijago 2.1%, Felupe 1.7%, Mansoanca 1.4%, Balanta Mane 1%, other 1.8%, none 2.2% (2008 est.)
Languages:
Crioulo (lingua franca), Portuguese (official; largely used as a second or third language), Pular (a Fula language), Mandingo
Religions:
Muslim 45.1%, Christian 22.1%, animist 14.9%, none 2%, unspecified 15.9% (2008 est.)
Ethnicity, Language, and Religion
Guinea-Bissau’s population is dominated by more than 20 African ethnicities, including the Balante, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country, the numerous Fulani and their many subgroups, the Diola, the Nalu, the Bijagó, the Landuma, the Papel (Pepel), and the Malinke. There is also a small Cape Verdean minority with mixed African, European, Lebanese, and Jewish origins. During the colonial period, the European population consisted mainly of Portuguese but also included some Lebanese, Italian, French, and English groups, as well as members of other nationalities. Notably, there was never a substantial settler population in Guinea-Bissau, as there was in other Portuguese colonies.
Although perceived as one of the national languages of Guinea-Bissau since independence, Standard Portuguese is spoken mostly as a second language, with few native speakers and often confined to the intellectual and political elites. Schooling from primary to university levels is conducted in Portuguese although only 67% of children have access to any formal education. Data suggested the number of Portuguese speakers ranges from 11 to 15%. The Portuguese Creole is spoken by 44% which is effectively the national language of communication among distinct groups for most of the population. The remaining rural population speaks a variety of native African languages unique to each ethnicity: Fula (16%), Balanta (14%), Mandinga (7%), Manjaco (5%), Papel (3%), Felupe (1%), Beafada (0.7%), Bijagó (0.3%) and Nalu (0.1%), which form the ethnic African languages spoken by the population.
Half of the population in Guinea Bissau are Muslim. Forty percent follow indigenous beliefs and another 10 percent are Christians. Muslims are followers of Islam. Islam is an Arabic word meaning “submission to the will of Allah (God).” Animism is the term used to categorize the plethora of localized indigenous religions throughout the world. Animists live in a world dominated by a complex interplay of spiritual powers—those of the creator or creators (gods), the destroyers (demons), the forces of nature, the deceased (ancestors), and the living (healers or witches). Christians are followers of Jesus, a carpenter and a Jew from the city of Nazareth in present-day Israel. Christians believe that Jesus is the only son of God, born of a virgin woman (Mary) in a stable in Bethlehem. His story is told in the New Testament of the Christian holy book, the Bible.
Education
Upon liberation from Portuguese rule in 1974, the Partido Africano da Independencia da Guine e Cabo Verde or PAIGC (African Independence Party) established broad educational goals for the country that included the elimination of illiteracy, free compulsory education for ages 7 through 14, and the provision of technical/professional training. The educational system currently has 2 main levels—primary and secondary. Primary education represents 6 years (ages 7 through 12) of free, compulsory, basic schooling divided into elementary (4 years) and complementary tiers (2 years).
In 1994 approximately 64 percent of children were receiving a rudimentary education in primary school. Secondary education consists of two types: a 3-year general-secondary stream (grades 7 through 9) and 2-year postsecondary education (grades 10 through 12); and 3-year vocational programs. The National lycee Kwame N’Krumah includes grades 7 through 12, while other lycees include only grades 7 through 9. Upon completion of grade 9, students can attend the National School of Physical Education and Sport or the School of Law.
Vocational training is available for students who have completed Grade 6 and wish to take courses in vocational-technical training such as mechanics, construction, and agribusiness. Since the agrarian economy is predominant, there is a focus on vocational-technical education to improve the country’s economic status and offset the effects of widespread poverty. There is one agricultural college—the residential School of the Comrades Institute in Boe—that offers a three-year course following graduation from Grade 6.
