Everything you need to know about Guinea-Bissau: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Guinea-Bissau: Former Portuguese West African Colony
Guinea-Bissau was formerly known as the kingdom of Gabu and a part of Mali Empire. Later it gained its autonomous status until the year 1867. Nuño Tristão was the first European explorer of Portugal to come across this area in 1446. The Portuguese colonizers in Cape Verde carried out their trading and the slave trade. In the year 1956, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde was founded. However, this country has faced major military and political mayhem since the year of its independence. In 1980, a dictatorial leader Joao Bernardo 'Nino' Vieira was made the President by a military coup.
Guinea-Bissau Fast Facts:
This country experiences warm climate throughout the year however varying in temperature seasonally. The climate is tropical and hot and humid and in the months of December to May there is a dry season followed by seasonal rainfalls from June to November.
Guinea-Bissau is ranked fifth among the other poor nations of the world. It is largely dependent on fishing and farming. It produces Cashew nuts on a large scale and exports the same along with peanuts, palm kernels, timber, fish and seafood. It also has some considerable amounts of petroleum. Its economy is also largely dependent on international aid.
Culture and Cuisine of Guinea-Bissau:
Though the majority of Guinea-Bissau locals speak in Portuguese, French and Creole, some groups also speak in their vernacular language that includes Pulaar, Mandjak, Mandinka and many others. The folk music also forms an integral part of their culture comprising of Tina and Tinga along with kussundé, Mandinga djambadon and the kundere musical tunes. Their colonial architecture depicts the origins of West African culture.
The influences of Arab, European and Asian are clearly depicted in this country’s cuisine. Fish and seafood forms an important part of Guinea-Bissau cuisine. Besides this, the fresh fruits and vegetables are used in plenty in the cuisine. Also the natives use a lot of spices that includes pepper and chilies.
Tourist Sites in Guinea-Bissau:
The Portuguese colonial influence is visible through its architectural designs, cuisines and various entertainment sources. Guinea-Bissau offers a natural scenic beauty comprising of beaches set in the backdrop of rainforests. Bissau, the capital city of the country is the center of administration and the prime tourist destination. The Museum of African Artifacts incorporates the relics of African culture. Bafata, the country’s wildlife reserve and the Roman Catholic Diocese are some of the other significant places.
Lagos, May 10 (IANS) Former Nigeria national football coach Joseph Ladipo passed away in the southwest city of Ibadan. He was 72.
Suva, May 7 (IANS) There is a chance that Australia and New Zealand could be a part of future Pacific Games.
Washington, May 3 (ANI): Not only as a common food, but figs are familiar to a wide cross-section of human society for their spiritual importance.
Tehran, April 29 (IANS) Iran is ready to host the next meeting of the quartet group on Syria set to begin in near future, the country's foreign minister Ali-Akbar Salehi has said.
Sydney, Apr. 9 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has announced a new 'strategic partnership' between Australia and China during her visit to Beijing.
Manila, April 5 (Xinhua-ANI):Top officials from the United States and Philippines on Friday formally started a joint military exercise which will involve 8,000 troops from both countries and dozens of military assets, including a squadron of F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets.
Panaji, April 4 (IANS) There will be no Commonwealth Games (CWG) like "confusion" in raising infrastructure for the Portuguese Commonwealth Games scheduled to start in Goa in November this year, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar said Thursday.
New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) If Indian companies do not quickly move into West Africa, Western firms will control the $300-million strong market, says Guinea-Bissau Prime Minister Rui Duarte de Barros.
Panaji, March 21 (IANS) A game of football will open the 2013 Lusofonia Games in Goa, which will be thrown open in November this year.
New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) India's efforts to raise its engagement with French-speaking Cote d'Ivoire - the former Ivory Coast - will see the formation of an India-Cote d'Ivoire Business Council that can serve as a bridge to the west African region.
Washington, Mar. 8 (ANI): More than 140 million girls will become child brides between 2011 and 2020, according to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
London, February 26 (ANI): Using the latest carbon emissions scenarios and climate models, researchers have shown how rising sea temperatures are likely are likely to result in more frequent and severe coral bleaching events.
