Guinea-Bissau
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a country in West Africa
. It is bordered by Senegal
to the north, and Guinea
to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west.
It covers 36,125 km² (nearly 14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,600,000.
Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Gabu
, as well as part of the Mali Empire
. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were part of the Portuguese Empire
since the 16th century. It then became the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea
in the 19th century. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau
, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with the Republic of Guinea
.
Only 14% of the population speaks the official language, Portuguese
. A plurality of the population (44%) speaks Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speak native African languages. The main religions are African traditional religions and Islam
, and there is a Christian (mostly Catholic) minority.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the African Union
, Economic Community of West African States
, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Latin Union
, Community of Portuguese Language Countries, La Francophonie
and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone
.
The country's per-capita gross domestic product
is one of the lowest in the world.
, part of the Mali Empire
; parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while others were part of the Portuguese Empire
. Portuguese Guinea
was known also, from its main economic activity, as the Slave Coast
.
Early reports of Europeans reaching this area include those of the Venetian
Alvise Cadamosto's voyage of 1455, the 1479-1480 voyage by Flemish-French trader Eustache de la Fosse
, and Diogo Cão
who in the 1480s reached the Congo River
and the lands of Bakongo, setting up thus the foundations of modern Angola
, some 1200 km down the African coast from Guinea-Bissau.
Although the rivers and coast of this area were among the first places colonized by the Portuguese, since the 16th century, the interior was not explored until the 19th century. The local African rulers in Guinea, some of whom prospered greatly from the slave trade, had no interest in allowing the Europeans any further inland than the fortified coastal settlements where the trading took place. African communities that fought back against slave traders had even greater incentives to distrust European adventurers and would-be settlers. The Portuguese presence in Guinea was therefore largely limited to the port of Bissau
and Cacheu
, although isolated European farmer-settlers established farms along Bissau's inland rivers.
For a brief period in the 1790s the British attempted to establish a rival foothold on an offshore island, at Bolama
. But by the 19th century the Portuguese were sufficiently secure in Bissau to regard the neighbouring coastline as their own special territory, also up north in part of present South Senegal.
An armed rebellion
beginning in 1956 by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) under the leadership of Amílcar Cabral
gradually consolidated its hold on then Portuguese Guinea
. Unlike guerrilla movements in other Portuguese colonies
, the PAIGC rapidly extended its military control over large portions of the territory, aided by the jungle-like terrain, its easily reached borderlines with neighbouring allies and large quantities of arms from Cuba
, China, the Soviet Union, and left-leaning African countries.
Cuba also agreed to supply artillery experts, doctors and technicians. The PAIGC even managed to acquire a significant anti-aircraft capability in order to defend itself against aerial attack. By 1973, the PAIGC was in control of many parts of Guinea. Independence was unilaterally declared on September 24, 1973. Recognition became universal following the April 25, 1974 socialist-inspired military coup
in Portugal which overthrew Lisbon's Estado Novo regime.
was appointed the first President of Guinea-Bissau. Following independence local black soldiers that fought along with the Portuguese Army
against the PAIGC guerrillas were slaughtered by the thousands. Some managed to escape and settled in Portugal or other African nations, one of the massacres occurred in the town of Bissorã
. In 1980 the PAIGC admitted in its newspaper "Nó Pintcha" (dated November 29, 1980) that many were executed and buried in unmarked collective graves in the woods of Cumerá, Portogole and Mansabá.
The country was controlled by a revolutionary council until 1984. The first multi-party elections were held in 1994, but an army uprising in 1998 led to the president's ousting and the Guinea-Bissau Civil War
. Elections were held again in 2000 and Kumba Ialá
was elected president.
In September 2003, a coup took place in which the military arrested Ialá on the charge of being "unable to solve the problems." After being delayed several times, legislative elections
were held in March 2004 . A mutiny
of military
factions in October 2004 resulted in the death of the head of the armed forces, and caused widespread unrest.
In June 2005, presidential elections were held for the first time since the coup that deposed Ialá. Ialá returned as the candidate for the PRS, claiming to be the legitimate president of the country, but the election was won by former president João Bernardo Vieira
, deposed in the 1999 coup. Vieira beat Malam Bacai Sanhá
in a runoff election, but Sanhá initially refused to concede, claiming that tampering
occurred in two constituencies including the capital, Bissau.
Despite reports that there had been an influx of arms in the weeks leading up to the election and reports of some "disturbances during campaigning"—including attacks on government offices by unidentified gunmen—foreign election monitors
labelled the election as "calm and organized". PAIGC won a strong parliamentary majority, with 67 of 100 seats, in the parliamentary election held in November 2008.
In November 2008, President Vieira's official residence was attacked by members of the armed forces, killing a guard but leaving the president unharmed. On March 2, 2009, however, Vieira was assassinated by what preliminary reports indicated to be a group of soldiers avenging the death of the head of joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Wai. Tagme died in an explosion on Sunday, March 1, 2009 in an assassination. Military leaders in the country have pledged to respect the constitutional order of succession. National Assembly Speaker Raimundo Pereira
was appointed as an interim president until a nationwide election
on June 28, 2009, which was won by Malam Bacai Sanhá
.
was placed under house arrest by soldiers, who also detained Army Chief of Staff Zamora Induta. Supporters of Gomes and his party, PAIGC, reacted to the move by demonstrating in the capital, Bissau
; Antonio Indjai
, the Deputy Chief of Staff, then warned that he would have Gomes killed if the protests continued.
The EU ended its mission to reform the country's security forces 4 August 2010, a risk that may further embolden powerful generals and drug traffickers in the army and elsewhere. The EU mission's spokesman in Guinea-Bissau, Miguel Souza, said the EU had to suspend its programme when the mastermind of the mutiny, Gen Antonio Indjai
, became army chief of staff. "The EU mission thinks this is a breach in the constitutional order. We can't work with him".
has called for sanctions against those involved in Guinea-Bissau's drugs trade. Air force head Ibraima Papa Camara and former navy chief Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto have been named "drug kingpins".
24 September 2011, Guinea-Bissau’s Prime Minister took to the podium at the General Assembly today to call on the United States and the members of the European Union to help the impoverished West African country control its maritime borders against drug traffickers.
