Guinea-Bissau
 

to 24 Sep 1973             1967 (proposed colonial flag)                            Adopted 24 Feb 1973   Map of Guniea-Bissau Hear National Anthem "Esta é a Nossa Pátrai Bem Amada"  (This Is Our Beloved Country) Text of National Anthem Adopted 1974 Constitution (16 May 1984) Capital: Bissau (Boe 1973-1974; Bolama 1879-1942) Currency:  Communauté Financière Africaine Franc (XOF); Guinea-Bissau  Peso (GWP) 1974-1997 National Holiday: 24 Sep (1973) Independence Day Population: 1,503,182 (2008) GDP: $857 million (2008) Exports: $133 million (2006) Imports: $200 million (2006)  Ethnic groups: Balante 30%, Fulani 20%, Mandyako 14%,  Malinke 13%, Papel 7%, European and mulatto 2%, other 14% (1995) Total Active Armed Forces: 9,250 (2005) Merchant marine: None (2008) Religions: Traditional beliefs 45.2%, Muslim 39.9%, Christian 13.2% (of which Roman Catholic 9.9%, other Christian 4.1%), other 1.7% (2000) International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfDB, APM, AU, BTWC, CEMAC, CEN-SAD, CPLP, CTBT (signatory), CWC, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, ICSID (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISESCO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, KP, LU, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNCLOS, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Guinea-Bissau Index Chronology 1446                      Discovered and claimed for Portugal by Nuno Tristão. 1588                      Cacheu settled from Cape Verde. 1614                      Cacheu administration begun; subject                             to Cape Verde to 1640. 1640                      Captaincy of Cacheu 1624 - 1630               Dutch occupation of Cacheu. 1687                      Bissau settlement founded by the Portuguese;                             ruled by Cacheu to 1696. 1696                      Portuguese Captaincy of Bissau. 1707 - 1753               Bissau abandoned. 1753                      Bissau a separate Portuguese colony subject                             to Cape Verde. 1792 - 1792               British settlement at Baloma. 1860 - 1870               Bolama declared annexed to Sierra Leone by Britain. 1879                      Bissau and Cacheu united as Portuguese Guinea                              and separated from Cape Verde. Apr 1931 -  2 May 1931    Loyal to the military junta in Madiera,                              sometimes styled República da Atlântida                             (see Madeira). 11 Jun 1951               Portuguese Guinea overseas province. 24 Sep 1973               Independence unilaterally declared                             (State of Guinea-Bissau). 10 Sep 1974               Independence recognized by Portugal 13 Mar 1977               Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Guinea-Bissau (from 1879) Cacheu (1614-1879) Bissau (1696-1879)  Traditional State N'Gabu

