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eneral Information
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Area
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36,125 sq km (13,948 sq miles).
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Population
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1,161,000 (1998).
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Population Density
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32.1 per sq km.
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Capital
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Bissau. Population: 197,610 (1991).
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Geography
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Guinea-Bissau (formerly Portuguese Guinea) is located in West Africa, and is bounded to the north by Senegal and to the south
and east by the Republic of Guinea. It encompasses the adjacent Bijagós Islands and the island of Bolama. The country rises
from a coastal plain broken up by numerous inlets through a transitional plateau to mountains on the border with Guinea. Thick
forest and mangrove swamp cover the area nearest the Atlantic Ocean. Savannah covers the inland areas.
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Government
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Republic. Gained independence from Portugal in 1973. Head of State: President Kumba Yala since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Alamara Nhassé since 2001.
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Language
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Official language is Portuguese. The majority of the population speak Guinean Creole. Balante and Fulani languages are also
spoken.
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Religion
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Mainly Animist and Muslim. There is a small minority of Roman Catholics and other Christians.
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Time
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GMT.
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Electricity
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Limited electricity supply on 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
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Communications
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Telephone
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IDD is available. Country code: 245. Outgoing international calls must go through the operator. It is difficult to find public
telephones or to receive international calls. Telephone services are also expensive.
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Press
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There are no English-language papers. Nô Pintcha is published daily and Banobero weekly.
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BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies
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From time to time these change.
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BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice)
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| MHz |
17.83 |
15.40 |
11.77 |
7.160 |
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Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov)
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| MHz |
15.58 |
11.98 |
6.035 |
0.909 |
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Overview 
