"text":"Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable political and military upheaval. In 1980, a military coup established authoritarian dictator Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA as president. Despite setting a path to a market economy and multiparty system, VIEIRA's regime was characterized by the suppression of political opposition and the purging of political rivals. Several coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him. In 1994 VIEIRA was elected president in the country's first free election. A military mutiny and resulting civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIEIRA's ouster in May 1999. In February 2000, a transitional government turned over power to opposition leader Kumba YALA after he was elected president in transparent polling. In September 2003, after only three years in office, YALA was overthrown in a bloodless military coup, and businessman Henrique ROSA was sworn in as interim president. In 2005, former President VIEIRA was reelected, pledging to pursue economic development and national reconciliation; he was assassinated in March 2009. Malam Bacai SANHA was elected in an emergency election held in June 2009, but he passed away in January 2012 from a long-term illness. A military coup in April 2012 prevented Guinea-Bissau's second-round presidential election - to determine SANHA's successor - from taking place. Following mediation by the Economic Community of Western African States, a civilian transitional government assumed power in 2012 and remained until Jose Mario VAZ won free and fair elections in 2014."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"12 00 N, 15 00 W"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"Africa"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"36,125 sq km"
},
"land":{
"text":"28,120 sq km"
},
"water":{
"text":"8,005 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative":{
"text":"slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut"
"text":"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":{
"text":"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 many small islets"
},
"Elevation extremes":{
"lowest point":{
"text":"Atlantic Ocean 0 m"
},
"highest point":{
"text":"unnamed elevation in the eastern part of the country 300 m"
"text":"Prime Minister Carlos CORREIA (since 17 September 2015); the initial appointment of Baciro DJA in August was nullified by the Supreme Court and he resigned"
"text":"president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds if needed for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 13 April 2014 with a runoff on 18 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the National People's Assembly"
},
"election results":{
"text":"first round - Jose Mario VAZ (PAIGC) 41%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM (independent) 25.1%, other 33.9%; Jose Mario VAZ elected president in second round - Jose Mario VAZ 61.9%, Nuno Gomez NABIAM 38.1%"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (102 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)"
},
"elections":{
"text":"last held on 13 April 2014 (next to be held in 2018)"
"text":"Supreme Court or Suprema Tribunal Justica (consists of 9 judges and organized into Civil, Criminal, and Social and Administrative Disputes Chambers); note - the Supreme Court has both appellate and constitutional jurisdiction"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"judges nominated by the Higher Council of the Magistrate, a major government organ responsible for judge appointments, dismissals, and judiciary discipline; judges appointed by the president with life tenure"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Appeal Court; regional (first instance) courts; military court"
"text":"African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde or PAIGC [Domingos Simoes PEREIRA] ++ Democratic Convergence Party or PCD [Vicente FERNANDES] ++ New Democracy Party or PND [Mamadu Iaia DJALO] ++ Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Filomeno Mendes PEREIRA] ++ Republican Party for Independence and Development or PRID [Aristides GOMES] ++ Union for Change or UM [Agnelo REGALA]"
"text":"none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC"
}
},
"Diplomatic representation from the US":{
"text":"the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; the US Ambassador to Senegal, currently Ambassador James P. ZUMWALT, is accredited to Guinea-Bissau"
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"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 hope; red represents blood shed during the struggle for independence; the black star stands for African unity",
"note":{
"text":"uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; the flag design was heavily influenced by the Ghanaian flag"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"black star; national colors: red, yellow, green, black"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Esta e a Nossa Patria Bem Amada\" (This Is Our Beloved Country)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Amilcar Lopes CABRAL/XIAO He"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1974; a delegation from then Portuguese Guinea visited China in 1963 and heard music by XIAO He; Amilcar Lopes CABRA, the leader of Guinea-Bissau's independence movement, asked the composer to create a piece that would inspire his people to struggle for independence"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"Guinea-Bissau is highly dependent on subsistence agriculture, cashew nut exports, and foreign assistance. The legal economy is based on farming and fishing, but illegal logging and trafficking in narcotics are also important economic activities. The combination of limited economic prospects, weak institutions, and favorable geography have made this West African country a way station for drugs bound for Europe while trade in illegal logging, food, and fishing is also significant. Two out of three Bissau-Guineans remain below the absolute poverty line. Guinea-Bissau has substantial potential for development of mineral resources including phosphates, bauxite, and mineral sands. The country’s climate and soil make it feasible to grow a wide range of cash crops, fruit, vegetables, and tubers; however, cashews generate more than 80% export receipts and are the main source of income for many rural communities. With renewed donor support following elections in April-May 2014 and a successful regional bond issuance, the new government of Guinea-Bissau has made progress paying salaries, settling domestic arrears, and gaining more control over revenues and expenditures. The IMF noted that the new government has taken the positive step of developing a long-term economic plan, while implementing sensitive economic reforms in the wake of the 2012 coup."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"460,100 Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"5,000"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"less than 1 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"1.1 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"65 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"small system including a combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and mobile cellular communications"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"fixed-line teledensity less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile cellular teledensity is roughly 50 per 100 persons"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 245 (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"1 state-owned TV station and a second station, Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) Africa, is operated by Portuguese public broadcaster (RTP); 1 state-owned radio station, several private radio stations, and some community radio stations; multiple international broadcasters are available (2007)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2001)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"1 (2007)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".gw"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"56,100"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"3.3% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"8 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"2"
},
"over 3,047 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"1 (2013)"
}
},
"Airports - with unpaved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"6"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"1"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"2"
},
"under 914 m":{
"text":" ++ 3 (2013)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"3,455 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"965 km"
},
"unpaved":{
"text":"2,490 km (2002)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"(rivers are partially navigable; many inlets and creeks provide shallow-water access to much of interior) (2012)"
},
"Ports and terminals":{
"major seaport(s)":{
"text":"Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim"
}
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP): Army, Navy, National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional); Presidential Guard (2012)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"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 (2013)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"370,790"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"372,171 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"205,460"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"212,277 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"17,639"
},
"female":{
"text":"17,865 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"1.85% of GDP (2012) ++ 1.81% of GDP (2011) ++ 1.85% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"in 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau"
},
"Refugees and internally displaced persons":{
"refugees (country of origin)":{
"text":"8,601 (Senegal) (2014)"
}
},
"Trafficking in persons":{
"current situation":{
"text":"Guinea-Bissau is a source country for children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the scope of the problem of trafficking women or men for forced labor or forced prostitution is unknown; boys are forced into street vending in Guinea-Bissau and manual labor, agriculture, and mining in Senegal, while girls may be forced into street vending, domestic service, and, to a lesser extent, prostitution in Senegal and Guinea"
},
"tier rating":{
"text":"Tier 3 - Guinea-Bissau does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; anti-trafficking efforts have stalled under the transitional government; despite enacting an anti-trafficking law and adopting a national action plan in 2011, authorities still have not taken action against trafficking offenders, provided protection to identified victims, or conducted any prevention activities; no progress has been made in implementing the national action plan (2014)"
}
},
"Illicit drugs":{
"text":"increasingly important transit country for South American cocaine en route to Europe; enabling environment for trafficker operations due to pervasive corruption; archipelago-like geography near the capital facilitates drug smuggling"
