Guinea-Bissau

República da Guiné-Bissau

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National motto: Unidade, Luta, Progresso ( Portuguese: Unity, Struggle, Progress)
Official language	Portuguese
Capital	Bissau (Note: Former President Kumba Ialá decided to change the capital city to Buba, but the plan is unlikely to go forward.)
President	João Bernardo Vieira
Prime Minister	Aristides Gomes
Area - Total - % water	Ranked 133rd 36,120 km² 12% / Negligible
Population - Total (2002) - Density	Ranked 147th 1,345,479 48/km²
HDI ( 2003)	0.348( 172nd) – low
Independence - Declared - Recognised	(from Portugal) 24 Sep 1973 10 Sep 1974
Currency	CFA franc
Time zone	UTC
National anthem	Esta é a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada
Internet TLD	.gw
Calling Code	245

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau (República da Guiné-Bissau, pron. IPA /ʁɛ.'pu.βli.kɐ dɐ gi.'nɛ bi.'saw/) is a country in western Africa, and one of the smallest nations in continental Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. Formerly the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea, upon independence, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's official name in order to prevent confusion between itself and the Republic of Guinea.

History

Guinea-Bissau was once the kingdom of Gabù, part of the Mali Empire; parts of the kingdom subsisted until the 18th century. Though the rivers and coast of this area were among the first places colonized by the Portuguese, who began the slave trade in the 17th century, the interior was not explored until the 19th century. A rebellion beginning in 1956 by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) consolidated its hold on the country by 1973. Independence was unilaterally declared on September 24, 1973 and was recognized by a 93-7 UN General Assembly vote in November [1] , unprecedented as it denounced illegal Portuguese aggression and occupation and was prior to complete control and Portuguese recognition. Recognition became universal following the Portuguese revolution of 1974. 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 in 2000 and Kumba Yala was elected.

In September 2003 a coup took place in which the military arrested Yala, because "he was unable to solve the problems". After being delayed several times, legislative elections were held in April 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 was held for the first time since the coup that deposed Yala. Yala 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 1998 coup. Vieira was a candidate for one sect of the PAIGC. Vieira beat Malam Bacai Sanha in a runoff-election, but Sanha refused to initially concede, claiming that the election have been fraudalent 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 the attacks of the presidential palace and the Interior Ministry by as of yet unidentified gunmen - European monitors labelled the election as "calm and organized". [2]

Politics

Guinea-Bissau has a multi-party National People's Assembly, as well as a president, both elected by popular vote. The president appoints the prime minister after consultation with the parties in the assembly. The former president, Kumba Yala, belongs to the Social Renovation Party or PRS; other parties in the assembly include the Guinea-Bissau Resistance and PAIGC.

Regions

Guinea-Bissau is divided into nine regions (regiões):

• Bafata Region
• Biombo Region
• Bissau Region
• Bolama Region
• Cacheu Region
• Gabu Region
• Oio Region
• Quinara Region
• Tombali Region

Geography

This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 300 metres. The interior is savanna, and the coast line is swampy plain. Its monsoon-like rainy season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan winds blowing from the Sahara. The Bijagos Archipelago extends out to sea.

Economy

Guinea-Bissau is among the 20 poorest countries of the world. Its farming and fishing economy was badly disrupted by the 1998-99 civil war. It has a foreign debt of $US 921 million and is subject to an IMF structural adjustment program.

One of Guinea-Bissau's important income sources is cashew nuts, of which it exports 90,000 tons per year. In January 2005 the government announced that a locust swarm was threatening this vital crop, and that the country did not have the resources to tackle the infestation.

Demographics

The population of Guinea-Bissau is ethnically diverse with distinct languages, customs, and social structures. The main spoken language is Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language (44%); the Portuguese language is spoken by 14%. Most people are farmers, with traditional religious beliefs ( animism); 45% are Muslim, principally Fula and Mandinka speakers concentrated in the north and northeast. Other important groups are the Balanta and Papel, living in the southern coastal regions, and the Manjaco and Mancanha, in the central and northern coastal areas.

Culture