Guinea-Bissau Passport

The Republic of Guinea Bissau (Rep ú blica da Guin é - Bissau)

【 Area 】 36125 square kilometers.

The population is 2.15 million. There are 27 ethnic groups, of which the Balant ethnic group accounts for 27% of the total population, the Fula ethnic group accounts for 23%, and the Mandingo ethnic group accounts for 12%. The official language is Portuguese. Common Creole language. 45% of residents believe in Islam, while the rest follow Catholicism, Protestantism, and primitive religions.

The capital is Bissau, with a population of 430000.

【 Head of State 】 President Umaro Sissoko Embal Ó, elected in January 2020 and inaugurated in February for a term of 5 years.

Independence Day: September 24th.

【 Overview 】 Located in West Africa, including islands such as the Pyrenees archipelago. The mainland is bordered to the north by Senegal, to the east and south by Guinea, and to the west by the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline is about 300 kilometers long. It belongs to the tropical oceanic monsoon climate, with high temperatures throughout the year and an average annual temperature of about 25 ℃.

It was once a part of the ancient African kingdom of the Sanghai Empire. In 1879, it became a Portuguese colony. Independence occurred on September 24, 1973. The first head of state and chairman of the State Council was Luis Cabral. After independence, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (abbreviated as PAIGC) held one party rule for a long time. In 1980, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Vieira, overthrew the Cabral government, established the Revolutionary Committee, and assumed the position of Chairman. In 1991, it switched to a multi-party system. But since then, the political situation has been unstable, with multiple military coups occurring, the most recent being in April 2012. An attempted military coup occurred in February 2022.

With strong support from the international community, Guinea Bissau held presidential and legislative elections on April 13, 2014, and held the second round of voting for the presidential election on May 18. Former ruling party's candidate for the Independence Party, Vasco, won the presidential election and was inaugurated on June 23. The PAIGC won an absolute majority in the legislative elections and its new chairman, Pereira, became the Prime Minister. The international community generally recognizes the election process and results. In August 2015, President Gas announced the dissolution of the government led by Prime Minister Pereira. Afterwards, President Gas appointed several prime ministers, but none of them were recognized by the parliament. In April 2018, under the mediation of the Western Community and pressure from sanctions, all parties in Guinea reached a consensus to appoint Aristides Gomes as Prime Minister. On April 16th, Prime Minister Gomes was inaugurated. On March 10, 2019, Guinea Bissau successfully held parliamentary elections. According to the final results announced by the National Election Commission of Guinea Bissau, the Independence Party of Guinea Bissau has become the largest party in parliament and has formed a parliamentary majority with several small parties such as the People's Solidarity Congress and the Guinea Bissau Democratic Party. At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, Guinea Bissau held two rounds of presidential elections. On January 1, 2020, the Guinea Bissau National Election Commission announced that the Democratic Change Movement -15 member group party candidate Enballo received 53.55% of the vote, while the independence party candidate Pereira received 46.45% of the vote. On April 23rd, the Economic Community of West African States issued a statement recognizing Mbalo as the winning president and demanding that he appoint a prime minister and government in accordance with the constitution before May 22nd. On June 29th, the policy agenda of the Nabiam government appointed by En was passed in parliament. In May 2022, President Enballo announced the dissolution of parliament. In June 2023, the New Starting Point Alliance led by the PAIGC won parliamentary elections. In August, President Mbalo appointed PAIGC Vice Chairman Martins as Prime Minister. In December, President Mbalo announced the dissolution of parliament and the restructuring of the cabinet, appointing PAIGC member Debaros as Prime Minister.

The constitutional amendment passed and promulgated in July 1999 stipulated that Guinea Bissau would implement a semi presidential system. The President is the head of state, and the Prime Minister is the head of government. The Prime Minister and members of the government are appointed by the President after being nominated by the majority party in parliament. The president serves a term of 5 years and can be re elected once.

[Parliament] The National People's Congress exercises legislative power, holds four regular meetings every year, formulates laws on major issues at home and abroad, and is responsible for supervising the implementation of national laws. The permanent body is the Standing Committee, which exercises parliamentary powers during the closure or dissolution of the parliament. The term of office for members of parliament is 4 years.

