Guinea-Bissau is bounded by Senegal to the north, Guinea to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It includes the Bijagós (Bissagos) archipelago and other islands that lie off the coast. The Bijagós archipelago is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The archipelago is made up of 88 islands and is home to a significant diversity of mammals, reptiles, birds and fish.
Bissau is the capital and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. Located on the Atlantic coast, Bissau is a bustling city that serves as the economic and cultural center of the country. The currency of Guinea-Bissau is the West African CFA franc (XOF). The West African CFA franc is the official currency used in several West African countries, including Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-Bissau’s flag features two horizontal stripes of yellow and green and a vertical red stripe with a black star. Yellow represents the savannas of the north, green the forests of the south, red represents the struggle for independence and the blag star represents the people of Africa.
West Africa’s Guinea-Bissau was part of the Portuguese Empire for centuries. Guinea-Bissau’s population is dominated by more than 20 African ethnicities, including the Balante, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country, the numerous Fulani and their many subgroups, the Diola, the Nalu, the Bijagó, the Landuma, the Papel (Pepel), and the Malinke. There is also a small Cape Verdean minority with mixed African, European, Lebanese, and Jewish origins.
During the colonial period the European population consisted mainly of Portuguese but also included some Lebanese, Italian, French, and English groups, as well as members of other nationalities. Notably, there was never a substantial settler population in Guinea-Bissau, as there was in other Portuguese colonies.
After years of colonial rule, the people of Guinea-Bissau achieved autonomy, marking a significant milestone in their history and culture. Guinea-Bissau declared independence from Portugal following a guerrilla war in 1973. The country was formally recognized as an independent nation in 1974.
At the end of the 1990s the country experienced a conflict which drew in Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, and France and ended with the president going into exile. In 2020, Guinea-Bissau briefly had two presidents and two prime ministers. Following disputed elections, the winner, Umaro Cissoko Embalo, swore in a new leader while the current parliament simultaneously appointed a rival interim president
