Welcome to Plan Guinea-Bissau
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| A village scene |
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Guinea-Bissau is a former Portuguese colony. The name of the capital city, Bissau, is added to the name of the country to distinguish it from its southern neighbour Guinea.
Most of the country’s population depends for its livelihood on small-scale farming. Most people live in rural areas where schools, markets and health centres are not easily accessible. The road network is very limited, and electricity, which exists only in the cities, is sporadic.
The beautiful Bijagos Archipelago Islands are a source of pride for Guineans. Bubaque Island is particularly popular with visitors.
With a population of 1.5 million, Guinea Bissau is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It is also one of the poorest in the world, with infant mortality rates of 110 per 1,000 live births and a literacy rate among over 15s of just 34 per cent.