New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Endo Lighting Corporation, one of the well-known lighting brands from Japan, is entering the Indian market with their first store in the capital.
Lagos, Feb 20 (IANS) Gunmen attacked a vessel off southern Nigeria and kidnapped six foreigners on board, including three Ukrainians, two Indians and a Russian, police said Wednesday.
Cape Town, Feb 15 (IANS) The South African government's vision of a better Africa in a better world will receive great impetus when it hosts the 5th BRICS Summit next month in Durban, President Jacob Zuma has said in his State of the Nation address at parliament.
New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sits with President Fracois Hollande here Thursday for a review of the strategic partnership, he would perhaps do well to seek a little more clarity on the situation in the Sahel which holds significant interest for India.
Moscow, Feb 8 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A British vessel with two Russians onboard has been seized by unidentified attackers off the West African nation of Cameroon, the Russian foreign ministry said Friday.
Accra, Feb 8 (IANS) Ghanaian president John Dramani Mahama has said the government would engage the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to perform a post-mortem on the Black Stars' failure to glitter in the ongoing African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.
London, Feb 7 (IANS) A 20-year-old woman was tortured and burned alive after being accused of using sorcery to kill a boy in Papua New Guinea, BBC reported Thursday.
After an 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit near Lata in Temotu province of Solomons Islands, a small tsunami of about 3 feet (0.9 metres) swept across the islands causing not much damage.
New Delhi, Feb 5 (IANS) Guinea, the resource-rich West African nation, is ready to offer Indian firms farmland and mineral resources on lease for development. Guinea holds nearly two-thirds of the world's bauxite reserves and has huge deposits of gold and diamonds.
Chandigarh, Jan 31 (IANS) Upgraded to an international crafts fair, the Surajkund Crafts Mela will be inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday (Feb 2) in Haryana's Faridabad district, adjoining New Delhi.
Nairobi, Jan 31 (IANS) Kenya will play Libya in Tunis next week minus their midfield maestro McDonald Mariga of Inter Milan.
Agra, Jan 29 (IANS) Value chains of developing economies can increase competitiveness, ascertain viability of a business, and meet development aspirations of the people, said participants at a session of the Partnership Summit here.
United Nations, Jan 29 (IANS) India has stressed that the UNDP should focus on "decimating poverty" and that UN development systems need to be "firmly rooted in its core focus area" of only development-related work in order to be successful.
Budapest, Jan 26 (IANS) The Budapest-Bamako rally got off to a shaky start from here amid warnings from authorities that drivers were heading to a war zone.
London, Jan. 21 (ANI): Shamed former International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn had paid 950,000 pounds to the New York hotel cleaner who has accused him of trying to rape her.
New York, Jan. 19 (ANI): Two Dutch TV hosts, who were not content simply sympathizing with women over labour pains, received shocks to their abdomens in a controlled experiment to simulate the agony of giving birth on their program 'Proefkonijnen' (Guinea Pigs).
Accra, Jan 18 (IANS) Indians in Nigeria have been told to to limit their exposure in areas where they could fall victims to violence caused by the Boko Haram rebel group.
Washington, Jan 15 (ANI): Australia is thought to have remained largely isolated between its initial colonization around 40,000 years ago and the arrival of Europeans in the late 1800s.
Sydney, Jan. 11 (ANI): Australia carrier Qantas experienced a dramatic 'snakes on a plane' episode on Thursday after a three meter python flew with passengers during a flight for Papua New Guinea.
Kochi, Jan 9 (IANS) Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi Wednesday announced the winners of the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Divas awards, to be given away here later in the day by President Pranab Mukherjee.
Singapore, Jan 8 (IANS) Robust immunity may explain why bats are capable of sustained flights, the only one among mammals to fly, and not their high metabolism as thought earlier, says a new study.
London, Jan 7 (IANS) Babies carried upright by their parents grow into more self-assured and poised kids compared to those who are just made to sit in prams, says a Pulitzer Prize-winning scientist.
