bananas, sweet potatoes, timber; livestock cattle, sheep and goats; not self-sufficient in food grains
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $203 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $882 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $120 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $446 million
Currency: Guinean franc (plural—francs); 1 Guinean franc (FG) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Guinean francs (FG) per US$1—505.00 (October 1988), 440.00 (January 1988), 440.00 (1987), 235.63 (1986), 22.47 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Railroads: 1,045 km; 806 km 1.000-meter
gauge, 239 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge
Highways: 30,100 km total; 1,145 km paved, 12,955 km gravel or laterite (of which barely 4,500 km are currently all-weather roads), 16,000 km unimproved earth (1987)
Inland waterways: 1,295 km navigable by shallow-draft native craft
Ports: Conakry, Kamsar
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 16 total, 16 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire lines, small radiocommunication stations, and new radio relay system; 10,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 12,000 TV sets; 125,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Defense Forces
Branches: Army (ground forces), Navy
(acts primarily as a coast guard), Air
Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,657,787; 834,777 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (1984)
Guinea-Bissau
_Guinea-Bissau.jpg)
See regional map VII
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:
- Extended 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: 11% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season
People
Population: 998,963 (July 1990), growth
rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 19 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 127 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 44 years male, 48 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.9 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective—Guinea-Bissauan
Ethnic divisions: about 99% African (30% Balanta, 20% Fula, 14% Manjaca, 13% Mandinga, 7% Papel); less than 1% European and mulatto
Religion: 65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian
Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African languages
Literacy: 34% (1986)
Labor force: 403,000 (est.); 90% agriculture, 5% industry, services, and commerce, 5% government; 53% of population of working age (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
Capital: Bissau
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regiões, singular—região); Bafatá, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabú, 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 (Assembléia 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. João 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 João Bernardo Vieira, leader;