The current government will be formed in December 2023. On August 20, 2024, President Enballo signed a presidential decree to adjust 10 ministers and 7 state secretaries, completing the cabinet reshuffle. The main members include: Prime Minister Rui Duarte de Barros, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration Soares Samb ú, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Overseas Chinese Affairs Carlos Pinto Pereira, Minister of Interior and Public Security Botche Cand é, Minister of Defense Dion í sio Cabi, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Maria do C é u Silva Monteiro, Minister of Land Management and Local Authority Aristides Ocante da Silva Mario Musante da Silva, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Economy á rio Muzante da Silva, Minister of the Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Affairs Malal San é, Minister of Finance Il í dio Vieira T é, Minister of Natural Resources Malam Samb ú, Minister of Energy Jos é Carlos Varela Casimiro, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Fatumata Djau Bald é, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Alberto Demba Tur é, Minister of Information Florentino Fernando Dias, Minister of Transport Marciano Silva Barbeiro, Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy, and Jos é Carlos Esteves, Minister of Public Works, Housing and Urbanization Carlos Esteves, Minister of Trade and Industry Orlando Mendes Veigas, Minister of National Education, Higher Education and Research Herry Man é, Minister of Public Administration, Employment, Vocational Training and Social Security M ó nica Buar ó da Costa, Minister of Public Health Pedro Tipote, Minister of Homeland Liberation Warriors Aly Hizazy, Minister of Women, Family and Social Solidarity Maria In á cia C ó Mendes Sanh á, Minister of Environment, Biodiversity Minister of Climate Affairs Viriato Soares Cassam Maria da Concei çã o É vora, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The country is divided into 8 provinces and 1 autonomous region (Bissau), with 36 counties under its jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court is the highest judicial institution, and the General Prosecutor's Office is the highest prosecutorial institution. The President of the Supreme Court is elected by the Supreme Judicial Council and appointed by the President. The current President of the Supreme Court, Jos é Pedro Samb ú, took office in December 2021. The Attorney General is nominated by the government and appointed by the President. The current Attorney General, Edmundo Mendes, will take office in November 2022.

There are currently 32 political parties, mainly including:

(1) The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (Partido Africano da Independincia da Guin é e Cabo Verde PAIGC), abbreviated as PAIGC. Established on September 19, 1956. There are about 300000 party members. After gaining independence in 1973, he held power for a long time and became an opposition party in 1999. In 2008, he returned to power. The purpose of the Party is to achieve national unity, defend and consolidate independence, and fight for the creation of a democratic society based on the unity of the people, social justice, and the rule of law. After the military coup in April 2012, he was temporarily excluded from the transitional regime. In February 2014, the 8th National Congress was held, and Domingos Sim õ es Pereira succeeded Carlos Gomes as the new party chairman, with Abel da Silva appointed as the general secretary of the country. In April 2014, the party won the legislative elections and returned to power, with party chairman Pereira serving as prime minister. However, he was dismissed by President Gas in August 2015. In June 2015, the Central Committee of the PAIGC appointed Ali Hijazy as the new National Secretary. After the 2019 general election, he once again became an opposition party. In November 2022, the party held its tenth national congress, with Pereira re elected as the chairman of the PAIGC and Ant ó nio Barbosa da Silva elected as the national secretary. In June 2023, the New Start Alliance led by the PAIGC won parliamentary elections, with party chairman Pereira elected as speaker and vice chairman Martins appointed as prime minister. In December, De Barros, a member of the Jafo Party, became the Prime Minister.

(2) Democratic Change Movement -15 Person Group (Movimento para a Altern â ncia Democr á tica - Grupo dos 15, MADEM—G15）。 Established in June 2018, initiated by 15 former members of the Independence Party of several Buddhas. Party Chairman Braima Camara.

(3) Social Renewal Party (Partido da Renova çã o Social PRS): abbreviated as Socialist Renewal Party. Members of the current ruling coalition. Founded on January 24, 1992, he was in power from 2000 to 2003. It has a significant impact among workers and farmers. Advocate prioritizing national construction, establishing democratic rule of law, implementing good governance, and promoting ethnic unity and reconciliation. In December 2012, the party held a national congress and Alberto Nambeia was elected as the party chairman, with Florentino Pereira as the new general secretary. In April 2014, the founder, former chairman, and former president of the party, Kumba Yala, passed away due to illness. In September 2017, the party held a national congress, and Nanbeia and Pereira were re elected as party chairman and general secretary respectively. In January 2022, the party held a national congress and South Beia was re elected as the party chairman. In January 2023, Nanbeia passed away due to illness. In June 2024, the party held a special congress and da Costa was elected as the party chairman.

Other political parties include: People's Unity Congress Guinea Bissau Democratic Party (APU-PDGB), Partido Unido Social Democrata PUSD, Democratic Front (Frente Democr á tica), Resistance Movement of Guinea Bissau (Resist ê ncia da Guin é - Bissau), Democratic Convergence Party (Partido da Converg ê ncia Democr á tico), Coalition for Change Party (Partido Uni ã o para a Mudan ç a), Republican Party for Independence and Development (Partido Republican para Independincia e Desenvolcimento), Democratic Social Front (Frente Democr á tica Social), National Independence Party Front de Luta pela Independincia Nacional, Movimento para Unidad e Democrasia, Liga Guineense de Protec, Guinea Bissau Ecological Conservation Union çã o Ecol ó gica, F ó rum C í vico Guineense Social Democrasia, Partido Social Democrata, Uni ã o Nacional para a Democrasia e Progresso, Partido de Renova çã o e Progresso, Partido Democr á tico Socialista Guineense, Alian ç a Socialista, Partido Popular Guineense, Partido Socialista da Guin é - Bissa u), Guinea Bissau Democratic Social Solutions Party (Partido Democrata Socialista Solu çã o Guineense), National Unity Party (Partido da Unidad Nacional) Partido de Solidariedade e do Trabalho, Manifesto do Povo, Movimento Democr á tico Guineense, Partido Democr á tico Guineense, Partido para o Progresso, Uni ã o dos Patriotas Guineense, Partido de Reconcilia çã o Nacional, Partido da Nova Democr á tica, Partido Popular Democr á tico, and Partido, Development, and Civic Party Para a Democracia Desenvolvimento e Cidadania).