Guinea-Bissau is a republic. In the past, the government had been highly centralized, and multiparty governance has been in effect since mid-1991. The president is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. At the legislative level, there is a unicameral "Assembleia Nacional Popular" (National People's Assembly) made up of 100 members. They are popularly elected from multi-member constituencies to serve a four-year term. At the judicial level, there is a "Tribunal Supremo da Justiça" (Supreme Court) which consists of nine justices appointed by the president, they serve at the pleasure of the president.
The current President of Guinea-Bissau is Rachide Sambu-balde Malam Bacai Sanhá
of the PAIGC (Partido da Africa Independencia da Guine-Bissau e Cape Verde) one of two major political parties in Guinea-Bissau along with the PRS (Partido Renovacao Social) and alongside over twenty smaller parties. In the 2009 election to replace the assassinated Vieira, Sanhá was the presidential candidate of the PAIGC while Kumba Iala, was the presidential candidate of the PRS.
Until March 2009 João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira
was President of Guinea-Bissau. Elected in 2005 as an independent candidate, being declared winner of the second round by the CNE (Comite Nacional da Eleicoes). Vieira returned to power in 2005 after winning the presidential election only six years after being ousted from office during a civil war. Previously, he held power for 19 years after taking power in 1980 in a bloodless coup
. In that action, he toppled the government of Luís Cabral. He was killed on March 2, 2009, possibly by soldiers in retaliation for the killing of the head of the joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Waie
. This did not trigger additional violence, but there were signs of turmoil in the country, according to the advocacy group
swisspeace
.
and one autonomous sector
. These in turn are subdivided into thirty-seven sector
s. The region
s are:
Guinea-Bissau lies mostly between latitudes 11°
and 13°N
(a small area is south of 11°), and longitudes 13°
and 17°W
.
At 36125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi), the country is larger in size than Taiwan
, Belgium
, or the U.S. state of Maryland
. This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 300 metres (984 ft). The interior is savanna
, and the coastline is plain with swamps of Guinean mangroves
. Its monsoon
-like rainy season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan
winds blowing from the Sahara
. The Bijagos Archipelago extends out to sea.
Guinea-Bissau is warm all year around and there is little temperature fluctuation; it averages 26.3 °C (79.3 °F). The average rainfall for Bissau is 2024 millimetres (79.7 in) although this is almost entirely accounted for during the rainy season which falls between June and September/October. From December through April, the country experiences drought
.
is also one of the lowest on earth. More than two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line. The economy depends mainly on agriculture; fish, cashew nuts and ground nuts are its major exports. A long period of political instability has resulted in depressed economic activity, deteriorating social conditions, and increased macroeconomic imbalances.
Guinea-Bissau has started to show some economic advances after a pact of stability was signed by the main political parties of the country, leading to an IMF-backed structural reform program. The key challenges for the country in the period ahead would be to achieve fiscal discipline, rebuild public administration, improve the economic climate for private investment, and promote economic diversification. After becoming independent from Portugal in 1974 due to the Portuguese Colonial War
and the Carnation Revolution
, the exodus of the Portuguese civilian, military and political authorities brought tremendous damage to the country's economic infrastructure, social order
and standard of living
.
After several years of economic downturn and political instability, in 1997, Guinea-Bissau entered the CFA franc
monetary system, bringing about some internal monetary stability. The civil war that took place in 1998 and 1999 and a military coup in September 2003 again disrupted economic activity, leaving a substantial part of the economic and social infrastructure in ruins and intensifying the already widespread poverty. Following the parliamentary elections in March 2004 and presidential elections in July 2005, the country is trying to recover from the long period of instability despite a still-fragile political situation.
Beginning around 2005, drug traffickers
based in Latin America began to use Guinea-Bissau, along with several neighboring West African nations, as a transshipment point to Europe for cocaine. The nation was described by a United Nations official as being at risk for becoming a "narco-state".The government and the military did almost nothing to stop this business. In 2009 nearly all transports via Guinea Bissau have been stopped and translocated to Mali.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA
).
and the Mandinka
-speaking people, who comprise the largest portion of the population and are concentrated in the north and northeast; the Balanta and Papel people, who live in the southern coastal regions; and the Manjaco and Mancanha, who occupy the central and northern coastal areas. Most of the remainder are mestiços
of mixed Portuguese
and African descent, including a Cape Verde
an minority.
Portuguese natives comprise a very small percentage of Guinea-Bissauans. This deficit was directly caused by the exodus of Portuguese settlers that took place after Guinea-Bissau gained independence. The country has also a tiny Chinese
population, including those of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry from Macau
, a former Asian Portuguese
colony.
. 44% speak Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speaks native African languages. Most Portuguese and Mestiços speak one of the African languages and Kriol as second languages. French
is also learned in schools, as the country is surrounded by French-speaking countries and is a full member of the Francophonie.
. Recently, many have adopted Islam
, which is currently practiced by 35 percent of the country's population; most of Guinea-Bissau's Muslims practice Sunni Islam
. Approximately 10 percent of the country's population belong to the Christian
community, and 55 percent continue to hold Indigenous
beliefs. These statistics can be misleading, however, as both Islamic and Christan practices may be largely influenced and enriched by syncretism with traditional African beliefs.
estimates that there are fewer than 5 physician
s per 100,000 persons in the country, down from 12 per 100,000 in 2007. The prevalence of HIV-infection among the adult population is 1.8%, with only 20% of infected pregnant women receiving anti retroviral coverage. Malaria
is an even bigger killer; 9% of the population have reported infection, and it is the specific mortality cause almost three times as often as AIDS
. (In 2008, fewer than half of children younger than five slept under antimalaria nets
or had access to antimalarial drugs).
released a report on The State of the World's Midwifery. It contained new data on the midwifery workforce and policies relating to newborn and maternal mortality for 58 countries. The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Guinea Bissau is 1000. This is compared with 804.3 in 2008 and 966 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 195 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 24. The aim of this report is to highlight ways in which the Millennium Development Goals
can be achieved, particularly Goal 4 – Reduce child mortality and Goal 5 – improve maternal death. In Guinea Bissau the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 3 and 1 in 18 shows us the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women.
is very common. A significant minority of the population are illiterate
.