Cacheu

Administrators
1614 - c.1615              João Tavares de Sousa
c.1614 - c.1616            Baltasar Pereira de Castelo Branco
c.1616 - c.1622            ....
c.1622 - 16..              Francisco de Távora
16.. - c.1625              ....
c.1625 - 16..              Francisco Sodré Pereira
16.. - c.1633              ....
163. - 1634                Francisco Nunes de Andrade
1634                       Domingos Lôbo Reimão
1634 - 16..                Paulo Barradas da Silva
1633 - c.1640              Manuel da Silva Botelho
Captains-major
c.1640 - 1641              Luis de Magalhães
1641 - 1649                Gonçalo de Gamboa Ayala
1649 - 1650                Gaspar Vogado
1650 - 1654                João Correia Fidalgo
1655 - 16..                Francisco Pereira da Cunha
1658 - 1662                Manuel Dias Contrim
1662 - 1664                António da Fonseca Orneals
1664 - 16..                João Carvalho Moutinho
16.. - 16..                Manuel de Almeida
16.. - 16..                Ambrósio Gomes
c.1674 - 16..              Sebastião Vidigal da Rosa
1676 - 1682                António Barros Bezerra (1st time)
1682 - 1685                Gaspar da Fonseca Pacheco
1685 - 1686                João Gonçalves de Oliveira
1687 - 1688                António Barros Bezerra (2nd time)
1688 - 1689                Rodrigo Olivira da Fonseca
1689 - 1690                José Pinheiro da Câmara
1690 - 1691                Domingos Monteiro de Carvalho
 7 Jan 1692 - 15 Mar 1694  José Pinheiro 
1694 - 1707                Santos de Vidigal Castanho
1707 - 17..                Paulo Gomes de Abreu e Lima
17.. - 1715                ....
1715 - 1719                Antonio Barros Bezerra, Jr. 
                             (1st time)
1719 - 17..                Inácio Lopes Ferreira
17.. - c.1721              ....
c.1721 - 17..              Antonio Barros Bezerra, Jr.
                             (2nd time)
17.. - c.1723              ....
c.1723 - 17..              Pedro de Barros
17.. - c.1726              ....
c.1726 - 17..              Manuel Lopes Lôbo
17.. - c.1729              ....
c.1729 - 1731              João Perestrelo
1731 - 17..                Antonio Barros Bezerra, Jr. 
                             (3rd time)
17.. - 1733                ....
1733 - c.1734              João Pereira de Carvalho
c.1734 - c.1737            ....
c.1737 - 17..              Damião de Bastos
17.. - c.1741              ....
c.1741 - 17..              Nicolau Pino de Araújo
17.. - 1748                ....
1748 - 1751                João de Távora
1751 - c.1755              Francisco Roque Souto-Maior
c.1755 - c.1765            ....
c.1765 - 1770              Sebastião da Cunha Souto-Maior
1770 - c.1774              ....
c.1774                     José Vicente Pereira
1775 - 17..                António Vaz de Araújo
17.. - 1785                António Teles de Meneses
1785 - 1786                João Pereira Barreto
1786 - 17..                Luís de Araújo e Silva
17.. - 1798                Lopo Almeida Henriques
1798 - 1800                ....
1800 - 180.                Manuel Pinto de Gouviea
c.1802 - 1803              José Joaquim de Sousa Torvão
1803 - 181.                João António Pinto
1811 - 1814                Joaqium José Rebêlo de Figueiredo
                             e Góis
1815 - 181.                João Cabral da Cunha Goodolfim 
                             (1st time)
181. - 1819                João Teles de Meneses Drumont 
1820 - 1821                José Correia de Barros
1821 - 182..               João de Araújo Gomes
1823 - c.1825              João Cabral da Cunha Goodolfim
                             (2nd time)
1826 - 18..                António Tavares da Veiga Santos
183. - 1836?               Honório Pereira Barreto (1st time) (b. 1813 - d. 1859)
c.1836 - 18..              José António Ferreira
18.. - 1838                ....
1838 - 18..                Delfim José dos Santos
18.. - 1842                ....
1842 - 1844                António dos Santos Chaves
1844 - 1846                José Xavier do Crato (1st time)
1846 - 1847                Honório Pereira Barreto (2nd time) (s.a.)
1847 - c.1849              José Xavier do Crato (2nd time)
c.1849 - 1852              ....
1852 - 18..                Honório Pereira Barreto (3rd time) (s.a.)
18.. - 1879                ....

