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Geography of Guinea-Bissau

Location:Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Geographic coordinates:12 00 N, 15 00 W
Map references:Africa
Area:total: 36,120 sq km
land: 28,000 sq km
water: 8,120 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Coastline:350 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain:mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
Natural resources:fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Land use:arable land: 8.31%
permanent crops: 6.92%
other: 84.77% (2005)
Irrigated land:250 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environment - current issues:deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland

Guinea-Bissau Quickstats

  • Population: 1,472,780 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 36,120 sq km
  • Density: 44 /km² (154th)
  • GDP (total): $1.167 billion (165th)
  • GDP (per capita): $736 (177th)
  • Literacy: 42.4%

Languages of Guinea-Bissau

Useful to know

  • Currency: CFA franc (XOF)
  • Dial code: +245

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