On the other side, Guinea-Bissau has several secondary schools (general as well as technical) and a surprising number of universities, to which an institutionally autonomous Faculty of Law as well as a Faculty of Medicine have to be added.
Life expectancy
at birth has climbed since 1990, but remains short: the WHO
's estimate of life expectancy for a child born in 2008 was 49 years (and only 47 years for a boy).
ic gumbe
genre, the country's primary musical export. However, civil unrest and other factors have combined over the years to keep gumbe, and other genres, out of mainstream audiences, even in generally syncretist African countries.
The calabash
is the primary musical instrument
of Guinea-Bissau, and is used in extremely swift and rhythmically complex dance music
. Lyrics are almost always in Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese
-based creole language
, and are often humorous and topical, revolving around current events and controversies, especially AIDS
.
The word gumbe is sometimes used generically, to refer to any music of the country, although it most specifically refers to a unique style that fuses about ten of the country's folk music
traditions. Tina and tinga
are other popular genres, while extent folk traditions include ceremonial music used in funeral
s, initiation
s and other rituals, as well as Balanta brosca and kussundé, Mandinga
djambadon, and the kundere sound of the Bissagos Islands
.
is an internationally renowned film director; his most famous film is Nha Fala.
General information
News media
Tourism
Health
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
. It is bordered by Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
to the north, and Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west.
It covers 36,125 km² (nearly 14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,600,000.
Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Gabu
Kaabu
The Kaabu Empire was a Mandinka Kingdom of Senegambia that rose to prominence in the region thanks to its origins as a former province of the Mali Empire...
, as well as part of the Mali Empire
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were part of the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
since the 16th century. It then became the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974.-History:...
in the 19th century. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau
Bissau
Bissau is the capital city of Guinea-Bissau. The city's borders are conterminous with the Bissau Autonomous Sector. In 2007, the city had an estimated population of 407,424 according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos...
, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with the Republic of Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
.
Only 14% of the population speaks the official language, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. A plurality of the population (44%) speaks Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speak native African languages. The main religions are African traditional religions and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, and there is a Christian (mostly Catholic) minority.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
, Economic Community of West African States
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region....
, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Latin Union
Latin Union
The Latin Union is an international organization of nations that use Romance languages, with the aim of protecting, projecting, and promoting the common cultural heritage and unifying identities of the Latin, and Latin-influenced, world. It was created in 1954 in Madrid, Spain, and has existed as a...
, Community of Portuguese Language Countries, La Francophonie
La Francophonie
Francophonie is an international organization of politics and governments with French as the mother or customary language, where a significant proportion of people are francophones , or where there is a notable affiliation with the French language or culture.Formally known as the Organisation...
and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone
South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone
The South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone was created in 1986 through a UN resolution on Brazil's initiative, with the aim of promoting regional cooperation and the maintenance of peace and security in the region...
.
The country's per-capita gross domestic product
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
is one of the lowest in the world.
History
Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of GabuKaabu
The Kaabu Empire was a Mandinka Kingdom of Senegambia that rose to prominence in the region thanks to its origins as a former province of the Mali Empire...
, part of the Mali Empire
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire or Mandingo Empire or Manden Kurufa was a West African empire of the Mandinka from c. 1230 to c. 1600. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa I...
; parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while others were part of the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974.-History:...
was known also, from its main economic activity, as the Slave Coast
Slave Coast
The Slave Coast is the name of the coastal areas of present Togo, Benin and western Nigeria, a fertile region of coastal Western Africa along the Bight of Benin. In pre-colonial time it was one of the most densely populated parts of the African continent...
.
Early reports of Europeans reaching this area include those of the Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
Alvise Cadamosto's voyage of 1455, the 1479-1480 voyage by Flemish-French trader Eustache de la Fosse
Eustache de la Fosse
Eustache de la Fosse was a Flemish speaking French sailor and merchant from Tournai, who traveled with Spanish sailors from Palos to territories of West Africa in what are now Guinea-Bissau, some 12º latitude Nord over the Equatorial lane. He left a manuscript on his travel dated 1548 at the...
, and Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão was a Portuguese explorer and one of the most remarkable navigators of the Age of Discovery, who made two voyages sailing along the west coast of Africa to Namibia in the 1480s.-Early life and family:...
who in the 1480s reached the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
and the lands of Bakongo, setting up thus the foundations of modern Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, some 1200 km down the African coast from Guinea-Bissau.
Although the rivers and coast of this area were among the first places colonized by the Portuguese, since the 16th century, the interior was not explored until the 19th century. The local African rulers in Guinea, some of whom prospered greatly from the slave trade, had no interest in allowing the Europeans any further inland than the fortified coastal settlements where the trading took place. African communities that fought back against slave traders had even greater incentives to distrust European adventurers and would-be settlers. The Portuguese presence in Guinea was therefore largely limited to the port of Bissau
Bissau
Bissau is the capital city of Guinea-Bissau. The city's borders are conterminous with the Bissau Autonomous Sector. In 2007, the city had an estimated population of 407,424 according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos...
and Cacheu
Cacheu
Cacheu is a town in north western Guinea-Bissau, lying on the Cacheu River. Population 9,849 .-History and landmarks:The town of Cacheu is situated in territory of the Papel people....
, although isolated European farmer-settlers established farms along Bissau's inland rivers.
For a brief period in the 1790s the British attempted to establish a rival foothold on an offshore island, at Bolama
Bolama
Bolama is the closest of the Bijagós Islands to the mainland of Guinea-Bissau, and is also the name of the island's main town, the capital of the Bolama Region. Population 10,014 ....
. But by the 19th century the Portuguese were sufficiently secure in Bissau to regard the neighbouring coastline as their own special territory, also up north in part of present South Senegal.
An armed rebellion
Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
Guinea-Bissau War of Independence was an armed conflict and national liberation struggle in Portuguese Guinea between 1963 and 1974.-Background:...
beginning in 1956 by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) under the leadership of Amílcar Cabral
Amílcar Cabral
Amílcar Lopes da Costa Cabral was a Guinea-Bissauan and Cape Verdean agricultural engineer, writer, and a nationalist thinker and politician. Also known by his nom de guerre Abel Djassi, Cabral led the nationalist movement of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde Islands and the ensuing war of independence...
gradually consolidated its hold on then Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974.-History:...
