GUINEA-BISSAU GEOGRAPHY Total area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km Coastline: 350 km Maritime claims: Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor of Senegal)--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 43%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7% Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season PEOPLE Population: 1,023,544 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991) Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 48 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective--Guinea-Bissauan Ethnic divisions: African about 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%); European and mulatto less than 1% Religion: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5% Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages Literacy: 36% (male 50%, female 24%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 403,000 (est.); agriculture 90%, industry, services, and commerce 5%, government 5%; population of working age 53% (1983) Organized labor: only one trade union--the National Union of Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG) GOVERNMENT Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) held an extraordinary party congress in December 1990 and established a two-year transition program during which the constitution will be revised, allowing for multiple political parties and a presidential election in 1993 Capital: Bissau Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular--regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese Guinea) Constitution: 16 May 1984 Legal system: NA National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973) Executive branch: president of the Council of State, vice presidents of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular) Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government--President of the Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14 November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984); First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989) Political parties and leaders: only party--African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader; the party decided to retain the binational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde Suffrage: universal at age 15 Elections: President of Council of State--last held 19 June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results--Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA was reelected without opposition by the National People's Assembly; National People's Assembly--last held 15 June 1989 (next to be held 15 June 1994); results--PAIGC is the only party; seats--(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977; US--Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN, Jr.; Embassy at 17 Avenida Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is 1067 Bissau Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau); telephone 245 20-1139, 20-1145, 20-1113 Flag: 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; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell ECONOMY Overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the main economic activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has targeted agricultural development as the top priority. GDP: $154 million, per capita $160; real growth rate 5.0% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1990 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $22.7 million; expenditures $30.8 million, including capital expenditures of $18.0 million (1989 est.) Exports: $14.2 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels; partners--Portugal, Senegal, France, The Gambia, Netherlands, Spain Imports: $68.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--capital equipment, consumer goods, semiprocessed goods, foods, petroleum; partners--Portugal, Netherlands, Senegal, USSR, Germany External debt: $462 million (December 1990 est.) Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1989 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.) Electricity: 22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks Agriculture: accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports, and 90% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully exploited Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $561 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $68 million Currency: Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural--pesos); 1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1--1987.2 (1989), 1363.6 (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth Inland waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal commerce Ports: Bissau Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airports: 37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines, and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station DEFENSE FORCES Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; including Army, Navy, Air Force), paramilitary force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 222,371; 126,797 fit for military service Defense expenditures: $5 million, 3.2% of GDP (1987)