Terrain: mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
Natural resources: fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Land use: arable land: 11% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures : 38% forests and woodland: 38% other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 17 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Guinea-Bissau:People
Population: 1,178,584 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 251,873; female 250,950) 15-64 years: 54% (male 304,116; female 338,489) 65 years and over : 3% (male 15,771; female 17,385) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.33% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 39.17 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 15.85 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 113.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 48.71 years male: 47.05 years female: 50.42 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Guinea-Bissauan(s) adjective: Guinea-Bissauan
Ethnic groups: African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
Religions: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%
Languages: Portuguese (official), Criolo, African languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 54.9% male : 68% female: 42.5% (1995 est.)
@Guinea-Bissau:Government
Country name: conventional long form : Republic of Guinea-Bissau conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau local long form: Republica de Guine-Bissau local short form: Guine-Bissau former: Portuguese Guinea
Data code: PU
Government type: republic, multiparty since mid-1991, formerly highly centralized
The 1997 Cia World Factbook · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.