. Unlike guerrilla movements in other Portuguese colonies
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, the PAIGC rapidly extended its military control over large portions of the territory, aided by the jungle-like terrain, its easily reached borderlines with neighbouring allies and large quantities of arms from Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, China, the Soviet Union, and left-leaning African countries.
Cuba also agreed to supply artillery experts, doctors and technicians. The PAIGC even managed to acquire a significant anti-aircraft capability in order to defend itself against aerial attack. By 1973, the PAIGC was in control of many parts of Guinea. Independence was unilaterally declared on September 24, 1973. Recognition became universal following the April 25, 1974 socialist-inspired military coup
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
in Portugal which overthrew Lisbon's Estado Novo regime.
Independence
Luís CabralLuís Cabral
Luís Severino de Almeida Cabral was the first President of Guinea-Bissau. He served from 1974 to 1980, when a military coup d'état led by João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira deposed him...
was appointed the first President of Guinea-Bissau. Following independence local black soldiers that fought along with the Portuguese Army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
against the PAIGC guerrillas were slaughtered by the thousands. Some managed to escape and settled in Portugal or other African nations, one of the massacres occurred in the town of Bissorã
Bissorã
Bissorã is a town located in the Oio Region of Guinea-Bissau.Population 11,964 .-History:After the abrupt independence from Portugal in 1974 due to the Lisbon's Carnation Revolution, many of the Guinean black soldiers that served in the Portuguese Army and who had fought against the independence...
. In 1980 the PAIGC admitted in its newspaper "Nó Pintcha" (dated November 29, 1980) that many were executed and buried in unmarked collective graves in the woods of Cumerá, Portogole and Mansabá.
The country was controlled by a revolutionary council until 1984. The first multi-party elections were held in 1994, but an army uprising in 1998 led to the president's ousting and the Guinea-Bissau Civil War
Guinea-Bissau Civil War
The Guinea-Bissau Civil War was triggered by an attempted coup d'état against the government of President João Bernardo Vieira led by Brigadier-General Ansumane Mané in June 1998...
. Elections were held again in 2000 and Kumba Ialá
Kumba Ialá
Kumba Ialá, also spelled Yalá , is a Guinea-Bissau politician who was President of Guinea-Bissau from 17 February 2000 until he was deposed in a military coup on 14 September 2003. He belongs to the Balanta ethnic group and is the President of the Social Renewal Party...
was elected president.
In September 2003, a coup took place in which the military arrested Ialá on the charge of being "unable to solve the problems." After being delayed several times, legislative elections
Guinea-Bissau legislative election, 2004
A legislative election was held in Guinea-Bissau on March 28, 2004. The election had been repeatedly postponed due to political and financial chaos in the country, and due to the coup d'état which overthrew President Kumba Ialá in September 2003....
were held in March 2004 . A mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
of military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
factions in October 2004 resulted in the death of the head of the armed forces, and caused widespread unrest.
The Vieira years
João Bernardo Vieira
João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira was the President of Guinea-Bissau from 1980 to 1999 and again from 2005 to 2009. After seizing power in 1980, Vieira ruled for 19 years, and he won a multiparty presidential election in 1994. He was ousted at the end of the 1998–1999 civil war and went into exile...
, deposed in the 1999 coup. Vieira beat Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá is a Guinea-Bissau politician who has been President of Guinea-Bissau since 8 September 2009. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde , Sanhá was President of the National People's Assembly from 1994 to 1999 and then served as acting President...
in a runoff election, but Sanhá initially refused to concede, claiming that tampering
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
occurred in two constituencies including the capital, Bissau.
Despite reports that there had been an influx of arms in the weeks leading up to the election and reports of some "disturbances during campaigning"—including attacks on government offices by unidentified gunmen—foreign election monitors
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
labelled the election as "calm and organized". PAIGC won a strong parliamentary majority, with 67 of 100 seats, in the parliamentary election held in November 2008.
In November 2008, President Vieira's official residence was attacked by members of the armed forces, killing a guard but leaving the president unharmed. On March 2, 2009, however, Vieira was assassinated by what preliminary reports indicated to be a group of soldiers avenging the death of the head of joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Wai. Tagme died in an explosion on Sunday, March 1, 2009 in an assassination. Military leaders in the country have pledged to respect the constitutional order of succession. National Assembly Speaker Raimundo Pereira
Raimundo Pereira
Raimundo Pereira is a Guinea-Bissauan politician and lawyer who has been the President of the National People's Assembly of Guinea-Bissau since December 2008. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde , he served as President of Guinea-Bissau in an interim capacity...
was appointed as an interim president until a nationwide election
Guinea-Bissau presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Guinea-Bissau on 28 June 2009 following the assassination of President João Bernardo Vieira on 2 March 2009...
on June 28, 2009, which was won by Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá is a Guinea-Bissau politician who has been President of Guinea-Bissau since 8 September 2009. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde , Sanhá was President of the National People's Assembly from 1994 to 1999 and then served as acting President...
.
2010 Guinea-Bissau military unrest
Military unrest occurred in Guinea-Bissau on 1 April 2010. Prime Minister Carlos Gomes JuniorCarlos Gomes Júnior
Carlos Domingos Gomes Júnior is the Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau. He was previously Prime Minister from 10 May 2004 to 2 November 2005, and he was again appointed to that post on 25 December 2008...
was placed under house arrest by soldiers, who also detained Army Chief of Staff Zamora Induta. Supporters of Gomes and his party, PAIGC, reacted to the move by demonstrating in the capital, Bissau
Bissau
Bissau is the capital city of Guinea-Bissau. The city's borders are conterminous with the Bissau Autonomous Sector. In 2007, the city had an estimated population of 407,424 according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos...
; Antonio Indjai
Antonio Indjai
Antonio Indjai is Guinea-Bissau's army chief of staff, and was one of the leaders in the military coup of 1 April 2010.Indjai emerged from within the ruling junta during the destructive civil war which lasted from June 1998 to May 1999. In 1999, Indjai was named deputy commander of the northern...
