Guinea-Bissau Geography Profile 2000

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Geographic coordinates

12 00 N, 15 00 W

Map references

Africa

Area

total:36,120 sq km
land:28,000 sq km
water:8,120 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries

total:724 km
border countries:Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Coastline

350 km

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone:200 nm
territorial sea:12 nm

Climate

tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain

mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Elevation extremes

lowest point:Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

Natural resources

fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use

arable land:11%
permanent crops:1%
permanent pastures:38%
forests and woodland:38%
other:12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

17 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Environment - current issues

deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to:Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements