Part 361

National capital: Bissau

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali

Independence: 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 10 September (1974)

Constitution: 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991 (currently undergoing revision to liberalize popular participation in the government)

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 15 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (initially assumed power 14 November 1980) head of government: Prime Minister Manuel da Costa SATURNINO (since 5 November 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held NA August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Joao Bernardo VIEIRA elected president; percent of vote - Joao Bernardo VIEIRA 52%, Kumba YALLA 48%

Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) elections : last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB 19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG 0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party - PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6, FLING 1

Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers

Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois Kankoila MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Bah Fatah Movement or RGB-MB [Domingos FERNANDES Gomes]; Guinea Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Vi'tor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Koumba YALLA, leader]; Union for Change Coalition or UM [Joao da COSTA, Pres.]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Vi'tor Sau'de MARIA]

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Rufino Jose MENDES chancery: 918 16th Street NW, Mezzanine Suite, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: (202) 872-4222 FAX: (202) 872-4226

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD embassy : Bairro de Penha, Bissau mailing address: C.P. 297, 1067 Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau telephone: 252273, 252274, 252275, 252276 FAX: 252282

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy - overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world. Farming and fishing are the main economic activities. Cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and fish are the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. Although Guinea-Bissau won an IMF Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility in 1996, recent political instability and overspending have undermined the progress of economic reform and delayed disbursements of donor aid.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $950 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture : 44% industry: 8% services: 48% (1994 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 45.4% (1995)

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues : $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries: agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 22,000 kW (1991)