, the Deputy Chief of Staff, then warned that he would have Gomes killed if the protests continued.
The EU ended its mission to reform the country's security forces 4 August 2010, a risk that may further embolden powerful generals and drug traffickers in the army and elsewhere. The EU mission's spokesman in Guinea-Bissau, Miguel Souza, said the EU had to suspend its programme when the mastermind of the mutiny, Gen Antonio Indjai
Antonio Indjai
Antonio Indjai is Guinea-Bissau's army chief of staff, and was one of the leaders in the military coup of 1 April 2010.Indjai emerged from within the ruling junta during the destructive civil war which lasted from June 1998 to May 1999. In 1999, Indjai was named deputy commander of the northern...
, became army chief of staff. "The EU mission thinks this is a breach in the constitutional order. We can't work with him".
Angolan Military Mission in Guinea-Bissau (MISSANG)
On 10 September 2010, Angola and Guinea Bissau signed a protocol in which Angola will assist the Guinean Armed and Police Forces during two years. Approximately 200 Angolan Armed Forces personnel will support the Angolan Military Mission in Guinea-Bissau (MISSANG) which was formally launched on 21 March 2011. Officials in Angola said the goal was to help Guinea-Bissau end the military coups and drug trafficking that have plagued the tiny west African state for decades.Drug trade
The multitude of small offshore islands and a military able to sidestep government with impunity has made Guinea-Bissau a favourite trans-shipment point for drugs to Europe. Plane drops are made on or near the islands, and speedboats pick up bales to go direct to Europe or onshore. UN chief Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
has called for sanctions against those involved in Guinea-Bissau's drugs trade. Air force head Ibraima Papa Camara and former navy chief Jose Americo Bubo Na Tchuto have been named "drug kingpins".
24 September 2011, Guinea-Bissau’s Prime Minister took to the podium at the General Assembly today to call on the United States and the members of the European Union to help the impoverished West African country control its maritime borders against drug traffickers.
Politics
The current President of Guinea-Bissau is Rachide Sambu-balde Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá
Malam Bacai Sanhá is a Guinea-Bissau politician who has been President of Guinea-Bissau since 8 September 2009. A member of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde , Sanhá was President of the National People's Assembly from 1994 to 1999 and then served as acting President...
of the PAIGC (Partido da Africa Independencia da Guine-Bissau e Cape Verde) one of two major political parties in Guinea-Bissau along with the PRS (Partido Renovacao Social) and alongside over twenty smaller parties. In the 2009 election to replace the assassinated Vieira, Sanhá was the presidential candidate of the PAIGC while Kumba Iala, was the presidential candidate of the PRS.
Until March 2009 João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira
João Bernardo Vieira
João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira was the President of Guinea-Bissau from 1980 to 1999 and again from 2005 to 2009. After seizing power in 1980, Vieira ruled for 19 years, and he won a multiparty presidential election in 1994. He was ousted at the end of the 1998–1999 civil war and went into exile...
was President of Guinea-Bissau. Elected in 2005 as an independent candidate, being declared winner of the second round by the CNE (Comite Nacional da Eleicoes). Vieira returned to power in 2005 after winning the presidential election only six years after being ousted from office during a civil war. Previously, he held power for 19 years after taking power in 1980 in a bloodless coup
Bloodless Coup
Bloodless Coup is the fifth studio album by Irish band Bell X1. It was released on 1 April 2011 in Ireland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, on 4 April in the United Kingdom, and on 5 April in North America....
. In that action, he toppled the government of Luís Cabral. He was killed on March 2, 2009, possibly by soldiers in retaliation for the killing of the head of the joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Waie
Batista Tagme Na Waie
General Batista Tagme Na Waie, also transliterated as Batista Tagme Na Wai was chief of staff of the army of Guinea-Bissau until his assassination in 2009.Na Waie was born in Catió...
. This did not trigger additional violence, but there were signs of turmoil in the country, according to the advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
swisspeace
Swisspeace
Swisspeace is a practice-oriented peace research institute located in Bern, Switzerland. It analyzes the causes of violent conflicts in order to develop strategies for their peaceful transformation.-History:...
.
Regions and sectors
Guinea-Bissau is divided into 8 regionsRegions of Guinea-Bissau
||Guinea-Bissau is divided into 8 regions and 1 autonomous sector . The regions are listed below :*Bafatá Region *Biombo Region...
and one autonomous sector
Sectors of Guinea-Bissau
||There are 37 sectors of Guinea-Bissau which subdivide the regions. The sectors are listed below, by region:-Bafata Region:*Bafata*Bambadinca*Contuboel*Galomaro*Gamamundo*Xitole-Biombo Region:*Prabis*Quinhamel*Safim...
. These in turn are subdivided into thirty-seven sector
Sectors of Guinea-Bissau
||There are 37 sectors of Guinea-Bissau which subdivide the regions. The sectors are listed below, by region:-Bafata Region:*Bafata*Bambadinca*Contuboel*Galomaro*Gamamundo*Xitole-Biombo Region:*Prabis*Quinhamel*Safim...
s. The region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
s are:
Geography
Guinea-Bissau lies mostly between latitudes 11°
11th parallel north
The 11th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 11 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Indian Ocean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean....
and 13°N
13th parallel north
The 13th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 13 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean....
(a small area is south of 11°), and longitudes 13°
13th meridian west
The meridian 13° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
and 17°W
17th meridian west
The meridian 17° west of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
.
At 36125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi), the country is larger in size than Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, or the U.S. state of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 300 metres (984 ft). The interior is savanna
Savanna
A savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
, and the coastline is plain with swamps of Guinean mangroves
Guinean mangroves
The Guinean mangroves are a coastal ecoregion of mangrove swamps in rivers and estuaries near the ocean of West Africa from Senegal to Sierra Leone.-Location and description:...
. Its monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
-like rainy season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan
Harmattan
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March...
winds blowing from the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
. The Bijagos Archipelago extends out to sea.
