Best Bitcoin Card for Guinea-Bissau
The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is located in West Africa on the Atlantic coast and with a size of 36 125 km² is about the size of the Netherlands. The country borders Senegal to the north, Guinea to the east and south and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The 60 islands of the Bissago archipelago off the coast belong to the state territory.
The coast is strongly indented by the estuaries of numerous rivers that reach deep into the interior of the country. In this area there are extensive mudflats and marshlands. The slightly hilly coastal plain lies about 30 to 50 m above sea level, and in the east the country gradually rises to a plateau landscape that rises to a maximum of 300 m in the southeast of the country in the foothills of the Fouta Djalon Mountains. The capital Bissau lies on the Atlantic coast.
Political System
According to the 1999 constitution, Guinea-Bissau is a democratic presidential republic. The head of state is the president (José Mário Vaz (since June 2014), who is elected by the people for a five-year term (one-off re-election). He appoints the Prime Minister (Domingos Simões Pereira, since July 2014) in consultation with the party leaders of the parties represented in parliament.
The National Assembly has the legislative power and its 100 deputies are elected by the people for five years. Guinea-Bissau is divided into eight regions and one capital district, the regions into 37 sectors.
Economy
Guinea-Bissau is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and highly dependent on foreign financial and development assistance. Per capita income is estimated at USD 500. Due to a lack of state structures and widespread poverty, which encourages corruption, the country is increasingly developing into a drug trafficking centre (mainly cocaine) between South America and Europe as well as the USA and Canada.
The most important sector is agriculture, where two-thirds are employed and generate about 60 % of GDP. Rice, manioc, maize and sugar cane are cultivated mainly for the country’s own needs. Cashew nuts, peanuts and palm kernels are exported. Food must be imported. To a small extent, precious woods are exported, but the forest stands are mainly used for the production of firewood. Fishing is important both for supplying the population with food and for export.
The mineral resources available in Guinea-Bissau (including large deposits of bauxite, zinc, copper, diamonds and oil) were mined primarily by foreign companies. Offshore oil deposits were discovered off the coast. They have not yet been exploited, but could strengthen Guinea-Bissau’s economy in the future.
The most important trading partners for exports (cashew nuts, fish, shrimps, peanuts, palm kernels and wood) are India, Thailand and the USA. Senegal is the most important partner for the import of goods (above all food, machinery, vehicles, fuels), followed by Portugal, India and China. The road network covers about 4 400 km, of which about 450 km is paved. The numerous rivers are important links. There is an international airport near Bissau. The currency is the CFA franc.