New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) Veteran Bollywood actor Kulbhushan Kharbanda marked his return to the Delhi stage after 20 years at the inauguration of the 15th edition of Bharat Rangmahotsav, the National School of Drama's annual theatre fest that opened Jan 5.
Bissau, Dec 29 (IANS) At least 22 people were drowned and about 70 others were missing Friday after their boat sank off the west African nation of Guinea-Bissau.
Kiev, Dec 26 (IANS) Mykhail Fomenko will be the new coach of the Ukrainian national football team, the local media reported Wednesday.
Accra, Dec 21 (IANS) Zambia were named Africa's national football side of the year at the Confederation of African Football awards.
Lagos, Dec. 20 (Xinhua-ANI): Five Indian crew members were seized in an attack by pirates on an oil tanker off Nigeria, according to information monitored here on Wednesday.
Lagos (Nigeria), Dec 19 (IANS) Sea pirates attacked an oil tanker off Nigeria and took five Indian crew members as hostage, Xinhua reported Wednesday.
Abu Dhabi, Dec 11 (IANS/WAM) Etihad Airways, the national airlines of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced to establish air links between the UAE and Guinea in west Africa.
Washington, Dec. 5 (ANI): Rising sea level is putting island nations such as Nauru, the world's smallest independent republic on the verge of disappearing.
London, Nov. 27 (ANI): A British adventurer has become the first person to travel to all 201 sovereign states in the world without flying.
Sydney, Nov 19 (IANS) Marine reserves seem to dumb down survival instincts among protected fishes, especially when it comes to avoiding spear fishers outside the protected zone, according to an Australian study.
Panaji, Nov 7 (IANS) Goa-based Norbert Rebello sails through words with the same ease as he navigates bulk tankers across the oceans. He readies this week for his second novel, also on a theme set at sea, giving hint of how diverse interests show up as more Indian captains and officers take to the global merchant navy fleet.
Dubai, Nov 6 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Guinea have held discussions for boosting their relations, especially in higher education and scientific research.
London, October 29 (ANI): Camilla, who clearly felt in need of a little pampering ahead of a three-week tour of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand, has flown to southern India for a secret week-long retreat at a "holistic heath centre".
New Delhi, Oct 24 (Business Wire-ANI): ESPN STAR Sports (ESS), Asia's No. 1 sports content provider, today announced new carriage deals for STAR Cricket in the Philippines and Indonesia, highlighting its expanding footprint beyond traditional cricket markets and ESS' efforts in growing the popularity of the sport across South-east Asia.
London, Oct 7 (ANI): English author Ian Fleming's James Bond, who is a womaniser, a action man, a cool customer and a suave connoisseur, was created from four elite commandos, it has been revealed.
Gaborone, Oct 5 (IANS) Bostwana's chief football coach Stanley Tshosane named a 25-member squad that will face Mali in a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) third round, second-leg qualifier slated for Oct 13.
London, Sep 25 (IANS) An illegal immigrant was busted trying to enter Spain despite his best efforts at pretending to be a car seat, the Daily Mail reported Tuesday.
Yaounde, Sep 14 (IANS) Cameroon Sports Minister Adoum Garoua has appointed Jean-Paul Akono as the new coach of the national football team after incumbent Denis Lavagne was sacked.
Washington, Sept 10 (ANI): James Cameron, who broke records by plunging seven miles underwater to reach the ocean's deepest point, treated his fans to a glimpse of the solo dive by presenting his first 3D clips of the journey on Sunday.
Lagos/Singapore, Sep 5 (IANS) Twenty-three Indian sailors on board an oil tanker hijacked by pirates off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, have been rescued by the Nigerian security forces, the authorities and the shipping company said Wednesday.
Sea pirates have hijacked a gasoline ship in which 23 Indian were sailing off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria 's commercial hub, said the oil tanker company Wednesday......
Lagos, Sep 5 (IANS) Twenty-three Indian sailors are on board an oil tanker hijacked by pirates off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, said the oil tanker company Wednesday.
Lagos, Sep 5 (IANS) As many as 23 Indian sailors were being held hostage since Tuesday night by pirates who hijacked an oil tanker with a Singapore-based company in southwest Nigeria's Lagos State port, the firm said.
