and low-lying further inland

People Guinea-Bissau

Population: 1,345,479 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 281,394; female 282,641) 15-64
years: 55.2% (male 353,755; female 388,968) 65 years and over: 2.9%
(male 17,130; female 21,591) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.23% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 38.95 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 15.05 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.62 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 108.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 52.2 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.13 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 2.5% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 14,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 1,300 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Guinean (s) adjective: Guinean

Ethnic groups: African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga
13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%

Languages: Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 34% male: 50% female: 18% (2000 est.)

Government Guinea-Bissau

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau
conventional short
Guine-Bissau local long form:
Government type: republic, multiparty since mid-1991

Capital: Bissau

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao);
Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali;
note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos

Independence: 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau);
10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Constitution: 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26
February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996

Legal system: NA

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: President Kumba YALA (since 18 February 2000)
elections: held 28 November 1999 and 16 January 2000 (next to be held
NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation
with party leaders in