Since there are no universities in the country, students seeking tertiary education must go abroad, typically to Cuba, Portugal, Eastern European, and neighboring African countries. In addition, nonformal night courses in basic education aimed particularly at illiterate adults were added to the formal educational system beginning in the late 1960s. By 2017, literacy courses in Creole and other national languages were being developed. Non-formal education is centered on community schools and the teaching of adults. In 2017 the literacy rate was estimated at 59.9% (71.9% male, and 48.3% female)

Economy
The economy of Guinea-Bissau includes a mixture of state-owned and private companies. Plans for industrial development have been reduced, and those supporting agriculture have been increased. Guinea Bissau’s economy continues to expand in spite of political gridlock and the suspension of donor flows to the country. Following growth of 5.1% in 2015, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was projected at above 5.1% for 2016. Inflation is expected to pick up with the pace of economic activities but should remain well below 3%. The fiscal situation is still strained by political instability and the suspension of budget support.
Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on subsistence agriculture, cashew nut exports, and foreign assistance. Two out of three Bissau-Guineans remain below the absolute poverty line. The legal economy is based on cashews and fishing. Illegal logging and trafficking in narcotics also play significant roles. The combination of limited economic prospects, weak institutions, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe. Guinea-Bissau has substantial potential for development of mineral resources, including phosphates, bauxite, and mineral sands. Offshore oil and gas exploration has begun. The country’s climate and soil make it feasible to grow a wide range of cash crops, fruit, vegetables, and tubers; however, cashews generate more than 80% of export receipts and are the main source of income for many rural communities.
Real GDP growth is projected to average 5% over 2016–2018. The pickup in growth reflects the assumption that output from the agriculture sector will remain fairly robust, and that political stability is achieved to allow for a return of donor financing that would support a recovery in the secondary sector. Given the history of fragility in Guinea Bissau, the outlook is highly uncertain, with pronounced risks to growth and poverty reduction. The reliance on cashew nuts for economic livelihood exposes two-thirds of the population to terms-of-trade shocks. Further diversification, either through moving up the value chain—with agricultural technology and market support systems—or through capitalizing on other green shoots in the agriculture sector will be key to bolstering the resilience of the economy.
The country is participating in a three-year, IMF extended credit facility program that was suspended because of a planned bank bailout. The program was renewed in 2017, but the major donors of direct budget support (the EU, World Bank, and African Development Bank) have halted their programs indefinitely. Failure to introduce urgently needed reforms to strengthen project appraisal capacity and introduce equity-based formulas for budget allocation could delay the gains from fiscal and economic improvements. Addressing high inequality in the country also requires efforts to improve service delivery and enhance access to basic services. However, accelerating or even sustaining the pace of poverty reduction will be difficult if the political situation remains unresolved, and if the major development challenges that constrain growth, inclusiveness, and sustainability are not addressed.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.071 billion (2017 est.)
$2.925 billion (2016 est.)
$2.783 billion (2015 est.
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.295 billion (2017 est.)
GDP – real growth rate:
5% (2017 est.)
5.1% (2016 est.)
5.1% (2015 est.)
GDP – per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2017 est.)
$1,800 (2016 est.)
$1,700 (2015 est.)
Gross national saving:
11.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
14% of GDP (2016 est.)
11.9% of GDP (2015 est.)
GDP – composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 44.1%
industry: 12.9%
services: 43% (2017 est.)
Agriculture – products:
rice, corn, beans, cassava (manioc, tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Industries:
agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Population below poverty line:
67% (2015 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $226 million
expenditures: $267 million (2017 est.)
Agriculture
The economy of Guinea-Bissau is mostly agricultural but also includes forestry and fishing. Guinea-Bissau produces its own food, and farming is largely based on local subsistence. Some of the most common crops grown in the country are rice, vegetables, beans, cassava, peanuts, potatoes and palm oil. They also raise livestock and catch fish and shrimp, which are used locally as well as exported. Due to the vast subsistence farming and importing, crop failure and rising prices can be devastating to the population. Guinea-Bissau was hit hard by the global food crisis in 2008 when they could not afford international prices and lacked the resources to keep up with food production. The country has also been affected by the practice of slash-and-burn agriculture, which causes soil fertility to decline. Lastly, a lack of resources has allowed much of the fertile land in Guinea-Bissau to go uncultivated.