Washington, September 5 (ANI): The findings of a new study have challenged the widely-accepted theory that Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the most lethal form of malaria, is the only malaria parasite capable of driving genome evolution in humans.
Beijing, Sep 1 (IANS) Even as only a thin Chinese belt experiences tropical weather, the technology it uses to grow and process tropical fruit may contribute to the country's thriving cooperation with Africa, Xinhua reported.
Moscow, Aug 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A group of pirates who hijacked an oil tanker with a Russian crew in the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa left the vessel after pumping out 3,000 tonnes of petrol, said the crewing company Thursday.
Shillong, Aug 24 (IANS) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) would soon float global tender for introducing polymer currency notes, Deputy Governor K.C. Chakrabarty said Friday.
Townsville (Australia), Aug 19 (IANS/CMC) Unbeaten West Indies team will chase a spot in the final four of the Under-19 cricket World Cup when they clash with New Zealand in their quarterfinal match here Monday.
Townsville (Australia), Aug 19 (IANS) A thrilling contest is on the cards Monday when India and Pakistan clash here at the Tony Ireland Stadium for a place in the semifinal of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
London, Aug 19 (ANI): A man from France, who lost all his limbs in an electrocution accident, has linked five continents by swimming.
Townsville (Australia), Aug 16 (IANS) India trounced minnows Papua New Guinea by 107 runs to set up a quarterfinal clash with arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Under-19 World Cup at Endeavour Park here Thursday.
Townsville (Australia), Aug 13 (IANS) Competition heavyweights Australia, the West Indies and Pakistan swept aside their rivals from qualifying nations, while Sri Lanka got their campaign back on track in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup here Monday.
Washington, Aug 6 (IANS) Researchers have made a major advance in their bid to regenerate damaged heart by grafting human cardiac muscle cells into guinea pig hearts.
Brisbane (Australia), Aug.5 (ANI): The Pakistan Under-19 squad that will take part in the forthcoming World Cup in Queensland, Australia, is the best that he has managed so far, feels former national cricketer-cum coach Haroon Rasheed
Dubai, July 31 (ANI): Flamboyant Australia opener David Warner has advised all teenagers assembling in Queensland next month for the ninth edition of the ICC Under-19 cricket World Cup to make optimum use of the opportunity without compromising on the honour and respect they will be earning by representing their countries in a global event.
Asians were the first people to get to America. We crossed through Siberia to reach a huge land which was completely empty of humans. And this amazing discovery came from clues found in a toilet.
New Delhi, July 23 (ANI-Business Wire India): ESPN STAR Sports, Asia's No. 1 sports content provider, today announced that it has reached a multi-year broadcast rights agreement for exclusive coverage of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) in India. The first edition of this T20 league will be played in August 2012.
Melbourne, July 22 (ANI): Papua New Guinea authorities have arrested 29 people, who were accused of being part of a cannibal cult in their jungle interior, and have charged them with the murders of seven suspected witch doctors.
Singapore, July 21 (IANS) Dutch beer giant Heineken announced a 5.1 billion Singapore dollars ($4.1 billion) bid Friday for Asia Pacific Breweries (APB), a Singapore-based brewer that owns the Tiger beer brand.
Addis Ababa, July 17 (IANS) African leaders ended their 19th biannual summit that saw the election of the first female head of the African Union Commission and a renewed pledge to push democracy and fast-track resolution of crises in the continent's hotspots, including Mali, the Sudans, Guinea Bissau and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Addis Ababa, July 17 (IANS) African leaders have ended their 19th biannual summit that saw the election of the first female head of the African Union Commission and a renewed pledge to push democracy and fast-track resolution of crises in the continent's hotspots, including Mali, the Sudans, Guinea Bissau and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dakar, July 16 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates' Khalifa bin Zayed Foundation has distributed over 2,000 food parcels to needy families in the African nations of Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea and Sierra Leone on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
Addis Ababa, July 16 (IANS) It was midnight drama, intrigue and last-minute deal-making at the Chinese-built new building of the African Union as rival camps upped the stakes for the AU's top job, which has been won by South Africa's Home Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
Addis Ababa, July 16 (IANS) The guessing game is over. In what was touted as the mother of all contests in the continent, South Africa's Home Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a doctor and anti-apartheid icon, has won a tightly-contested vote to become the first woman head of the African Union (AU) Commission.