Bissau

Captains-major
1696 - 1699                José Pinheiro da Câmara
1699 - 1707                Rodrigo Oliveira da Fonseca
1707 - 1753                abandoned 
1753 - 17..                Nicolau Pino de Araújo
17.. - c.1757              ....
c.1757 - 1759              Manuel Pires
1759 - 17..                Duarte José Róis
17.. - c.1763              .... 
c.1763 - 17..              Filipe José de Souto-Maior
c.1770 - c.1775            Sebastião da Cunha Souto-Maior
c.1775 - c.1777            ....
c.1777 - 17..              Ignácio Xavier Baião
1793 - c.1796              José António Pinto
c.1796 - 1799              ....
1799 - 180.                João das Noeves Leão
1803 - 180.                António Cardoso Faria
1805 - 1811                Manuel Pinto de Gouveia
1811 - 18..                António Cardoso Figueiredo
c.1820 - c.1821            João Higino Curvo Semedo
1822 - 182.                Joaquim António de Matos (1st time)
182. - 1825                Domingos Álves de Abreu Picaluga
1825 - 1827                Joaquim António de Matos (2nd time)
1827 - 182.                Fancisco José Muacho
c.1829 - 1830              Caetano José Nozolini (1st time)
1830 - 183.                Joaquim António de Matos (3rd time)
183. - 1834                Caetano José Nozolini (2nd time)
1834 - 183.                Joaquim António de Matos (4th time)
1836                       José Eleutério Rocha Vieira
1836 - 1839                Honório Pereira Barreto (1st time) (b. 1813 - d. 1859)
1839 - 1840                José Gonçalves Barbosa (1st time)
1840 - 1841                Honório Pereira Barreto (2nd time) (s.a.)
1841 - 1842                José Paulo Machado
1842 - 1843                António Tavares da Veiga Santos
1843 - 1844                José Maria Coelho
1844 - 1845                Alois da Rôla Dziezaski (1st time)
1845 - 1847                Joaquim de Azevedo Alpoim
1847 - 1848                Carlos Maximiliano de Sousa
1848 - 1850                Caetano José Nozolini (3rd time)
1851 - 185.                Alois da Rôla Dziezaski (2nd time)
1852                       Libánio Evangelista dos Santos
1852 - 1853                José Maria Lôbo de Ávila
1853 - 1854                José Maria Correia da Silva
1854                       Pedro Henriques Romão Ferreir
1855 - 1858                Honório Pereira Barreto (3rd time) (s.a.)
1858                       António Pereira Mousinho de 
                             Albuquerque Cota Falcão
1858 - 1859                Honório Pereira Barreto (4th time) (s.a.)
1860 - 1862                António Cândido Zagalo
1863 - 186.                Joaquim Alberto Marquês (1st time)
1867 - 1868                Bernardo José Moreira
1868 - 1869                Maunel Fortunato Meira
1869 - 1871                Álvaro Teles Caldeira
1871                       José Xavier do Crato
1871 - 187.                Joaquim Alberto Marquês (2nd time)
c.1877 - 1879              António José Cabral Vieira

Secretaries-general of the African Independence Party

of Guinea-Bissau [and to 1980 Cape Verde] (PAIGC)

1963 - 20 Jan 1973         Amílcar Lopes Cabral                 (b. 1924 - d. 1973)

22 Jul 1973 - 20 Nov 1977  Aristides Maria Pereira              (b. 1923) 

                            (arrived in Bissau 19 Oct 1974)

20 Nov 1977 - 14 Nov 1980  Luís de Almeida Cabral               (b. 1931 - d. 2009)

14 Nov 1980 -  7 May 1999  João Bernardo Vieira                 (b. 1939 - d. 2009)

                           (multi-party system introduced May 1991)

 

Governors

1879 - 1881                Agostinho Coelho                     (b. 1828 - d. 1888)

1881 - 1884                Pedro Inácio de Gouveia (1st time)   (b. 1840 - d. ....)

1885 - 1886                Francisco de Paula Gomes Barbosa

1886 - 1887                José Eduardo de Brito                (b. 1839 - d. 1903)

1887                       Eusébio Castelo do Valle

30 May 1887 -  4 Sep 1888  Francisco Teixeira da Silva          (b. 1826 - d. 1894)

 4 Sep 1888 - 1890         Joaquim da Graça Correia e Lança     (b. 1856 - d. 1900)

1890 - 1891                Augusto Rogério Gonçalves dos Santos

30 Apr 1891 - 1895         Luís Augusto de Vasconcelos e Sá     (b. 1842 - d. 1926)

1895 - 26 May 1895         Eduardo Oliveira

26 May 1895 - 1897         Pedro Inácio de Gouveia (2nd time)   (s.a.)

1897 - 1898                Álvaro Herculano da Cunha 

                             (1st time) (acting)

1898 - 1899                Albano Mendes de Magalhães Ramalho

1899 - 1900                Álvaro Herculano da Cunha 

                             (2nd time) (acting)

1901 - 1903                Joaquim Pedro Vieira Judice Biker    (b. 1867 - d. 1926)

                             (acting)

1903 - 1904                Alfredo Cardoso Soveral Martins 

                             (acting)

1904                       João Mateus Lapa Valente (acting)

1904 - 1906                Carlos de Almeida Pessanha

1906 - 1909                João Augusto de Oliveira Muzanty     (b. 1872 - d. 1937)

1909 - 1910                Francelino Pimentel

23 Oct 1910 - Aug 1913     Carlos de Almeida Pereira            (b. 1874 - d. 1948)

1913 - 1914                José António de Andrade Sequeira 

                             (1st time)

1914 - 1915                José de Oliveira Duque (1st time)

1915 - 1917                José António de Andrade Sequeira 

                             (2nd time)

1917                       Manuel Maria Coelho                  (b. 1857 - d. 1943)

1917 - 1919                Carlos Ivo de Sá Ferreira

1919                       José de Oliveira Duque (2nd time)

1919                       José Luis Teixeira Marinho

1919 - 1920                Henrique Alberto de Sousa Guerra

1921 - 1926                Jorge Frederico Vélez Caroco

1927 - 1931                António Leite de Magalhães

1931 - 1932                João José Soares Zilhão              (b. 1887 - d. 1979)

1932 - 1940                Luís António de Carvalho Viegas

1941 - 1945                Ricardo Vaz Monteiro

15 Mar 1945 - 20 Jan 1949  Manuel Maria Sarmento Rodrigues      (b. 1899 - d. 1979)

1951 - 1953                Raimundo Antonio Rodrigues Serrão

1954 - 1956                Diogo António José Leite Pereira de  (b. 1904 - d. 1973) 

                             Mello e Alvim

1957 - 1958                Álvaro Rodrigues da Silva Tavares    (b. 1915)

1959 - 1962                António Augusto Peixoto Correia      (b. 1913)

1962 - 1965                Vasco António Martínez Rodrigues

1965 - 1968                Arnaldo Schulz                       (b. 1910 - d. 1993)

20 May 1968 -  1 Sep 1973  António Sebastião Ribeiro de Spínola (b. 1910 - d. 1996)

30 Sep 1973 - 26 Apr 1974  José Manuel Bettencourt Rodrigues    (b. 1918)

27 Apr 1974 -  2 May 1974  Mateus da Silva

 2 May 1974 -  7 May 1974  San Gouveia

 7 May 1974 - 10 Sep 1974  Carlos Alberto Idães Soares Fabião   (b. 1930 - d. 2006)

Presidents

24 Sep 1973 - 14 Nov 1980  Luís de Almeida Cabral               (s.a.)               PAIGC

                             (chairman Council of State)

                             (arrived in Bissau 19 Oct 1974)

14 Nov 1980 - 14 May 1984  João Bernardo Vieira (1st time)      (s.a.)               PAIGC/Mil

                             (chairman Council of the Revolution)

14 May 1984 - 16 May 1984  Carmen Pereira (f) (acting)          (b. 1937)            PAIGC

                             (president of the National People's Assembly)

16 May 1984 -  7 May 1999  João Bernardo Vieira (2nd time)      (s.a.)               PAIGC

                             (chairman Council of State to 29 Sep 1994)

 7 May 1999 - 14 May 1999  Ansumane Mané                        (b. 1940? - d. 2000) Mil

                             (commander of the Military Junta)