Important figure: Umaro Sissoko Embal Ó, President, born on September 23, 1972 in Bissau City. Obtained a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Lisbon University of Technology, a Master's degree in Political Science from Madrid Institute of International Studies, and a PhD in International Relations from Complutense University of Madrid. Formerly served as a Brigadier General of the Guinea Bissau Army, Minister of State for Africa and Middle East Cooperation, and Advisor to the Transitional President of Nyamachio. He served as the Prime Minister from November 2016 to January 2018.

Agricultural countries are one of the least developed countries listed by the United Nations. The industrial foundation is weak, and food cannot be self-sufficient. The fishery resources are abundant, and issuing fishing licenses and exporting fishery products are its main sources of foreign exchange income. Since 2005, the government of Guinea Bissau has formulated and implemented poverty reduction strategies, actively developed agriculture, and implemented diversified planting strategies mainly focused on rice and cashew nuts. In 2011, the Guinea Bissau government implemented its second poverty reduction strategy, resulting in an increase in cashew nut exports and fiscal revenue, and the overall economic situation was better than expected. The military coup in April 2012 had an impact on the national economy. After the 2014 election, the government of Guinea Bissau continued its agricultural priority policy and the economy resumed stable development. The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 will severely hit the economy of Guinea Bissau. In September 2020, the government of Guinea Bissau proposed the "2020-2023 Development Outline", which tilted the focus of national resources towards the fields of education and health, while also taking into account infrastructure construction and improving people's livelihoods.

The main economic data for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 1.97 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 914 US dollars.

Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: 4.2%.

Currency name: African Financial Community Franc, abbreviated as FCFA.

Exchange rate: 1 euro ≈ 656 African francs.

Inflation rate: 7.2%.

(Source: World Bank)

Mineral resources have not been effectively developed. The main mineral deposits are bauxite (with reserves of about 200 million tons) and phosphate (with reserves of about 80 million tons). Oil exploration is underway along the coast (with reserves of approximately 1.1 billion barrels).

In 2020, the industrial output value accounted for about 14.9% of the gross domestic product, and the industrial population accounted for 1% of the labor force. Weak foundation, mainly focused on agricultural products and food processing industry.

In 2020, the agricultural output value accounted for about 39.6% of the gross domestic product, and the agricultural population accounted for about 85% of the national labor force. There are approximately 900000 hectares of arable land, of which 454000 hectares are already cultivated. The main grain crops include rice, cassava, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. The main cash crop is cashew nuts, with an annual output of over 250000 tons. According to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the cashew nut production in Guinea Bissau in 2016 was 154000 tons, making it the eighth largest cashew nut producing country in the world and the fifth largest in Africa. The export value of cashew nuts in 2020 was 113 million US dollars.

Having 3 million hectares of natural pastures, 20% of the agricultural population is engaged in animal husbandry. The forestry resources are abundant, with a forest area of 2.35 million hectares and a forest coverage rate of 56%. The timber storage capacity is 48.3 million cubic meters, which can produce 100000 tons of timber annually.

The fishery resources are abundant, with an annual catch of 300000 to 350000 tons. Currently, the actual annual catch is about 30000 tons. There are about 4000-5000 people engaged in fishing in coastal areas, and the annual income from issuing fishing licenses is about 9.2 million US dollars. The export value of fishery products in 2020 was 1.6 million US dollars.

Transportation: There is no railway, mainly relying on highways and water transportation, with inland and nearshore shipping occupying an important position.

Highway: the total length is more than 4400km, including about 550km of Class II and third-class highway (asphalt pavement).

Water transportation: The mileage of inland and near sea air transportation exceeds 1800 kilometers; The main port of Bissau Port is the largest transshipment port, fishing port, and foreign trade center in the country. The anchorage in the port area can accommodate 7-8 cargo ships, with an annual cargo throughput of about 500000 tons.

Air transportation: There is Oswaldo Vieira International Airport near the capital, which can accommodate small and medium-sized aircraft for takeoff and landing; There are regular flights to and from Portugal, Senegal, Cape Verde, and Morocco every week.

Financial difficulties and consecutive deficits. The recent fiscal revenue and expenditure situation is as follows (in billions of African francs):