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Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau
Population
2.2M
Rank #147Source: World Bank
Capital
Bissau
Source: REST Countries
Region
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Source: REST Countries
GDP (Nominal)
$2.22B
Rank #174Source: World Bank
Land Area
36.1K km²
Rank #135Source: REST Countries
Life Expectancy
64.085 yrs
Source: World Bank
Historical Trends
Population Trend (5-Year)
Source: World Bank
GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)
Source: World Bank
Geography
Area: 36,125 km²
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
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 east; numerous off-shore islands including the Arquipelago Dos Bijagos consisting of 18 main islands and...
Elevation: mean elevation: 70 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m
Natural Hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environmental Issues: deforestation (rampant felling of trees for timber and agricultural purposes); soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Land Use: agricultural land: 44.8% (2011 est.) forest: 55.2% (2011 est.) other: 0% (2011 est.)
Geography Note: this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland
Natural Resources
fishtimberphosphatesbauxiteclaygranitelimestoneunexploited deposits of petroleum
People & Society
Fertility Rate
3.84
Population
2.2M
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%)
Religions
Muslim (45.1%)Christian (22.1%)animist (14.9%)none (2%)unspecified (15.9%)
Economy
GDP per Capita
$1,007.742
GDP per Capita PPP
3,119.372
(2024)
(2024)
GNI per Capita
990
(2024)
(2024)
Gini Index
33.4
(2021)
(2021)
Unemployment
2.647%
(2024)
(2024)
Inflation
3.766%
(2024)
(2024)
Public Debt
Not Available
Energy
Electricity Access
40.5%
(2023)
(2023)
Renewable Energy
87.4%
(2022)
(2022)
CO₂ Emissions
0.342 Mt
(2024)
(2024)
Energy Intensity
6.95 MJ/$
(2022)
(2022)
Renewable Electricity
7.087%
(2021)
(2021)
Environment
Forest Coverage
69.512% of land
(2023)
(2023)
Communications
Internet Users
32.466%
(2023)
(2023)
Mobile Penetration
128.111%
(2023)
(2023)
Broadband Subscribers
0.31%
(2023)
(2023)
Transportation
Air Transport Freight
Not Available
Container Port Traffic
28,699.98 TEU
(2019)
(2019)
Airports
N/A
Rail Lines
N/A
Roads Total
4,400 km(©IRF)
Military
Military Forces
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Guard Nacional (Ministry of Internal Administration)
Personnel Strength
the People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP) has approximately 4,400 active troops (4,000 Army; 300 Navy; 100 Air Force)
Military Expenditure (USD)
$0.03B
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)
1.24%
Military Expenditure History
1.4% of GDP (2017) 1.3% of GDP (2016) 1.6% of GDP (2015) 2% of GDP (2014) 2.1% of GDP (2013)
Equipment & Inventories
the inventory of the FARP consists of Soviet-era equipment; the only reported deliveries of military equipment to Guinea Bissau since 2015 were patrol boats from Spain in 2017 and non-lethal...
Service Age & Obligation
18-25 years of age for selective compulsory military service (Air Force service is voluntary); 16 years of age or younger, with parental consent, for voluntary service
Education
Pre-Primary Enrollment
13.21%
(2014)
(2014)
Primary Enrollment
Not Available
Secondary Enrollment
Not Available
Tertiary Enrollment
Not Available
Education Spending
2.01% of GDP
(2013)
(2013)
Adult Literacy Rate
63.93%
(2022)
(2022)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Not Available
Health
Physicians per 1,000
0.252
(2022)
(2022)
Safe Water Access
61.808%
(2024)
(2024)
Safe Drinking Water
23.985%
(2024)
(2024)
Under-5 Mortality
69.3 per 1,000
(2023)
(2023)
Maternal Mortality (World Bank)
14.084 per 100,000
(2021)
(2021)
Hospital Beds per 1,000
58.628
(2021)
(2021)
UHC Coverage Index
43
(2023)
(2023)
Measles Immunization
68%
(2024)
(2024)
Social Indicators
Extreme Poverty Rate
39.9%
(2021)
(2021)
Food Insecurity
22.1%
(2023)
(2023)
Youth NEET Rate
2.837%
(2022)
(2022)
Governance
Women in Government
9.804%
(2024)
(2024)
Voice & Accountability
-0.44
(Below Average)
(2023)
(Below Average)
(2023)
Political Stability
-0.33
(Below Average)
(2023)
(Below Average)
(2023)
Government Effectiveness
-1.43
(Weak)
(2023)
(Weak)
(2023)
Regulatory Quality
-1.25
(Weak)
(2023)
(Weak)
(2023)
Rule of Law
-1.44
(Weak)
(2023)
(Weak)
(2023)
Control of Corruption
-1.18
(Weak)
(2023)
(Weak)
(2023)
Government
Government Type
semi-presidential republic
Legal System
mixed legal system of civil law, which incorporated Portuguese law at independence and influenced by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West African Economic and Monetary Union...
Executive Branch
chief of state: President Umaro Cissoko EMBALO (since 27 February 2020); note - President EMBALO was declared winner of the 29 December 2019 runoff presidential election by the electoral commission;...
Legislative Branch
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...
Judicial Branch
highest courts: 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...
National Symbols
Flag Description
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...
National Symbols
black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black
National Anthem
name: "Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada" (This Is Our Beloved Country) lyrics/music: Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He note: adopted 1974; a delegation from then Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and...
Safety
Homicide Rate
1.119 per 100,000
(2017)
(2017)
Travel Information
Language(s): Portuguese, Upper Guinea Creole
Currency: XOF (Fr)
Timezone(s): UTC
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Driving Side: Right
Calling Code: +245
Car Sign: RGB
Week Starts: Monday
Photos
Two Lovers' Point is located near the island's major resort areas.
Two Lovers' Point is located near the island's major resort areas. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
A false-color satellite image of the Guinea-Bissau coastline shows numerous offshore islands, part of the Bissagos Islands. Plains and Guinean mangroves, various kinds of trees and shrubs adapted to thrive in the saline coastal sediment habitats, dominate the coastline of Guinea-Bissau. In the shallow waters, silt - carried into the Atlantic Ocean by the Geba and other rivers - is deposited in various complex patterns. Image courtesy of USGS.
A false-color satellite image of the Guinea-Bissau coastline shows numerous offshore islands, part of the Bissagos Islands. Plains and Guinean mangroves, various kinds of trees and shrubs adapted to thrive in the saline coastal sediment habitats, dominate the coastline of Guinea-Bissau. In the shallow waters, silt - carried into the Atlantic Ocean by the Geba and other rivers - is deposited in various complex patterns. Image courtesy of USGS. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
2 photos available
Data sources: World Bank, UN Data • Updated daily •Learn about our data