AFRICA

Guinea-Bissau

A small West African nation where the mainland dissolves into the Bijagos, a scatter of more than 80 islands and islets that shelter saltwater hippos, sea turtles and mangrove channels reachable only by boat.

WHAT THE FLAG MEANS ◢

A red vertical band at the hoist bearing a black star, beside horizontal bands of yellow over green. The colours are conventionally read as red for the blood of the independence struggle, yellow for the sun and green for the land, with the black star for African unity - the same Black Star that Ghana put on its flag and that Guinea-Bissau took from the movement that won its independence.

Guinea-Bissau FACTS ◢

Capital	Bissau
Continent	Africa
Population	2,249,515 (2025)
Area	36,125 km²
Population density	62/km²
Currency	West African CFA franc (XOF)
Official language	Portuguese
Calling code	+245
Internet TLD	.gw
Time zone	UTC±00:00
Drives on the	Right
ISO codes	GW / GNB

DID YOU KNOW? ◢

Its Bijagos Archipelago is a UNESCO biosphere reserve made up of more than 80 islands and islets.
The islands are home to rare saltwater-tolerant hippos that swim between the mangroves.
The Bijagos beaches are a major nesting site for endangered sea turtles.
Cashew nuts are the country's biggest export crop.