Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos

Guinea-Bissau: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

News •

Will Guinea-Bissau remain trapped in political chaos? • Oct. 24, 2026, 7:41 AM ET (Deutsche Welle)
Controversial US-backed vaccine trial in African newborns halted • Oct. 21, 2026, 1:18 PM ET (The Guardian)
RFK Jr’s ‘deities of vaccine research’ raided by police in Guinea-Bissau • Oct. 20, 2026, 3:28 PM ET (The Guardian)

Facts

Also Known As Republic of Guinea-Bissau • Portuguese Guinea • República da Guiné-Bissau
Head Of Government Prime Minister: Ilídio Vieira Té1
Capital Bissau
Population (2026 est.) 1,890,000
Head Of State President: Gen. Horta Nta Na Man1
Form Of Government transitional military government1
Official Language Portuguese
Official Religion none
Official Name Républica da Guiné-Bissau (Republic of Guinea-Bissau)
Total Area (Sq Km) 36,125
Total Area (Sq Mi) 13,948
Monetary Unit CFA franc (CFAF)
Urban-Rural Population Urban: (2024) 45.3% • Rural: (2024) 54.7%
Life Expectancy At Birth Male: (2021) 56.1 years • Female: (2021) 61.1 years
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$) (2024) 990
1A military coup on November 26, 2025, deposed Pres. Umaro Sissoco Embaló and suspended the country’s institutions. On November 27, the military installed Gen. Horta Nta Na Man as president of a transitional administration that would govern for one year. The next day, he appointed Ilídio Vieira Té as prime minister.

Photos

Guinea-Bissau
Map of Guinea-Bissau showing national boundaries with Senegal to the north and Guinea to the southeast, major cities including Bissau, Bafata, and Gabu, and numerous coastal islands along the Atlantic Ocean. An inset locator map highlights Guinea-Bissau's position on the west coast of Africa.
Map highlighting Guinea-Bissau in West Africa, showing its location along the Atlantic coast and its borders with Senegal and Guinea. Neighboring countries including The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania are also labeled. The capital city, Bissau, is marked.
Map showing the physical features of Guinea-Bissau, including rivers, the Atlantic coastline, and the offshore Bijagos Islands such as Formosa, Roxa, and Orango. Neighboring countries Senegal and Guinea are labeled, and a small locator map in the bottom right highlights Guinea-Bissau's position in West Africa.
Map of western Africa showing the greatest territorial extent of major historical states from the 11th to 16th centuries. The 14th-century Kingdom of Mali is outlined in green, the 16th-century Songhai Empire in purple, and the 16th-century Hausa Bakwai states in red. Major cities, rivers, and regional names are labeled within and around these territories.
Map of western Africa in the late 19th century showing areas under French and British control in 1880, and illustrating the advance of French, British, and German colonial forces with dated arrows. French-controlled territory is shaded green and British-controlled territory is shaded purple, with major advances and key cities labeled. Boundaries between mandates established in 1919 are also marked, and an inset locates the region within Africa.
Antique map showing the northwest region of Africa as published in the 1902 Encyclopaedia Britannica. The map details colonial territories and countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, the Sahara, Senegal, Portuguese Guinea, French Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo, and Nigeria, with borders, cities, rivers, and geographic features labeled in fine print.
Map of Africa showing the territorial divisions and colonial possessions by European powers from the late 19th to early 20th century. Countries and regions are color-coded to indicate British, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Belgian, and German control, with independent countries and British-Egyptian condominium also marked. The map highlights the extent and timing of colonization, with most of the continent under European rule except for Ethiopia and Liberia.
Amílcar Cabral
Africa and the Middle East in the 1960s and '70s
National anthem of Guinea-Bissau
See All Images, Audio and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
default image
Fausto Duarte
Cabo Verdean author and government official

Related Places

A map of the continent of Africa, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities. It also shows parts of Europe and Asia and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.
Africa
continent
western Africa
Western Africa
region, Africa
default image
Bafatá
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Oio
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Gabú
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Cacheu
Guinea-Bissau
default image
Tombali
region, Guinea-Bissau
Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
Bissau
national capital, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Biombo
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Cacheu
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Bolama
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Quinará
region, Guinea-Bissau
default image
Boé
Guinea-Bissau
default image
Farim
Guinea-Bissau
default image
Bolama
Guinea-Bissau

Related Quizzes

Flags of all nations of the world. Grouping of various country flags on a world map.
Which Country Is Larger? Quiz
7:023 Geography: Think of Something Big, globe showing Africa, Europe, and Eurasia
Which Country Is Larger By Area? Quiz
Flags of the world against blue sky. Countries, International. Globalization, global relations, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Poland, Palestine, Japan. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
Which Country Is Larger By Population? Quiz
Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Match the Country with Its Hemisphere Quiz
Brown globe on antique map. Brown world on vintage map. North America. Green globe. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Countries & Their Features
Flags of all countries of the world. Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
The Country Quiz
Church of Saint George (Bet Giyorgis), Lalibela, Ethiopia. UNESCO World Heritage site.
Geography of Africa Quiz
Mount Kenya in Mount Kenya National Park is the highest mountain in Africa. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Giant Lobelia in foreground. (Mt. Kenya; Mt. Kenya National Park; mountains; rugged mountain; African geography, African landscape, stratovolcano)
Africa’s Physical Features
10:087 Ocean: The World of Water, two globes showing eastern and western hemispheres
You Name It!
Flags of the world. National flags. Country flags. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, geography and travel, explore discovery
Countries of the World
Actual continental drift of plates. Thematic map.
Geography Fun Facts
Opened passport with visas, stamps, seals, world map. (travel, tourism)
Guess the Country by Its Neighbors Quiz