242 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
242 lines
19 KiB
Plaintext
|
GUINEA-BISSAU
|
|||
|
|
GEOGRAPHY
|
|||
|
|
Total area: 36,120 km2; land area: 28,000 km2
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Comparative area: slightly less than three times the size of
|
|||
|
|
Connecticut
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Land boundaries: 724 km total; Guinea 386, Senegal 338 km
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Coastline: 350 km
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Territorial sea: 12 nm
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Disputes: the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rendered its
|
|||
|
|
decision on the Guinea-Bissau/Senegal maritime boundary (in favor
|
|||
|
|
of Senegal)--that decision has been rejected by Guinea-Bissau
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Climate: tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoon-type rainy
|
|||
|
|
season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December
|
|||
|
|
to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Natural resources: unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite,
|
|||
|
|
phosphates; fish, timber
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Land use: arable land 11%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures
|
|||
|
|
43%; forest and woodland 38%; other 7%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility
|
|||
|
|
during dry season
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
PEOPLE
|
|||
|
|
Population: 1,023,544 (July 1991), growth rate 2.4% (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Birth rate: 42 births/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Infant mortality rate: 125 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 48 years female (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1991)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Nationality: noun--Guinea-Bissauan(s); adjective--Guinea-Bissauan
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ethnic divisions: African about 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca
|
|||
|
|
14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%); European and mulatto less than 1%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Religion: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Language: Portuguese (official); Criolo and numerous African
|
|||
|
|
languages
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Literacy: 36% (male 50%, female 24%) age 15 and over can
|
|||
|
|
read and write (1990 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Labor force: 403,000 (est.); agriculture 90%, industry, services,
|
|||
|
|
and commerce 5%, government 5%; population of working age 53% (1983)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Organized labor: only one trade union--the National Union of
|
|||
|
|
Workers of Guinea-Bissau (UNTG)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
GOVERNMENT
|
|||
|
|
Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September
|
|||
|
|
1974; the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape
|
|||
|
|
Verde (PAIGC) held an extraordinary party congress in December 1990 and
|
|||
|
|
established a two-year transition program during which the constitution
|
|||
|
|
will be revised, allowing for multiple political parties and a
|
|||
|
|
presidential election in 1993
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Capital: Bissau
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes,
|
|||
|
|
singular--regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu,
|
|||
|
|
Oio, Quinara, Tombali
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese
|
|||
|
|
Guinea)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Constitution: 16 May 1984
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Legal system: NA
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Executive branch: president of the Council of State, vice
|
|||
|
|
presidents of the Council of State, Council of State, Council of
|
|||
|
|
Ministers (cabinet)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly
|
|||
|
|
(Assembleia Nacional Popular)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the
|
|||
|
|
Council of Ministers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Leaders:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Chief of State and Head of Government--President of the
|
|||
|
|
Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14
|
|||
|
|
November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984);
|
|||
|
|
First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second
|
|||
|
|
Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Political parties and leaders: only party--African Party for the
|
|||
|
|
Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), President
|
|||
|
|
Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader; the party decided to retain the
|
|||
|
|
binational title despite its formal break with Cape Verde
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Suffrage: universal at age 15
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Elections:
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
President of Council of State--last held 19 June 1989
|
|||
|
|
(next to be held NA 1993);
|
|||
|
|
results--Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA was reelected without
|
|||
|
|
opposition by the National People's Assembly;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
National People's Assembly--last held 15 June 1989 (next
|
|||
|
|
to be held 15 June 1994);
|
|||
|
|
results--PAIGC is the only party;
|
|||
|
|
seats--(150 total) PAIGC 150, appointed by Regional Councils
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77,
|
|||
|
|
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOM (observer), ITU,
|
|||
|
|
LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
|
|||
|
|
WHO, WIPO, WMO
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL;
|
|||
|
|
Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN,
|
|||
|
|
Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212)
|
|||
|
|
661-3977;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
US--Ambassador William L. JACOBSEN, Jr.; Embassy at 17 Avenida
|
|||
|
|
Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is 1067 Bissau Codex, Bissau,
|
|||
|
|
Guinea-Bissau); telephone 245 20-1139, 20-1145, 20-1113
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Flag: 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; uses the popular pan-African colors of
|
|||
|
|
Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star
|
|||
|
|
raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks
|
|||
|
|
and a yellow clam shell
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
ECONOMY
|
|||
|
|
Overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the
|
|||
|
|
world, with a per capita GDP below $200. Agriculture and fishing are the
|
|||
|
|
main economic activities, with cashew nuts, peanuts, and palm kernels the
|
|||
|
|
primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at
|
|||
|
|
present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of
|
|||
|
|
development. The government's four-year plan (1988-91) has targeted
|
|||
|
|
agricultural development as the top priority.
|
|||
|
|
GDP: $154 million, per capita $160; real growth rate 5.0% (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25% (1990 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Unemployment rate: NA%
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Budget: revenues $22.7 million; expenditures $30.8 million,
|
|||
|
|
including capital expenditures of $18.0 million (1989 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exports: $14.2 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commodities--cashews, fish, peanuts, palm kernels;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
partners--Portugal, Senegal, France, The Gambia, Netherlands,
|
|||
|
|
Spain
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Imports: $68.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
commodities--capital equipment, consumer goods, semiprocessed
|
|||
|
|
goods, foods, petroleum;
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
partners--Portugal, Netherlands, Senegal, USSR, Germany
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
External debt: $462 million (December 1990 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.0% (1989 est.); accounts
|
|||
|
|
for 10% of GDP (1989 est.)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Electricity: 22,000 kW capacity; 28 million kWh produced,
|
|||
|
|
30 kWh per capita (1989)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Industries: agricultural processing, beer, soft drinks
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Agriculture: accounts for over 50% of GDP, nearly 100% of exports,
|
|||
|
|
and 90% of employment; rice is the staple food; other crops include
|
|||
|
|
corn, beans, cassava, cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and cotton; not
|
|||
|
|
self-sufficient in food; fishing and forestry potential not fully
|
|||
|
|
exploited
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $49
|
|||
|
|
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
|
|||
|
|
(1970-88), $561 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $41 million;
|
|||
|
|
Communist countries (1970-89), $68 million
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Currency: Guinea-Bissauan peso (plural--pesos);
|
|||
|
|
1 Guinea-Bissauan peso (PG) = 100 centavos
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Exchange rates: Guinea-Bissauan pesos (PG) per US$1--1987.2 (1989),
|
|||
|
|
1363.6 (1988), 851.65 (1987), 238.98 (1986), 173.61 (1985)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Fiscal year: calendar year
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
COMMUNICATIONS
|
|||
|
|
Highways: 3,218 km; 2,698 km bituminous, remainder earth
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Inland waterways: scattered stretches are important to coastal
|
|||
|
|
commerce
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Ports: Bissau
|
|||
|
|
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Airports: 37 total, 18 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways;
|
|||
|
|
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
|
|||
|
|
5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Telecommunications: poor system of radio relay, open-wire lines,
|
|||
|
|
and radiocommunications; 3,000 telephones; stations--1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1
|
|||
|
|
Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
DEFENSE FORCES
|
|||
|
|
Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; including
|
|||
|
|
Army, Navy, Air Force), paramilitary force
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 222,371; 126,797 fit for
|
|||
|
|
military service
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Defense expenditures: $5 million, 3.2% of GDP (1987)
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|