: 28,000 sq km
comparative area: 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:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: none

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
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the
country 300 m

Natural resources: phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of
petroleum, fish, timber

Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 43%
forest and woodland: 38%
other: 7%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce
visibility during dry season; brush fires
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test
Ban, Wetlands

People
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Population: 1,151,330 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 247,471; female 246,725)
15-64 years: 54% (male 295,132; female 329,681)
65 years and over: 3% (male 15,603; female 16,718) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.35% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 39.7 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 16.23 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 115.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 48.28 years
male: 46.63 years
female: 49.99 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.34 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Guinea-Bissauan(s)
adjective: Guinea-Bissauan

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

Religions: indigenous beliefs 65%, Muslim 30%, Christian 5%

Languag