Major cities
Main cities in Guinea-Bissau include:| Rank | | City | | Population | | Region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 Census | 2005 estimate | |||
| 1 | Bissau Bissau Bissau is the capital city of Guinea-Bissau. The city's borders are conterminous with the Bissau Autonomous Sector. In 2007, the city had an estimated population of 407,424 according to the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos... |
109,214 | 388,028 | Bissau |
| 2 | Bafatá Bafatá Bafatá is a town in central Guinea-Bissau, known as the birthplace of Amílcar Cabral. The town has a population of 22,501 .It lies in an area known for its wildlife, including monkeys. Bafatá’s main industry is brickmaking. It is the capital of Bafatá Region as well as the seat of the Roman... |
13,429 | 22,521 | Bafatá Bafatá Region Bafatá is a region in north-central Guinea-Bissau, with a population of 225.516 . Its capital is Bafatá.Bafatá is divided into 6 sectors:*Bafatá*Bambadinca*Contuboel*Galomaro*Gamamundo*XitoleSee also:*Regions of Guinea-Bissau... |
| 3 | Gabú Gabú Gabú is the largest town in eastern Guinea-Bissau and capital of the Gabú Region. Population 14,336 .The town is known for its Fula population and dominant Muslim religion. It was originally the centre of the Kaabu empire until the Fouta Djallon came to dominate it in the nineteenth century. Gabú... |
7,803 | 14,430 | Gabú Gabú Region Gabú region is the eastern-most region in Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Gabú. The region borders Senegal to the north, Guinea to the east and south and the Guinea-Bissau regions of Tombali and Bafatá to the east. It covers an area of 9,150 km2, making it the largest of Guinea-Bissau's... |
| 4 | Bissorã Bissorã Bissorã is a town located in the Oio Region of Guinea-Bissau.Population 11,964 .-History:After the abrupt independence from Portugal in 1974 due to the Lisbon's Carnation Revolution, many of the Guinean black soldiers that served in the Portuguese Army and who had fought against the independence... |
N/A | 12,688 | Oio |
| 5 | Bolama Bolama Bolama is the closest of the Bijagós Islands to the mainland of Guinea-Bissau, and is also the name of the island's main town, the capital of the Bolama Region. Population 10,014 .... |
9,100 | 10,769 | Bolama Bolama Region Bolama is an administrative region in Guinea-Bissau, consisting primarily of the Bijagós Archipelago of the country's southern coast, together with a small coastal strip centred on the coastal town of São João. It has an area of 2,624 km2. and a population estimated in 2004 at 27,959... |
| 6 | Cacheu Cacheu Cacheu is a town in north western Guinea-Bissau, lying on the Cacheu River. Population 9,849 .-History and landmarks:The town of Cacheu is situated in territory of the Papel people.... |
7,600 | 10,490 | Cacheu Cacheu Region Cacheu is a region in western Guinea-Bissau, on the border with Senegal. It has an area of 5,175 km2 and a population estimated in 2004 at 164,676. Its capital is Cacheu.Cacheu is divided into 6 administrative sectors:*Bigene*Bula*Cacheu*Caió... |
| 7 | Bubaque Bubaque Bubaque is one of the Bijagós Islands in Guinea-Bissau, and is also the name of its main town. Population 9,244 . The island is known for its wildlife and is heavily forested. It is linked by ferry to Bissau and has an airstrip.-External links:... |
8,400 | 9,941 | Bolama Bolama Region Bolama is an administrative region in Guinea-Bissau, consisting primarily of the Bijagós Archipelago of the country's southern coast, together with a small coastal strip centred on the coastal town of São João. It has an area of 2,624 km2. and a population estimated in 2004 at 27,959... |
| 8 | Catió Catió Catió is a city in south eastern Guinea-Bissau. It is the capital of Tombali Region.Population 9,217 .Catio, along with Canjadude and other camps were besieged by the Portuguese in 1973.... |
5,170 | 9,898 | Tombali Tombali Region Tombali is a region in southern Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Catió.Tombali is divided into 4 sectors:*Bedanda*Cacine*Catio*QueboSee also:*Regions of Guinea-Bissau*Sectors of Guinea-Bissau... |
| 9 | Mansôa Mansôa Mansôa is a town located in the Oio Region of Guinea-Bissau. Population 7,376 .-References:... |
5,390 | 7,821 | Oio Oio Region Oio is a region in Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Farim. Other major cities and towns include Nhacra, Mansoa, Bissorã and Cumeré. The region borders Senegal to the north, the Guinea-Bissau regions of Bafatá, Bissau and Biombo to the east, the Rio Geba/Guinea-Bissau region of Quinara to the south and... |
| 10 | Buba Buba Buba is the largest city in southern Guinea-Bissau, lying on the Rio Grande de Buba, near the Contanhez National Park. Population 6,815 .It is also a seaport and is the capital of the Quinara Region... |
N/A | 7,779 | Quinara Quinara Region Quinara is a region in central Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Buba.Quinara is divided into 4 sectors:*Buba*Empada*Fulacunda*TiteSee also:*Regions of Guinea-Bissau*Sectors of Guinea-Bissau... |
| 11 | Quebo Quebo Quebo is a town located in the Tombali Region of Guinea-Bissau. Population 6,195 .... |
N/A | 7,072 | Quinara Quinara Region Quinara is a region in central Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Buba.Quinara is divided into 4 sectors:*Buba*Empada*Fulacunda*TiteSee also:*Regions of Guinea-Bissau*Sectors of Guinea-Bissau... |
| 12 | Canchungo Canchungo Canchungo is a town located in the western Cacheu Region of Guinea-Bissau formerly known as Vila Teixeira Pinto after Major Teixeira Pinto, the colonial officer that pacified the area.Population 6,434 .... |
4,965 | 6,853 | Cacheu Cacheu Region Cacheu is a region in western Guinea-Bissau, on the border with Senegal. It has an area of 5,175 km2 and a population estimated in 2004 at 164,676. Its capital is Cacheu.Cacheu is divided into 6 administrative sectors:*Bigene*Bula*Cacheu*Caió... |
| 13 | Farim Farim Farim is a town of northern Guinea-Bissau. It sits on the north bank of the Farim/Cacheu River, about 135 miles up the river from Cacheu. Population 6,405 .-History:... |
4,468 | 6,792 | Oio Oio Region Oio is a region in Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Farim. Other major cities and towns include Nhacra, Mansoa, Bissorã and Cumeré. The region borders Senegal to the north, the Guinea-Bissau regions of Bafatá, Bissau and Biombo to the east, the Rio Geba/Guinea-Bissau region of Quinara to the south and... |
| 14 | Quinhámel Quinhámel Quinhámel is a city in Guinea-Bissau. It is the capital of Biombo Region. Population 2,887 .-References:... |
N/A | 3,128 | Biombo Biombo Region Biombo is a region in western Guinea-Bissau, with an area of 840 km2. Its capital is Quinhámel. Its population in 2004 was 63,835, compared with 60,400 at the 1991 Census. The region is Governed by Mr... |
| 15 | Fulacunda Fulacunda Fulacunda is a town located in the Quinara Region of Guinea-Bissau.Population 1,311 .... |
N/A | 1,327 | Quinara Quinara Region Quinara is a region in central Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Buba.Quinara is divided into 4 sectors:*Buba*Empada*Fulacunda*TiteSee also:*Regions of Guinea-Bissau*Sectors of Guinea-Bissau... |
Climate
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
.
