e or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president,
Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Social Democratic Party or
PUSD [Victor Sau'de MARIA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP,
AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Mario LOPES DA ROSA

chancery: Suite 519, 1511 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005

telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950

FAX: [1] (202) 347-3954

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US Embassy suspended
operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between
forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and
green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black
five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Guinea-Bissau Economy

Economy - overview: One of the 20 poorest countries in the world,
Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops
have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks
sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood
along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice
is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting
between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta
destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread
damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in
GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2000. Before the war,
trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part
of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF
sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development
of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy.
Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and
other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However,
unexploited offshore oil reserves could provide much-needed revenue
in the long run.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.6% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power p