The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

      Natural resources:

      fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum

      Land use:

      arable land: 8.31% permanent crops: 6.92% other: 84.77% (2005)

      Irrigated land:

      250 sq km (2003)

      Total renewable water resources:

      31 cu km (2003)

      Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

      total: 0.18 cu km/yr (13%/5%/82%) per capita: 113 cu m/yr (2000)

      Natural hazards:

      hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

      Environment - current issues:

      deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

      Environment - international agreements:

      party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

      Geography - note:

      this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying inland

      People

       Guinea-Bissau

      Population:

      1,503,182 (July 2008 est.)

      Age structure:

      0–14 years: 41% (male 307,353/female 308,726) 15–64 years: 55.9% (male 404,747/female 436,245) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 18,819/female 27,292) (2008 est.)

      Median age:

      total: 19.2 years male: 18.6 years female: 19.8 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      2.035% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      36.4 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      16.05 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 101.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 111.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 47.52 years male: 45.71 years female: 49.39 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      4.72 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      10% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      17,000 (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      1,200 (2001 est.)

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2008)

      Nationality:

      noun: Guinean(s) adjective: Guinean

      Ethnic groups:

      African 99% (includes Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

      Religions:

      Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 10%

      Languages:

      Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.4% male: 58.1% female: 27.4% (2003 est.)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 5 years male: 7 years female: 4 years (2001)

      Education expenditures:

      5.2% of GDP (1999)

      Government

       Guinea-Bissau

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau local short form: Guine-Bissau former: Portuguese Guinea

      Government type:

      republic

      Capital:

      name: Bissau geographic coordinates: 11 51 N, 15 35 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

      Administrative divisions:

      9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

      Independence:

      24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

      Constitution:

      16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996

      Legal system:

      based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA (since 1 October 2005) head of government: Prime Minister Carlos CORREIA (since 5 August 2008) cabinet: NA elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 24 July 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52.4%, Malam Bacai SANHA 47.6%

      Legislative branch:

      unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held 16 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%, PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2%; seats by party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1

      Judicial branch:

      Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at more than $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases valued at less than $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)

      Political parties