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