14 May 1999 - 17 Feb 2000  Malam Bacai Sanhá (1st time)(acting) (b. 1947)            PAIGC

17 Feb 2000 - 14 Sep 2003  Kumba Ialá (Kumba Yallá)             (b. 1953)            PRS

14 Sep 2003 - 28 Sep 2003  Veríssimo Correia Seabra (interim)   (b. 1947 - d. 2004)  Mil

                            (president of the Military Committee for the

                             Restitution of Constitutional and Democratic Order)

28 Sep 2003 -  1 Oct 2005  Henrique Pereira Rosa (interim)      (b. 1946)            Non-party

 1 Oct 2005 -  2 Mar 2009  João Bernardo Vieira (3rd time)      (s.a.)               PAIGC

 3 Mar 2009 -  8 Sep 2009  Raimundo Perreira (interim)          (b. 1956?)           PAIGC

 8 Sep 2009 -              Malam Bacai Sanhá (2nd time)         (s.a.)               PAIGC

 

Prime ministers

24 Sep 1973 -  7 Jul 1978  Francisco Mendès                     (b. 1939 - d. 1978)  PAIGC

 7 Jul 1978 - 28 Sep 1978  Constantino Teixeira                                      PAIGC 

28 Sep 1978 - 14 Nov 1980  João Bernardo Vieira                 (s.a.)               PAIGC

14 May 1982 - 10 Mar 1984  Victor Saúde Maria                   (b. 1939 - d. 1999)  PAIGC

10 Mar 1984 - 27 Dec 1991  Post abolished

27 Dec 1991 - 26 Oct 1994  Carlos Correia (1st time)            (b. 1933)            PAIGC

26 Oct 1994 -  6 Jun 1997  Manuel Saturnino da Costa            (b. 1942)            PAIGC

 6 Jun 1997  - 3 Dec 1998  Carlos Correia (2nd time)            (s.a.)               PAIGC

 3 Dec 1998 - 19 Feb 2000  Francisco José Fadul                 (b. 1953)            Non-party

19 Feb 2000 - 19 Mar 2001  Caetano N'Tchama                     (b. 1955)            PRS

21 Mar 2001 -  9 Dec 2001  Faustino Fudut Imbali                (b. 1956?)           Non-party

 9 Dec 2001 - 17 Nov 2002  Alamara Ntchina Nhassè               (b. 1957)            PRS

17 Nov 2002 - 14 Sep 2003  Mário Pires                          (b. 1949?)           PRS

14 Sep 2003 - 28 Sep 2003  Vacant

28 Sep 2003 - 10 May 2004  António Artur Sanhá                  (b. 1965?)           PRS

10 May 2004 -  2 Nov 2005  Carlos Gomes Júnior (1st time)       (b. 1949)            PAIGC

 2 Nov 2005 - 13 Apr 2007  Aristides Gomes                      (b. 1954)            PAIGC

13 Apr 2007 -  6 Aug 2008  Martinho Ndafa Kabi                  (b. 1957)            PAIGC

 6 Aug 2008 -  2 Jan 2009  Carlos Correia (3rd time)            (s.a.)               PAIGC

 2 Jan 2009 -              Carlos Gomes Júnior (2nd time)       (s.a.)               PAIGC

 

Territorial Disputes: In 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau. 

Party abbreviations: PAIGC = Partido Africano da Independência de Guiné e Cabo Verde (African

Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde, marxist, only legal party 1974-1991, to 1980 pro-union with Cape Verde); PRS = Partido para a Renovaçao Social (Party for Social Renewal, progressive); Mil = Military

c.1250 - 1546              Part of Mali.
13..                       Mandingo begin to rule at N'Gabu (or Gabú).
1546                       Autonomy from Mali.
1867                       Fulani rulers replace the Mandingo.
1903?                      Suppressed by Portugal.

Rulers
c.1850                     Siibo
18.. - 1867                Mansa Janke Waali
1867 - 1881                Alfa Molo (Molo Egue)
1881 - 1883                Bakari Demba
1883 - 1903?               Alfa Musa Molo