Guinea-Bissau

The west African nation of Guinea-Bissau is one of the most poorly developed nations in the world. This is partly the result of the country's extensive political instability, ranging from military coups to presidential assassinations, in the years following the granting of the nation's independence from Portugal in 1974. Less than a third of the population is urbanized. Because of its dependence on subsistence farming and fishing, Guinea-Bissau is one of the five poorest countries in the world, with a per capita income of only $600. Agriculture accounts for 62 percent of the workforce, and most of that work is done by women. However, women's economic contributions are not considered valuable. Guinea-Bissau's extreme poverty (66.7 percent) is made worse by the fact that its income ...