Guinea-Bissau

Republic of Guinea-Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau
Republic of Guinea-Bissau República da Guiné-Bissau
Flag	Emblem
	Motto: Portuguese: "Unidade, Luta, Progresso" ; "Unity, Struggle, Progress"
	Anthem: Portuguese: "Esta é a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada" ; "This is Our Well-Beloved Country";
Capital; (and largest city)	Bissau; 11°52′N 15°36′W / 11.867°N 15.6°W
Official languages	Portuguese
Recognised regional languages	Crioulo
Demonym	Bissau-Guinean(s)
Government	Semi-presidential republic
Independence	from Portugal
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2008 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2008 estimate
Gini (1993)	47 (high)
HDI (2007)	▲ 0.374 (low) (175th)
Currency	West African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zone	GMT (UTC+0)
Drives on the	right
Internet TLD	.gw
Calling code	245

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The Republic of Guinea-Bissau (pronounced /ˈɡɪni bɪˈsaʊ/; Portuguese: República da Guiné-Bissau, pronounced [ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɐ ɡiˈnɛ biˈsau]) is a country in western Africa, and one of the smallest states in continental Africa. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. Its size is nearly 37,000 square kilometres (14,000 sq mi) with an estimated population of 1,600,000. Formerly the Portuguese colony of Portuguese Guinea, upon independence, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with the Republic of Guinea. Guinea-Bissau's GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world.

[edit] History

Main articles: History of Guinea-Bissau and Portuguese Guinea

Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Gabu, part of the Mali Empire; parts of this kingdom persisted until the eighteenth century, while others were part of the Portuguese Empire. Portuguese Guinea was known also, from its main economic activity, as the Slave Coast.

Reports on travels reaching this area can be tracked down to Venetian Alvise Cadamosto, Alvide da Ca' da Mosto, Luis Cadamosto, ( c. 1432 – July 18, 1488), travel of 1455, and the 1479 - 1480 travel by Flemish-French trader Eustache de la Fosse, Eustache Delafosse, and Diogo Cam, Diogo Cão, born circa 1450, who in the 1480s reached the Congo River, and reaching the lands of Bakongo, setting up thus the foundations of actual Angola, some 1200 km down the African Equatorial Coast from Guinea-Bissau.

Although the rivers and coast of this area were among the first places colonized by the Portuguese, since the 16th century, the interior was not explored until the nineteenth century. The local African rulers in Guinea, who prospered greatly from the slave trade, had no interest in allowing the Europeans any further inland than the fortified coastal settlements where the trading took place. The Portuguese presence in Guinea was therefore largely limited to the port of Bissau and Cacheu. For a brief period in the 1790s the British attempted to establish a rival foothold on an offshore island, at Bolama. But by the 19th century the Portuguese were sufficiently secure in Bissau to regard the neighbouring coastline as their own special territory, also up north in part of present South Senegal.

An armed rebellion beginning in 1956 by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) under the leadership of Amílcar Cabral gradually consolidated its hold on then Portuguese Guinea. Unlike guerrilla movements in other Portuguese colonies, the PAIGC rapidly extended its military control over large portions of the territory, aided by the jungle-like terrain, its easily-reached borderlines with neighbouring allies and large quantities of arms from Cuba, China, the Soviet Union, and left-leaning African countries. Cuba also agreed to supply artillery experts, doctors and technicians.^[3] The PAIGC even managed to acquire a significant anti-aircraft capability in order to defend itself against aerial attack. By 1973, the PAIGC was in control of many parts of Guinea. Independence was unilaterally declared on September 24, 1973. Recognition became universal following the April 25, 1974 socialist-inspired military coup in Portugal which overthrew Lisbon's Estado Novo regime.

[edit] Independence

Luís Cabral was appointed the first President of Guinea-Bissau. Following independence local black soldiers that fought along with the Portuguese Army against the PAIGC guerrillas were slaughtered by the thousands. Some managed to escape and settled in Portugal or other African nations, one of the massacres occurred in the town of Bissorã. In 1980 the PAIGC admitted in its newspaper "Nó Pintcha" (dated November 29, 1980) that many were executed and buried in unmarked collective graves in the woods of Cumerá, Portogole and Mansabá.

The country was controlled by a revolutionary council until 1984. The first multi-party elections were held in 1994, but an army uprising in 1998 led to the president's ousting and the Guinea-Bissau Civil War. Elections were held again in 2000 and Kumba Ialá was elected president.

In September 2003, a coup took place in which the military arrested Ialá on the charge of being "unable to solve the problems." After being delayed several times, legislative elections were held in March 2004 . A mutiny of military factions in October 2004 resulted in the death of the head of the armed forces, and caused widespread unrest.

[edit] The Vieira years

Map of Guinea Bissau

In June 2005, presidential elections were held for the first time since the coup that deposed Ialá. Ialá returned as the candidate for the PRS, claiming to be the legitimate president of the country, but the election was won by former president João Bernardo Vieira, deposed in the 1998 coup. Vieira was a candidate for one of the factions of the PAIGC. Vieira beat Malam Bacai Sanhá in a runoff election, but Sanhá refused initially to concede, claiming that the elections have been fraudulent in two constituencies, including the capital, Bissau.

