The Republic of Guinea Bissau is a republic in west Africa. It has a total area of 36,120 km2. The climate is tropical; generally hot and humid with a monsoon-type rainy season from June to November with south-westerly winds and a dry season from December to May with north-easterly harmattan winds. The terrain is mostly low coastal plain rising to savannah in east. Natural resources are unexploited deposits of petroleum, bauxite, phosphates; fish, timber. The religion is 65% indigenous beliefs, 30% Muslim, 5% Christian. The official language is Portuguese with Criolo and numerous African languages also spoken. The first European to visit the area was the Portugese slave-trader Nuno Tristao in 1446 and the area subsequently became a major center of the slave trade. In 1687 a Portugese port was established in Bissau and in 1879 a Portugese colony created as 'Portugese Guinea'. A war of independence broke out in 1961, with Guinea-Bissau declaring itself independent in 1973 and the war ending the following year. Research Guinea Bissau
Abbreviations
Gazetteer
Research Guinea Bissau