Guinea-Bissau
Republic of Guinea-Bissau | |
|---|---|
Flag
Emblem
| |
| Motto: Unidade, Luta, Progresso "Unity, Struggle, Progress" | |
| Anthem: Esta É a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada "This Is Our Well Beloved Homeland" | |
Location of Guinea-Bissau in Africa | |
| Capital and largest city | Bissau 11°52′N 15°36′W / 11.867°N 15.600°W |
| Official languages | Portuguese |
| Spoken languages | List:
|
| Ethnic groups (2019)[1] | |
| Religion |
|
| Demonym(s) | Bissau-Guinean[5] Guinean |
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
• President | Umaro Sissoco Embaló |
• Prime Minister | Braima Camará |
| Legislature | National People's Assembly |
| Independence from Portugal | |
• Declared | 24 September 1973 |
• Recognized | 10 September 1974 |
| Area | |
• Total | 36,125 km2 (13,948 sq mi) (134th) |
• Water (%) | 22.4 |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 2,080,000[6] (150th) |
• Density | 47/km2 (121.7/sq mi) (154th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2025 estimate |
• Total | $6.620 billion[7] (172th) |
• Per capita | $3,280[7] (168th) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2025 estimate |
• Total | $2.270 billion[7] (174th) |
• Per capita | $1,130[7] (165th) |
| Gini (2021) | 33.4[8] medium inequality |
| HDI (2023) | 0.514[9] low (174th) |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF) |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 (GMT) |
| Calling code | +245 |
| ISO 3166 code | GW |
| Internet TLD | .gw |
Guinea-Bissau,[a] officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau,[b] is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi) with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to its north and Guinea to its southeast.[10]
Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu,[11] as well as part of the Mali Empire.[11] Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others had been under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea.[11] Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea (formerly French Guinea). Guinea-Bissau has had a history of political instability since independence. The current president is Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who was elected on 29 December 2019.[12]
About 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, and 33% speak it as a second language. Guinea-Bissau Creole, a Portuguese-based creole, is the national language and also considered the language of unity. According to a 2012 study, 54% of the population speak Creole as a first language and about 40% speak it as a second language.[13] The remainder speak a variety of native African languages. The nation is home to numerous followers of Islam, Christianity, and multiple traditional faiths.[14][15] The country's per capita gross domestic product is one of the lowest in the world.
Guinea-Bissau is a member of the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Community of Portuguese Language Countries, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Alliance of Small Island States and the South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone. It was also a member of the now-defunct Latin Union.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
CIAwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Guinea-Bissau". United States Department of State. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Religions in Guinea Bissau | PEW-GRF". globalreligiousfutures.org. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 22 September 2022, retrieved 8 October 2022
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau" – Field Listing: Nationality. Archived 26 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine The World Factbook 2013–14. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 June 2023. (Archived 2023 edition.)
- ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2025".
- ^ "Gini Index coefficient". The World Factbook. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2025" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 6 May 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
- ^ "Overview". The World Bank. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ a b c "Guinea-Bissau – Country Profile – Nations Online Project". nationsonline.org. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Guinea-Bissau: Swearing-in of new President unlikely to bring stability, says UN representative". UN News. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ Handem, Myrna (2015). Portuguese, Creole, or Both: The Problematic of Language Choice in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. The Social, Political and Economic Implications of Language Choice (Ph. D. thesis). Howard University.
- ^ "Africa: Guinea-Bissau". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa (Report). Pew Research Center. 15 April 2010.
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