An Overview Guinea-Bissau Profile

[BBC]

Once hailed as a potential model for African development, Guinea-Bissau is now one of the poorest countries in the world.

•   Full name: The Republic of Guinea-Bissau
•   Population: 1.6 million (UN, 2010)
•   Capital: Bissau
•   Area: 36,125 sq km (13,948 sq miles)
•   Major languages: Portuguese, Crioulo, African languages
•   Major religions: Indigenous beliefs, Islam, Christianity
•   Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 51 years (women) (UN)
•   Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) = 100 centimes
•   Main exports: Cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn timber
•   GNI per capita: US $510 (World Bank, 2009)
•   Internet domain: .gw
•   International dialling code: +245

It has a massive foreign debt and an economy which relies heavily on foreign aid.

Compounding this, the country experienced a bitter civil war in the late 1990s in which thousands were killed, wounded and displaced.

Formerly Portuguese Guinea, Guinea-Bissau won independence from Portugal in 1974 after a long struggle spearheaded by the left-wing African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). For the next six years post-independence leader Luis Cabral presided over a command economy.

In 1980 he was overthrown by his army chief, Joao Vieira, who accused him of corruption and mismanagement. Mr Vieira led the country towards a market economy and a multi-party system, but was accused of crony capitalism, corruption and autocracy. In 1994 he was chosen as president in Guinea-Bissau's first free elections.

BBC

[afroboy]

Key facts, figures and dates

Attribution: CNN, BBC and IOL Africa.