Economy
Guinea-Bissau's GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world. Its Human Development IndexHuman Development Index
The Human Development Index is a composite statistic used to rank countries by level of "human development" and separate "very high human development", "high human development", "medium human development", and "low human development" countries...
is also one of the lowest on earth. More than two-thirds of the population lives below the poverty line. The economy depends mainly on agriculture; fish, cashew nuts and ground nuts are its major exports. A long period of political instability has resulted in depressed economic activity, deteriorating social conditions, and increased macroeconomic imbalances.
Guinea-Bissau has started to show some economic advances after a pact of stability was signed by the main political parties of the country, leading to an IMF-backed structural reform program. The key challenges for the country in the period ahead would be to achieve fiscal discipline, rebuild public administration, improve the economic climate for private investment, and promote economic diversification. After becoming independent from Portugal in 1974 due to the Portuguese Colonial War
Portuguese Colonial War
The Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
and the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, the exodus of the Portuguese civilian, military and political authorities brought tremendous damage to the country's economic infrastructure, social order
Social order
Social order is a concept used in sociology, history and other social sciences. It refers to a set of linked social structures, social institutions and social practices which conserve, maintain and enforce "normal" ways of relating and behaving....
and standard of living
Standard of living
Standard of living is generally measured by standards such as real income per person and poverty rate. Other measures such as access and quality of health care, income growth inequality and educational standards are also used. Examples are access to certain goods , or measures of health such as...
.
After several years of economic downturn and political instability, in 1997, Guinea-Bissau entered the CFA franc
CFA franc
The CFA franc is the name of two currencies used in Africa which are guaranteed by the French treasury. The two CFA franc currencies are the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc...
monetary system, bringing about some internal monetary stability. The civil war that took place in 1998 and 1999 and a military coup in September 2003 again disrupted economic activity, leaving a substantial part of the economic and social infrastructure in ruins and intensifying the already widespread poverty. Following the parliamentary elections in March 2004 and presidential elections in July 2005, the country is trying to recover from the long period of instability despite a still-fragile political situation.
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
based in Latin America began to use Guinea-Bissau, along with several neighboring West African nations, as a transshipment point to Europe for cocaine. The nation was described by a United Nations official as being at risk for becoming a "narco-state".The government and the military did almost nothing to stop this business. In 2009 nearly all transports via Guinea Bissau have been stopped and translocated to Mali.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA
Ohada
OHADA is a system of business laws and implementing institutions adopted by sixteen West and Central African nations. OHADA is the French acronym for "Organisation pour l'Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires", which translates into English as "Organisation for the Harmonization of...
).
Demographics
Ethnic groups
The population of Guinea-Bissau is ethnically diverse and has many distinct languages, customs, and social structures. Guinea-Bissauans can be divided into the following ethnic groups: FulaFula people
Fula people or Fulani or Fulbe are an ethnic group spread over many countries, predominantly in West Africa, but found also in Central Africa and Sudanese North Africa...
and the Mandinka
Mandinka language
The Mandinka language is a Mandé language spoken by millions of Mandinka people in Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea-Bissau and Chad; it is the main language of The Gambia. It belongs to the Manding branch of Mandé, and is thus fairly...
-speaking people, who comprise the largest portion of the population and are concentrated in the north and northeast; the Balanta and Papel people, who live in the southern coastal regions; and the Manjaco and Mancanha, who occupy the central and northern coastal areas. Most of the remainder are mestiços
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
of mixed Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and African descent, including a Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
an minority.
Portuguese natives comprise a very small percentage of Guinea-Bissauans. This deficit was directly caused by the exodus of Portuguese settlers that took place after Guinea-Bissau gained independence. The country has also a tiny Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
population, including those of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry from Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, a former Asian Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
colony.
Language
Only 14% of the population speaks the official language, PortuguesePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. 44% speak Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speaks native African languages. Most Portuguese and Mestiços speak one of the African languages and Kriol as second languages. French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is also learned in schools, as the country is surrounded by French-speaking countries and is a full member of the Francophonie.
Religion
Throughout the 20th century, most Bissau-Guineans practiced some form of AnimismAnimism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
. Recently, many have adopted Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, which is currently practiced by 35 percent of the country's population; most of Guinea-Bissau's Muslims practice Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
. Approximately 10 percent of the country's population belong to the Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
community, and 55 percent continue to hold Indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
beliefs. These statistics can be misleading, however, as both Islamic and Christan practices may be largely influenced and enriched by syncretism with traditional African beliefs.
Health
The WHOWorld Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
estimates that there are fewer than 5 physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
s per 100,000 persons in the country, down from 12 per 100,000 in 2007. The prevalence of HIV-infection among the adult population is 1.8%, with only 20% of infected pregnant women receiving anti retroviral coverage. Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
is an even bigger killer; 9% of the population have reported infection, and it is the specific mortality cause almost three times as often as AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. (In 2008, fewer than half of children younger than five slept under antimalaria nets
Mosquito net
A mosquito net offers protection against mosquitos, flies, and other insects, and thus against diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and various forms of encephalitis, including the West Nile virus, if used properly and especially if treated with an insecticide, which can double...
or had access to antimalarial drugs).