St. John's (Antigua), July 13 (IANS/CMC) Head coach Roddy Estwick says he has high hopes for the West Indies side at the next month's International Cricket Council's Under-19 World Cup in Australia.
Accra, July 10 (IANS) India is seeking to invest in Ghana'soil and gas sector and double trade with West Africa to $40 billion by 2015 as part of its growing efforts to play a larger role in the development of Africa as a whole.
Washington, July 10 (ANI): Scientists are about to kill a parasite that has plagued the human race since ancient times.
London, July 8 (ANI): Families are staying out of a popular Illinois lake after the discovery of the exotic pacu fish - infamous for killing men by ripping off their testicles.
New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) An Indian business delegation of over 100 members, led by Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, will visit Ghana next week to explore business opportunities between the two countries.
Sydney, July 5 (IANS) Iodine deficiency leaves one third of the world's population exposed to adverse health conditions that can cause everything from mild learning difficulties to severe retardation, cretinism and stillbirth, warns a scientist.
London, June 20 (ANI): Turtles, who were killed as they were having sex and then fossilised in their position, have been described by scientists.
Cape Town, June 20 (IANS) The Interpol seized nearly two tonnes of elephant ivory in an operation involving 14 African countries, including South Africa, it was announced here Tuesday.
Washington, June 13 (ANI): Since 1990, annual maternal deaths have declined by almost one half and the deaths of young children have declined from 12 million to 7.6 million in 2010, according to a new report.
Sydney, June 11 (IANS) Your coffee and cocoa drinking and use of wood products every day puts 30 percent of world's under-threat species at still greater risk because of loss of biodiversity, a study has pointed out.
London, June 7 (ANI): One man, who set out to provide a detailed record of the societies that devour human flesh back in the 1920s and went so far as to taste it himself, noted that it actually tastes "just like veal".
London, June 4 (IANS) An African Islamic holy man - alleged to be endowed with magical powers - and his wife have been jailed in France for mutilating the genitals of their four daughters.
Paris, June 4 (ANI): A Guinean Islamic couple in France has been convicted for carrying out genital mutilation on their four daughters aged between 11 and 20.
Manila, May 30 (IANS) More public private partnerships (PPP) are needed to boost infrastructure development in Asia Pacific, according to a study commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Washington, May 27 (ANI): Researchers across the world have announced their picks for the top 10 new species described in 2011.
Kolkata, May 21 (IANS) In a rare celestial occurrence, Venus - the second planet from the Sun and the Earth's neighbour - will transit across the solar disc early June 6.
Bhitarkanika (Odisha), May 21 (IANS) It is a tiny piece of heaven on the Odisha coast. The Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary is where the world's largest living reptile, the estuarine crocodile, is thriving amidst sylvan surroundings after having been brought back from the brink. But now there is trouble with the reptile population booming, posing a threat to the natural balance.
Accra (Ghana), May 19 (IANS) Ghana, quarter-finalists in 2010 FIFA World Cup, have replaced injured forward Albert Adomah with Solomon Asante in the 30-member squad for next month's 2014 World Cup qualifiers against lesotho and Zambia.
London, May 18 (ANI): A Frenchman who had lost his limbs in an accident has completed the first leg of his challenge to swim between five continents.
London, May 8 (ANI): Niger is the worst place on earth to be a mother, according to a report by the world's leading children NGO.
Accra (Ghana), May 4 (IANS) The Ghana Football Association (GFA) appointed Maxwell Konadu, coach of local premier side Asante Kotoko, as the assistant coach of the men's senior national football team.
Washington, May 4 (ANI): Evolution may have had a soft spot for blondes as a new study suggests that golden locks of dark-skinned people from the Solomon Islands in Melanesia have different genetic basis to those of Europeans.