Despite reports that there had been an influx of arms in the weeks leading up to the election and reports of some "disturbances during campaigning" — including attacks on government offices by unidentified gunmen — foreign election monitors labelled the election as "calm and organized".^[4] Viera's party, PAIGC, made further gains, to secure 67 of 100 seats, in parliamentary elections in November 2008.

In November 2008, President Vieira's residence was attacked by members of the armed forces, killing a guard but leaving the president unharmed. On March 2, 2009, however, Vieira was assassinated by what preliminary reports indicated to be a group of soldiers avenging the death of the head of joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Wai. Tagme died in an explosion on Sunday, March 1, 2009 in an assassination in which - according to some sources - Vieira could have been involved. Military leaders in the country have pledged to respect the constitutional order of succession. National Assembly Speaker Raimundo Pereira was appointed as an interim president until a nationwide election June 28, 2009.^[5]

[edit] Politics

Main article: Politics of Guinea-Bissau

Ministry of Justice, Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is a republic. In the past, the government had been highly centralized, and multiparty governance has been in effect since mid-1991. The president is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government. At the legislative level, there is a unicameral "Assembleia Nacional Popular" (National People's Assembly) made up of 100 members. They are popularly elected from multi-member constituencies to serve a four-year term. At the judicial level, there is a "Tribunal Supremo da Justiça" (Supreme Court) which consists of nine justices appointed by the president, they serve at the pleasure of the president.

João Bernardo "Nino" Vieira became President of Guinea-Bissau in 2005. Vieira returned to power in 2005 after winning the presidential election only six years after being ousted from office during a civil war. Previously, he held power for 19 years after taking power in 1980 in a bloodless coup. In that action, he toppled the government of Luís Cabral. He was killed on March 2, 2009, possibly by soldiers in retaliation for the killing of the head of the joint chiefs of staff, General Batista Tagme Na Waie.^[6]

[edit] Regions and sectors

Main articles: Regions of Guinea-Bissau and Sectors of Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is divided into 8 regions (regiões) and one autonomous sector (sector autónomo). These in turn are subdivided into thirty-seven sectors. The regions are:

* autonomous sector

[edit] Geography

Typical scenery in Guinea-Bissau

Satellite image of Guinea-Bissau (2003)

Main article: Geography of Guinea-Bissau

At 13,945 sq mi. (36,120 km²), Guinea-Bissau is larger in size than Taiwan, Belgium, or the U.S. state of Maryland. This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 984 feet (300 m). The interior is savanna, and the coastline is swampy plain. Its monsoon-like rainy season alternates with periods of hot, dry harmattan winds blowing from the Sahara. The Bijagos Archipelago extends out to sea.

[edit] Major cities

Cities in Guinea-Bissau
Rank	City	Population		Region
Rank	City	1979 Census	2005 estimate	Region
1	Bissau	109,214	388,028	Bissau
2	Bafatá	13,429	22,521	Bafatá
3	Gabú	7,803	14,430	Gabú
4	Bissorã	N/A	12,688	Oio
5	Bolama	9,100	10,769	Bolama
6	Cacheu	7,600	10,490	Cacheu
7	Bubaque	8,400	9,941	Bolama
8	Catió	5,170	9,898	Tombali
9	Mansôa	5,390	7,821	Oio
10	Buba	N/A	7,779	Quinara
11	Quebo	N/A	7,072	Quinara
12	Canchungo	4,965	6,853	Cacheu
13	Farim	4,468	6,792	Oio
14	Quinhámel	N/A	3,128	Biombo
15	Fulacunda	N/A	1,327	Quinara

[edit] Climate

Guinea-Bissau is warm all year around and there is little temperature fluctuation; it averages 26.3°C (79.3°F). The average rainfall for Bissau is 2024 mm although this is almost entirely accounted for during the rainy season which falls between June and September/October. From December through April, the country experiences drought.

[edit] Economy

Main article: Economy of Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau's GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world. Its Human Development Index is one of the lowest on earth. More than two-thirds of Guinea-Bissau's population lives below the poverty line. The economy depends mainly on agriculture; fish, cashew nuts and ground nuts are its major exports. A long period of political instability has resulted in depressed economic activity, deteriorating social conditions, and increased macroeconomic imbalances. Guinea-Bissau has started to show some economic advances after a pact of stability was signed by the main political parties of the country, leading to an IMF-backed structural reform program. The key challenges for the country in the period ahead would be to achieve fiscal discipline, rebuild public administration, improve the economic climate for private investment, and promote economic diversification. After becoming independent from Portugal in 1974 due to the Portuguese Colonial War and the Lisbon's Carnation Revolution, the exodus of the Portuguese civilian, military and political authorities brought tremendous damage to the country's economic infrastructure, social order and standard of living. After several years of economic dowturn and political instability, in 1997, Guinea Bissau entered the CFA franc monetary system, bringing about some internal monetary stability. The civil war that took place in 1998 and 1999 and a military coup in September 2003 again disrupted economic activity, leaving a substantial part of the economic and social infrastructure in ruins and intensifying the already widespread poverty. Following the parliamentary elections in March 2004 and presidential elections in July 2005, the country is trying to recover from the long period of instability despite a still-fragile political situation.

