Country Information on Guinea-Bissau 

Terrain

Most of Guinea-Bissau is a low, swampy coastal plain. It gently rises to form plateaus of a maximum of 310 m in the south-east. Numerous meandering rivers cross the country from east to west and form wide estuaries at their mouths. Nearly all are navigable and serve as major transportation arteries.

Climate

Guinea-Bissau's location in the tropics dictates its climate. The average annual temperature is around 25°C. The rainy season is from June to November and the average annual precipitation is 2,100 mm in Bolama. There is such a difference between high tide and low tide on the Guinean coast that when the level of the water raises during the rainy season, it can flood up to a third of the country.

Fauna/Flora

The diversity of Guinea-Bissau's ecosystems means that there is a great variety of animals and plants. The coast is characterised by mangroves and rainforests, whereas the vegetation at the coast turns into savannah in the east. Soil erosion, high levels of deforestation and overfishing threaten the existence of plants and animal species. The swampy areas of the estuary are the habitat of species unique to that area. Inland, there are chimpanzees, crocodiles, hippopotamuses and African buffaloes.

History/Politics

Little is known about the early history of Guinea-Bissau, but it appears that the main ethnic groups, such as the Balanta and the Papel, settled in the area in the 12th century. It was part of the Mali and Songhai empires until the 15th century, when Guinea-Bissau gained independence. In 1456 Nuño Tristão, a Portuguese slave trader, reached the coast of what is now Guinea-Bissau. He set up a Portuguese settlement for the gold and slave trade in Bissau in 1687.

The area remained part of a common administrative unit with the Cape Verde Islands before becoming an autonomous colony in 1879. It was not until 1915 that the Portuguese were actually able to gain control of its inland areas. Guinea-Bissau became an overseas province in 1952.

The complete neglect of the indigenous population finally resulted in the formation of a nationalist movement in the mid 1950s led by Amilcar Cabral, the founder of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. The party began an armed struggle for independence in 1963. In September 1973, the rebels proclaimed an independent republic that was officially recognised by the United Nations General Assembly.

Finally, on 10 September 1974, Portugal recognized the independence of Guinea-Bissau. Luis de Almeida Cabral was appointed president of the new government, which implemented socialist reforms and nationalised all land in order to provide food for the people.

In 1980 Cabral was ousted in a military coup led by João Bernardo Vieira who planned to unify Guinea-Bissau with Cape Verde. Vieira was elected president in country's first free elections in 1994. In 1998 the dismissal of General Ansumane Mane for smuggling arms to Senegal led to military revolt.

Fighting between rebel and government troops lasted until May 1999, when the rebels (led by General Mane) succeeded in overthrowing Vieira. Kumba Yalá of the Social Renovation Party (PRS) won the presidential elections that were held in January 2000. He was deposed in September 2003 in a military coup led by Veríssimo Correia. After forming a transitional government, he declared that parliamentary elections would be held in March 2004. Those elections were won by the opposition party, the PAIGC. The presidential elections which were due to take place in March 2005 were postponed for various reasons and Henrique Rosa is still president.

Economy

Subsistence farming dominates the economy of Guinea-Bissau. Its main agricultural products are rice (the country's basic food), manioc and maize. Peanuts and dates, which are grown inland, are among the main items exported. Other exports include cashew nuts and palm kernels, which are grown on the islands. Fishing has been modernised and is one of the main sources of export revenue.

Livestock breeding plays a major role further inland. Industry is mainly limited to the processing of raw materials and food. Although Guinea-Bissau is probably rich in mineral resources (bauxite, zinc, copper, phosphate, diamonds, and crude oil), these resources have hardly been tapped because of a lack of financial resources. The country has a road network stretching around 5,060km, but only around 8% of that is proper roads. The average inflation rate was 3% in 2003.

Culture

Guinea-Bissau's national holidays are New Year's Day (1 January), National Heroes' Day (20 January), International Women's Day (8 March), Labour Day (1 May), Day of the Martyrs of Colonialism (3 August), Independence Day (24 September), Day of the New Order (14 November), and Christmas Day (25 December). Carnival is celebrated in February. The celebrations last for several days and involve traditional dances and parades when masks are worn.

Two important Muslim holidays are the feast at the end of the fast of Ramadan, and Tabaski. In the rural areas different ethnic groups have their own calendar with their own holidays. The kora is a traditional Griot musical instrument that is made from a gourd covered with a piece of cowhide which has 21 strings. The most well-known Kora player is Kaba Mane. Guitar music based on Portuguese and Spanish styles but with a strong African influence is also typical of Guinea-Bissau.