Country
Countries A-Z
Guinea-Bissau
Republic of Guinea-Bissau
República da Guiné-Bissau
Political Status: Achieved independence from Portugal on September 10, 1974; under rule of Revolutionary Council following coup of November 14, 1980; new constitution of May 16, 1984, amended on May 4, 1991; military control imposed following coup of May 8, 1999; present constitution promulgated July 7, 1999, under direction of military junta; interim national transition council appointed on April 15, 2012, following military coup; new government installed after elections in June 2014; restoration of constitutional order effective August 2014.
Area: 13,948 sq. mi. (36,125 sq. km).
Population: 1,747,800 (2014E—UN); 1,693,398 (2014E—U.S. Census).
Major Urban Center (2007E): BISSAU (423,000).
Official Language: Portuguese (several local languages are also spoken).
Monetary Unit: CFA Franc (official rate October 1, 2014: 520.29 francs = $1US). The CFA franc, previously pegged to ...