Guinea-Bissau: Background & Geography
| Introduction | Guinea-Bissau |
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Background:
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Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable upheaval. The founding government consisted of a single party system and command economy. In 1980, a military coup established Joao VIEIRA as president and a path to a market economy and multiparty system was implemented. A number of coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him and in 1994 he was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military coup attempt and civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIERA's ouster in 1999. In February 2000, an interim government turned over power when opposition leader Kumba YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections. YALA was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique ROSA was sworn in as President. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy, devastated in the civil war. |
| Geography | Guinea-Bissau |
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal |
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Geographic coordinates:
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12 00 N, 15 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 36,120 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km land: 28,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km |
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Coastline:
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350 km |
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Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
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territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds |
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Terrain:
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mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum |
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Land use:
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arable land: 10.67%
permanent crops: 1.78% other: 87.55% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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170 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland |