Guinea bissau Introduction

A former Portuguese colony, Guinea-Bissau's post-independence history has been chequered. A civil war in 1998, followed by the imposition of a military junta in 1999 has been replaced with a multi-party democracy. The economy remains fragile, however hopes are high.

Guinea bissau Weather

Guinea-Bissau has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from June to November with August,the wettest month and a dry season from December to May with April and May being the hottest months. The prevailing wind is the hot Harmattan which blows from the Sahara Desert in the west. Average annual precipitation in Bissau is 1,950 mm (77 inches) while average temperature ranges are from 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) to 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) all year.

Guinea bissau Attractions

Bissau

Guinea bissau History

Guinea-Bissau was once the kingdom of Gabù, part of the Mali Empire; parts of the kingdom subsisted until the 18th century. Though the rivers and coast of this area were among the first places colonized by the Portuguese, who began the slave trade (as we know it) in the 17th century, the interior was not explored until the 19th century. A rebellion beginning in 1956 by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) consolidated its hold on the country by 1973. Independence was unilaterally declared on September 24, 1973 and was recognized by a 93-7 UN General Assembly vote in November [1] , unprecedented as it denounced illegal Portuguese aggression and occupation and was prior to complete control and Portuguese recognition.

Recognition became universal following the Portuguese revolution of 1974. The country was controlled by a revolutionary council until 1984. The first multi-party elections were held in 1994, but an army uprising in 1998 led to the president's ousting and the Guinea-Bissau Civil War. Elections were held in 2000 and Kumba Yala was elected.

In September 2003 a coup took place in which the military arrested Yala, because "he was unable to solve the problems." After being delayed several times, legislative elections were held in March 2004. A mutiny of military factions in October 2004 resulted in the death of the head of the armed forces, and caused widespread unrest.

In June 2005, Presidential elections was held for the first time since the coup that deposed Yala. Yala returned as the candidate for the PRS, claiming to be the legitimate President of the country, but the election was won by former President João Bernardo Vieira, deposed in the 1998 coup. Vieira was a candidate for one sect of the PAIGC. Vieira beat Malam Bacai Sanha in a runoff-election, but Sanha refused to initially concede, claiming that the elections have been fraudulent in two constituencies, including the capital Bissau.

Despite reports that there had been an influx of arms in the weeks leading up to the election and reports of some 'disturbances during campaigning' - including the attacks of the presidential palace and the Interior Ministry by as-of-yet-unidentified gunmen - European monitors labelled the election as "calm and organized".

Guinea bissau Politics

Guinea-Bissau has a multi-party National People's Assembly, as well as a president, both elected by popular vote. The president appoints the prime minister after consultation with the parties in the assembly. The former president, Kumba Yala, belongs to the Social Renovation Party or PRS; other parties in the assembly include the Guinea-Bissau Resistance and PAIGC.