Sustainable agriculture in Guinea-Bissau has become vital to solving these problems. In a direct response to the crisis in 2008, the revitalization of agriculture and specifically rice production became priorities. Several regions within the country have suitable land for rice production, yet these lands were uncultivated and caused citizens within these regions to fall into poverty, as they are isolated from other areas of food production. With new sustainable practices, rice production has now doubled in these areas. The European Union has also created a financing program to rehabilitate 300 kilometers of road in the area, allowing for a more efficient transport of goods. More sustainable practices and projects like these are also vital to combating climate change, a problem the country has been facing the effects of for years.
Guinea-Bissau has also turned to cashew nuts to enhance production. In 2013, cashew nuts accounted for 87.7 percent of the country’s total exports. The industry has been increasing since the late 1990s, and now 85 percent of people living in rural areas depend on these orchards in some way for their livelihoods. This has allowed for great economic improvement, yet the lack of biodiversity involved with this monocultural practice leaves citizens extremely vulnerable. If crops failed or were struck by disease, hundreds of thousands of citizens would be negatively affected.
The most important feature of sustainable agriculture in Guinea-Bissau is now education. Non-governmental organizations like Agrisud International are working with people within the country to promote and teach more sustainable practices. They have also been working with the country’s government to make these practices public policy. With the continued support of international organizations and the government, Guinea-Bissau’s agricultural practices will only continue to improve.
Electricity access:
population without electricity: 1,300,000
electrification – total population: 21%
electrification – urban areas: 37%
electrification – rural areas: 6% (2013)
Electricity – production:
34 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity – consumption:
31.62 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity – exports:
0 million kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity – imports:
0 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Electricity – installed generating capacity:
28,000 kW (2015 est.)
Electricity – from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Electricity – from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Telephones – fixed lines:
total subscriptions: 0 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 221
Telephones – mobile cellular:
total: 1,285,835
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 72 (July 2016 est.)
Internet country code:
.gw
total: 66,169
percent of population: 3.8% (July 2016 est.)
Industry and Mining
Industry constitutes a small part of Guinea-Bissau’s economy, contributing approximately 15% a year to GDP. Industries include a sugar refinery and a rice and groundnut processing plant. Guinea-Bissau ranks sixth in the world in cashew production. Brewing and urban construction are also represented in the industrial sector.
In the late 1980s, Guinea-Bissau attempted to attract foreign interest in several enterprises—a fish-processing plant, a plywood and furniture factory, and a plastics factory. The government moved to raise producer prices and to partially privatize parastatal trading companies during the 1990s, but the civil war in 1998 disturbed these plans. In 1999, production resumed with foreign aid.
Oil exploration began in the 1960s, and the oil industry presents hopeful prospects for the country. Guinea-Bissau is in the midst of a border dispute with Senegal over an offshore exploration area, and under a 1995 agreement, the area in dispute is jointly managed by the two countries. Proceeds from the area are divided between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau on an 85–15 ratio, and in the early 2000s, Guinea-Bissau was negotiating for better terms to the agreement.
A strong infrastructure enhances the competitiveness of an economy and improves the quality of life of the population. Good infrastructure connects firms to their customers and suppliers and enables the use of modern production technologies. Conversely, deficiencies in infrastructure create barriers to productive opportunities and increase costs for all firms, from microenterprises to large multinational corporations. In order to survive and prosper in a competitive marketplace, firms must innovate and increase their productivity. A sound investment climate encourages firms to experiment and learn; it rewards success and punishes failure. Enterprise Surveys provide indicators that describe several dimensions of technological efficiency and innovation.
Banking Sector
With a small and underdeveloped banking sector as well as an embryonic microfinance segment, Guinea-Bissau is barely able to harvest the growth benefits that could accrue from a more efficient and effective financial intermediation. Acknowledging that the financial sector’s vulnerabilities are very much driven by the fragile political and economic environment, there are key policy recommendations that the country ought to follow in order to improve the status quo. In this regard, more robust policies, regulations, and procedures should be implemented in order to strengthen the financial sector and promote financial deepening. But getting regulation right will not be enough. Political stability, economic formalization of firms and diversification away from the cashew sector as well as stricter enforcement of the rule of law are also needed.