Bula, Guinea-Bissau

Beginning around 2005, drug traffickers based in Latin America began to use Guinea-Bissau, along with several neighboring West African nations, as a transshipment point to Europe for cocaine. The nation was described by a United Nations official as being at risk for becoming a "narco-state".^[7]^[8]

Guinea-Bissau is a member of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA).^[9]

[edit] Gallery

BECAO Bissau	BECAO Bissau	Bus in downtown Bissau	Che Guevara Square
Residential area in Bissau			Carnival in Bissau

[edit] Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Guinea-Bissau

Crossing the river at low tide

Religion in Guinea-Bissau^[10]
religion			percent
Islam			50%
Indigenous			40%
Christianity			10%

The population of Guinea-Bissau is ethnically diverse and has many distinct languages, customs, and social structures. Guinea-Bissauans can be divided into the following three ethnic groups: Fula and the Mandinka-speaking people, who comprise the largest portion of the population and are concentrated in the north and northeast; the Balanta and Papel people, who live in the southern coastal regions; and the Manjaco and Mancanha, who occupy the central and northern coastal areas. Most of the remainder are mestiços of mixed Portuguese and African descent, including a Cape Verdean minority.

Portuguese natives comprise a very small percentage of Guinea-Bissauans. This deficit was directly caused by the exodus of Portuguese settlers that took place after Guinea-Bissau gained independence. The country has also a tiny Chinese population, including those of mixed Portuguese and Chinese ancestry from Macau, a former Asian Portuguese colony. Only 14% of the population speaks the official language Portuguese. 44% speak Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language, and the remainder speaks native African languages. Most Portuguese and Mestiços speak one of the African languages and Kriol as second languages. French is also learned in schools, as the country is surrounded by French-speaking countries and is a full member of the Francophonie.

Islam is the predominant religion, practiced by approximately 50 percent of the country's population. Guinea-Bissau is the only Lusophone nation with a Muslim majority; others are predominantly Christian. Most of Guinea-Bissau's Muslims belong to Sunni Islam. In addition to this, 40 percent hold Indigenous beliefs and 10 percent of the country's population belong to the Christian community.^[10]

[edit] Culture

See also: List of writers from Guinea-Bissau, Music of Guinea-Bissau

The music of Guinea-Bissau is usually associated with the polyrhythmic gumbe genre, the country's primary musical export. However, civil unrest and other factors have combined over the years to keep gumbe, and other genres, out of mainstream audiences, even in generally syncretist African countries.

The calabash is the primary musical instrument of Guinea-Bissau, and is used in extremely swift and rhythmically complex dance music. Lyrics are almost always in Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole language, and are often humorous and topical, revolving around current events and controversies, especially AIDS.

The word gumbe is sometimes used generically, to refer to any music of the country, although it most specifically refers to a unique style that fuses about ten of the country's folk music traditions. Tina and tinga are other popular genres, while extent folk traditions include ceremonial music used in funerals, initiations and other rituals, as well as Balanta brosca and kussundé, Mandinga djambadon, and the kundere sound of the Bissagos Islands.

Flora Gomes is an internationally renowned film director. His most famous film is "Nha Fala".

[edit] See also

Main article: Outline of Guinea-Bissau

[edit] References

^ http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5454.htm
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Guinea-Bissau". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=654&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=49&pr.y=20. Retrieved on 2009-04-22.
^ Jihan El Tahri. (2007). Cuba! Africa! Revolution!. BBC Television. Event occurs at 50:00-60:00. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/. Retrieved on 2007-05-02.
^ "Army man wins G Bissau election". 28 July 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4723627.stm.
^ Já foi escolhida a data para a realização das eleições presidenciais entecipadas
^ [1]
^ "BBC news New Senegal record cocaine haul". 2 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6260708.stm BBC news.
^ Sullivan, Kevin (25 May 2008). "Route of Evil: How a tiny West African nation became a key smuggling hub for Colombian cocaine, and the price it is paying". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/24/AR2008052401676.html.
^ OHADA.com: The business law portal in Africa, http://www.ohada.com/index.php, retrieved on 2009-03-22
^ ^a ^b CIA the World Factbook

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.

Guinea-Bissau elections - BEFORE Project has a lot of information on the history of political violence and how it has been overcome. http://beforeproject.org/2009/05/on-the-radio-waves-in-guinea-bissau/

[edit] Sources

Richard Andrew Lobban, Jr. and Peter Karibe Mendy, Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, third edition (Scarecrow Press, 1997) ISBN 0-8108-3226-7 (includes extensive bibliography)