Guinea-Bissau

Not to be confused with Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Western New Guinea, or Papua New Guinea.

Republic of Guinea-Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau (Portuguese)
𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮 (Fula)
ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫ ߓߌߛߊߥߏ߫ (Mandinka)
Motto: 
Unidade, Luta, Progresso
"Unity, Struggle, Progress"
Anthem: 
Esta É a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada
"This is Our Beloved Homeland"
Location of Guinea-Bissau (dark blue) in the African Union (light blue)
Location of Guinea-Bissau (dark blue) in the African Union (light blue)
Capital
and largest city
Bissau
11°52′N 15°36′W / 11.867°N 15.600°W / 11.867; -15.600
Official languagesPortuguese
Spoken languages
List:
Ethnic groups
(2019)[1]
Religion
(2020)[2][3][4]
Demonym(s)Bissau-Guinean[5]
Guinean
GovernmentUnitary semi-presidential republic
• President
Umaro Sissoco Embaló
Rui Duarte de Barros
LegislatureNational People's Assembly
Independence from Portugal
• Declared
24 September 1973
• Recognized
10 September 1974
Area
• Total
36,125 km2 (13,948 sq mi) (134th)
• Water (%)
22.4
Population
• 2023 estimate
2,078,820[6] (150th)
• Density
46.9/km2 (121.5/sq mi) (154th)
GDP (PPP)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $6 billion[7]
• Per capita
Increase $3,088[7]
GDP (nominal)2023 estimate
• Total
Increase $2 billion[7]
• Per capita
Increase $1,028[7]
Gini (2021)Positive decrease 33.4[8]
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Steady 0.483[9]
low (179th)
CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zoneUTC (GMT)
Drives onright
Calling code+245
ISO 3166 codeGW
Internet TLD.gw

Guinea-Bissau (/ˌɡɪni bɪˈsaʊ/ ⓘ; Portuguese: Guiné-Bissau; Fula: 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, romanized: Gine-Bisaawo; Mandinka: ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫ ߓߌߛߊߥߏ߫ Gine-Bisawo), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese: República da Guiné-Bissau [ʁɛˈpuβlikɐ ðɐ ɣiˈnɛ βiˈsaw]), is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi) with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to its north and Guinea to its southeast.[10]

Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu,[11] as well as part of the Mali Empire.[11] Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others had been under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea.[11] Portuguese control was restricted and weak until the early 20th century, when its pacification campaigns solidified Portuguese sovereignty in the area. The final Portuguese victory over the last remaining bastion of mainland resistance came in 1915, with the conquest of the Papel-ruled Kingdom of Bissau by the Portuguese military officer Teixeira Pinto and the Wolof mercenary Abdul Injai.[12]

The Bissagos, islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, were officially conquered in 1936, ensuring Portuguese control of both the mainland and islands of the region.[13]

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 Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau has had a history of political instability since independence. The current president is Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was elected on 29 December 2019.[14]

About 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, and 33% speak it as a second language. Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, is the national language and also considered the language of unity. According to a 2012 study, 54% of the population speak Creole as a first language and about 40% speak it as a second language.[15] The remainder speak a variety of native African languages.

The nation is home to numerous followers of Islam, Christianity, and multiple traditional faiths.[16][17] The country's per capita gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world.

Guinea-Bissau is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone. It was also a member of the now-defunct Latin Union.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CIA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Guinea-Bissau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  3. ^ "Religions in Guinea Bissau | PEW-GRF". www.globalreligiousfutures.org. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Guinea-Bissau", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 22 September 2022, retrieved 8 October 2022
  5. ^ "Guinea-Bissau" – Field Listing: Nationality. Archived 26 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine The World Factbook 2013–14. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Guinea-Bissau". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition (Guinea-Bissau)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Gini Index coefficient". The World Factbook. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  9. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/2024" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Overview". World Bank. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Guinea-Bissau – Country Profile – Nations Online Project". www.nationsonline.org. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  12. ^ Bowman, Joye L. (22 January 2009). "Abdul Njai: Ally and Enemy of the Portuguese in Guinea-Bissau, 1895–1919". The Journal of African History. 27 (3): 463–479. doi:10.1017/S0021853700023276. S2CID 162344466.
  13. ^ Corbin, Amy; Tindall, Ashley. "Bijagós Archipelago". Sacred Land Film Project. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Guinea-Bissau: Swearing-in of new President unlikely to bring stability, says UN representative". UN News. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  15. ^ Handem, Myrna (2015). Portuguese, Creole, or Both: The Problematic of Language Choice in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. The Social, Political and Economic Implications of Language Choice (Ph. D. thesis). Howard University.
  16. ^ "Africa: Guinea-Bissau". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa (Report). Pew Research Center. 15 April 2010.