The financial system in Guinea-Bissau is very much limited to the banking sector. There are currently four banks operating in what can be considered a small market. As far as bank ownership is concerned, regional private foreign banks have larger stakes in the local banks than any other investor. In 2012, they held 65% of shares in the Bissau-Guinean banking system, ahead of other foreign investors (15%). Private local investors only held 6% (IMF 2013). This mostly foreign-owned structure is similar to that of other WAEMU (West African Economic and Monetary Union) countries bar Côte d’Ivoire (see figure 13 in Annex). Banks are regulated and overseen by the WAEMU authorities.
Today, the banking system in Guinea-Bissau is not only narrow, but it is also characterized by low intermediation. Financial intermediation is the basic function performed by banks through the pooling of deposits to be converted into loans. On average in 2011, African banks intermediated about 74% of their deposits, while the ratio was of 109% in non-African banks (Beck et al 2011: 38). In Guinea-Bissau, although the trend has been on the increase, the ratio stood at 60% in 2013 (figure 3). The implication of this low ratio is that existing resources held by banks are not efficiently channeled to support private sector activities. What is unclear however is the extent to which it is banks which are unwilling or unable to extend credit, or whether it is the private sector which is not coming forth with adequately bankable projects.
As of 2013, five five microfinance institutions (MFIs) were effectively functioning in the country 10. In terms of clientele, the number of clients has increased in the past year in particular as MFIs increased outreach outside of Bissau through the opening of 5 outlets, which now tally up to 19 across the country. As far as deposits are concerned, 2012 saw a 31.2% drop amidst the economic slowdown following the April 2012 coup. In the same vein, NPLs increased from 25% to 51% of total loans, considering that the sector’s regulatory prudential ratio is a maximum of 5%, reflecting important gaps in the capacity of MFIs to conduct operations and calling for a serious reform of the sector.
Tourism
Guinea Bissau is the best place for tourists planning to visit this destination. Guinea Bissau is an independent nation located in West Africa alongside popular countries such as Senegal and Guinea. Guinea has a current history of civil war that suppressed the economy to the high extent, but the country is recovering from the damage. Overall, Guinea Bissau has lots to offer in its tourism sector, with great application of its unique, beautiful attractions. The local heritage is also necessary to explore as one of the splendid African heritage surviving in this modern world. Guinea Bissau is a Creole-speaking nation, but the Portuguese language is the official language. The climate of the country is generally warm with alternating dry and wet seasons, between December and April, and between June and October respectively.
There are three routes that travelers can use to enter Guinea Bissau. Airplane routes can be used from Portugal, other European countries, some United States of America cities, and Dakar-Senegal. The international airport in Bissau, the capital city of Guinea-Bissau, operates international flights between Bissau and the destinations named, with the facilitation of the following airline; TAP, Royal Air Maroc, Daily Air Senegal, and the TACV Carbo Verde Airlines.
Place of Attraction
Orange Island; Galumphing hippos drift in and out of the brackish lagoons of Orango Grande, one of the undisputed jewels of the Bissagos Islands and a distinct national park in its own right. Wildlife lovers flock to this small land mass in the Atlantic to see the rare salt-water creatures in their natural habitat, and there are oodles of local guides here that operate wetland safaris out into the waterways and mangroves to see them.
The Bijagós Archipelago is an off-the-beaten-path destination some 25 miles off the coast of mainland Guinea-Bissau. It is made up of more than 18 small islands; some of which are inhabited but rarely visited by travelers. Two of the most accessible isles are Bubaque and Bolama, the old capital of Guinea-Bissau. Great beaches, as well as excellent camping, await.
Travel back in time around the rustic yet vibrant capital of Bissau. The city features a wide range of attractions that date to the country’s colonial era. A walk through the Portugal quarter will take you to a world of fascinating architecture, while the coastal area brings stunning beaches. Other remnants of the past can be found throughout the city, ranging from the Fortaleza d’ Amura barracks to cultural landmarks like the Pidjiguiti Memorial and the Museum of African Artifacts. The beautiful Geba River flows through the city, providing more views to admire.
Nearby to Orange, just across a short straight in the Atlantic to the east, the whitewashed tropical sands of Bubaque come totally deserted; peppered with salt-sprayed driftwood and leaning palms, all looking like something out of Castaway. This is the gateway to the greater Bissagos Islands, thanks to the presence of Bubaque airport and the archipelago’s largest town, also called just Bubaque.