Maternal and Child Healthcare
In June 2011, the United Nations Population FundUnited Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund is a UN organization. The work of the UNFPA involves promotion of the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. This is done through major national and demographic surveys and with population censuses...
released a report on The State of the World's Midwifery. It contained new data on the midwifery workforce and policies relating to newborn and maternal mortality for 58 countries. The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Guinea Bissau is 1000. This is compared with 804.3 in 2008 and 966 in 1990. The under 5 mortality rate, per 1,000 births is 195 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 24. The aim of this report is to highlight ways in which the Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
can be achieved, particularly Goal 4 – Reduce child mortality and Goal 5 – improve maternal death. In Guinea Bissau the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 3 and 1 in 18 shows us the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women.
Education
Education is compulsory from the age of 7 to 13. The enrollment of boys is higher than that of girls. Child laborChild labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
is very common. A significant minority of the population are illiterate
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
.
On the other side, Guinea-Bissau has several secondary schools (general as well as technical) and a surprising number of universities, to which an institutionally autonomous Faculty of Law as well as a Faculty of Medicine have to be added.
Life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
at birth has climbed since 1990, but remains short: the WHO
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
's estimate of life expectancy for a child born in 2008 was 49 years (and only 47 years for a boy).
Culture
Music
The music of Guinea-Bissau is usually associated with the polyrhythmPolyrhythm
Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms.Polyrhythm in general is a nonspecific term for the simultaneous occurrence of two or more conflicting rhythms, of which cross-rhythm is a specific and definable subset.—Novotney Polyrhythms can be distinguished from...
ic gumbe
Gumbe
Gumbe is a style of music from Guinea-Bissau. Gumbe is a specific genre, mostly influenced by zouk music . True gumbe is a fusion of several Bissauan folk traditions. Gumbe is the genre most closely associated with Guinea-Bissauan music worldwide...
genre, the country's primary musical export. However, civil unrest and other factors have combined over the years to keep gumbe, and other genres, out of mainstream audiences, even in generally syncretist African countries.
The calabash
Cabasa
The cabasa, similar to the shekere, is a percussion instrument that is constructed with loops of steel ball chain wrapped around a wide cylinder. The cylinder is fixed to a long, narrow wooden or plastic handle....
is the primary musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
of Guinea-Bissau, and is used in extremely swift and rhythmically complex dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. Lyrics are almost always in Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
-based creole language
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
, and are often humorous and topical, revolving around current events and controversies, especially AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
.
The word gumbe is sometimes used generically, to refer to any music of the country, although it most specifically refers to a unique style that fuses about ten of the country's folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
traditions. Tina and tinga
Music of Guinea-Bissau
The music of Guinea-Bissau is usually associated with the polyrhythmic gumbe genre, the country's primary musical export. However, civil unrest and a small size have combined over the years to keep gumbe, and other genres, out of mainstream audiences, even in generally syncretist African...
are other popular genres, while extent folk traditions include ceremonial music used in funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
s, initiation
Initiation
Initiation is a rite of passage ceremony marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components...
s and other rituals, as well as Balanta brosca and kussundé, Mandinga
Mandinka people
The Mandinka, Malinke are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa with an estimated population of eleven million ....
djambadon, and the kundere sound of the Bissagos Islands
Bissagos Islands
The Bissagos Islands or Bijagós Archipelago are a group of 18 major islands and dozens more smaller ones in the Atlantic Ocean with an area of 2,624 km2 and a population of 30,000...
.
Film
Flora GomesFlora Gomes
Flora Gomes is a Bissau-Guinean film director. He was born in Cadique, Guinea-Bissau on 31 December, 1949 and after high school in Cuba, he decided to study film at the Cuban Film Institute in Havana....
is an internationally renowned film director; his most famous film is Nha Fala.
See also
- Foreign relations of Guinea-BissauForeign relations of Guinea-BissauThe Republic of Guinea-Bissau follows a nonaligned foreign policy and seeks friendly and cooperative relations with a wide variety of states and organizations...
- Military of Guinea-BissauMilitary of Guinea-BissauThe Armed Forces of Guinea-Bissau consist of an Army, Navy, Air Force and paramilitary forces. A 2008 United Nations Development Programme census estimated that there were around 4,000 personnel in the Armed Forces. An earlier CIA World Fact Book figure was 9,250...
- Transport in Guinea-BissauTransport in Guinea-Bissau- Railways :There are no railways in Guinea-Bissau.In 1998 an agreement was signed between Portugal and Guinea-Bissau for construction of railway to Guinea...
- Corpo Nacional de Escutas da Guiné-Bissau
- 2010 Guinea-Bissau military unrest2010 Guinea-Bissau military unrestMilitary unrest occurred in Guinea-Bissau on 1 April 2010. Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior was placed under house arrest by Military of Guinea-Bissau soldiers, who also detained Army Chief of Staff Zamora Induta...
Further Reading
- Forrest, Joshua B., Lineages of State Fragility. Rural Civil Society in Guinea-Bissau (Ohio University Press/James Currey Ltd., 2003)
- Galli, Rosemary E, Guinea Bissau: Politics, Economics and Society, (Pinter Pub Ltd, 1987)
- Lobban, Jr., Richard Andrew and Mendy, Peter Karibe, Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, third edition (Scarecrow Press, 1997)
- Vigh, Henrik, Navigating Terrains of War: Youth And Soldiering in Guinea-Bissau, (Berghahn Books, 2006)
External links
Government- Official government website
- Chief of State and Cabinet Members
- Constitution of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau
General information
- Link collection related to Guinea-Bissau on bolama.net
- Country Profile from BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Guinea-Bissau from UCB Libraries GovPubs
- Guinea-Bissau at Encyclopædia Britannica
- Before Project has a lot of information on the history of political violence and how it has been overcome
News media
- news headline links from AllAfrica.comAllAfrica.comAllAfrica.com is a website that aggregates news produced primarily on the African continent about all areas of African life, politics, issues and culture. It is available in both English and French and produced by AllAfrica Global Media, which has offices in Cape Town, Dakar, Lagos, Monrovia,...
Tourism
Health
- The State of the World's Midwifery - Guinea-Bissau Country Profile