Guinea-Bissau is a country in Western Africa, one of the 17 entries this site files under that subregion. The long form of the name is Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Its capital, Bissau, shares its name with the country itself — a giveaway that this is a city-state or something close to one.
Some 2.2 million people call it home, placing it 148th of 250 by population — between Lesotho above it and Slovenia below. Among the 17 entries in Western Africa it ranks 14th by area and 15th by population.
Its territory runs to 36,125 km², which ranks it 140th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Taiwan and just ahead of Moldova. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is a fraction smaller than Switzerland.
How Guinea-Bissau sits on the globe
Its reference point sits at 12.0° north and 15.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 1,336 km from the equator, in what geographers would call tropical latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Somalia, the Philippines and Cambodia.
It borders 2 neighbours: Guinea and Senegal. The largest of them by area is Guinea, while the most populous is Senegal. Together those neighbours hold about 33.3 million people.
It has both a coastline and land borders, which is the most common arrangement of all.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Density comes out at around 61 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
2 languages carry official status: Portuguese and Upper Guinea Creole. Upper Guinea Creole is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to Guinea-Bissau. Portuguese, the first listed, is shared with 9 other entries worldwide.
People from Guinea-Bissau are called Guinea-Bissauans.
Inside Africa it places 46th of 59 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Western Africa.
Currency, domain and dialling code
It uses the West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF). That is a shared currency: 7 other entries use it, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali and Niger.
The top-level domain is .gw. The international dialling code is +245. Its ISO codes are gw and GNB, which is what most databases and flag files use.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Guinea-Bissau shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Guinea-Bissau
- Its full official name is Republic of Guinea-Bissau.
- It lies about 1,336 km from the equator, in tropical latitudes.
- People from Guinea-Bissau are known as Guinea-Bissauans.
- The capital shares its name with the country itself.
- In land area it is a fraction smaller than Switzerland.
- Within Western Africa it is the 14th largest of 17.
- Its currency, the West African CFA franc, is shared with 7 other entries.
- Somalia and the Philippines sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
Guinea-Bissau — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Guinea-Bissau?
- The capital of Guinea-Bissau is Bissau. The city and the country share a name, which is typical of a city-state.
- What is the population of Guinea-Bissau?
- Guinea-Bissau has a population of about 2.2 million, which makes it the 148th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Lesotho sits just above it and Slovenia just below.
- What currency does Guinea-Bissau use?
- Guinea-Bissau uses the West African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XOF). It is shared with 7 other entries.
- Is Guinea-Bissau a country?
- Yes. Guinea-Bissau is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- What language is spoken in Guinea-Bissau?
- Guinea-Bissau lists 2 official languages: Portuguese and Upper Guinea Creole. Upper Guinea Creole does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.
- Which countries border Guinea-Bissau?
- Guinea-Bissau borders 2 countries: Guinea and Senegal. Guinea is the largest of them by area.
- Where is Guinea-Bissau located?
- Guinea-Bissau is in Western Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 12.0° north and 15.0° west, roughly 1,336 km from the equator in tropical latitudes.
- How big is Guinea-Bissau?
- Guinea-Bissau covers 36,125 km², ranking 140th of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than Switzerland.
