Guinea-bissau facts
Capital: Bissau
Language: Portuguese.
People: Balante, Fulani, Malinke.
Religion: Indigenous beliefs, Islam and a minority of Christians
Size (sq km): 36,125.
Population: 1,472,780.
Population density/sq km: 40.7.
Casual wear is widely accepted. Social customs should be respected, especially in Muslim areas. If photographing military or police installations, request permission first.
Locally made artefacts and carvings.
Spicy chicken and fish dishes, jollof rice (rice with tomato puree, spiced meat and vegetables), cassava, yams and maize. Cashew nut rum.
International Airports in Guinea-bissau
Bissau - Osvaldo Vieira (OXB) 11 km from the city.
Internal travel in Guinea-bissau
A few internal flights, some serving the outlying islands. Minibuses and bush taxis are used for main routes and trucks (kandongas) for more off-track driving. Most towns are accessible by ship, riverboats or ferry. A small proportion of the roads are all-weather.
Guinea-bissau visas
Required.
Guinea-bissau vaccinations
BCG, Cholera, Diphtheria, Hep. A, Malaria, Meningitis ACWY Rabies, Typhoid, Y. Fever3.
Guinea-bissau driving requirements
International Driving Permit recommended. A temporary licence is available on presentation of a valid UK licence.
Guinea-bissau reps in UK/US
UK/US reps in Guinea-bissau
UK: Mavegro Int. CP 100, Bissau, tel 201 224, fax 201 265, email mavegro@gtelecom.com (the British Consulate, which can only provide limited assistance). The British Embassy in Dakar (see Senegal) usually deals with enquiries relating to Guinea-Bissau. US: The US Embassy in Dakar (see Senegal) deals with enquiries relating to Guinea-Bissau.
Guinea-bissau currency
Communauté Financiare Africaine franc (CFA) = 100 centimes.
Guinea-bissau finance
Very limited use of credit cards, traveller's cheques rarely accepted.
Guinea-bissau business hours
0730-1230, 1430-1830 Monday-Friday.
Guinea-bissau safety information
History of political instability. Landmines present in some areas. Fighting between troops from Guinea-Bissau and Senegalese separatist rebels along the northern border has made this area unsafe. Seek advice before travel.
Guinea-bissau life expectancy
Life expectancy: M 45.37, F 49.04.
Useful websites for travel to Guinea-bissau
www.guineabissau.com, www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/guinea-bissau/.
Local media in Guinea-bissau
No English-language newspapers. One, state-owned TV channel. And one Portugese owned one.
Guinea-bissau tourist boards
n/a.
Tropical climate with a wet season between June and October. It's dry from December to April. There's high humidity in the months leading up to the rain, April and May. The coast has twice as much rain as inland.
GMT GMT.
Communauté Financiare Africaine franc (CFA) = 100 centimes.
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