Africa > Guinea-Bissau > Government

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Administrative divisions 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Capital city	Bissau
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	11 51 N, 15 35 W
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Constitution 16 May 1984; amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and in 1996
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission none; note - Guinea-Bissau does not have official representation in Washington, DC
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Executive branch > Chief of state President Joao Bernardo 'Nino' VIEIRA (since 1 October 2005)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Government type	republic
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Independence 24 September 1973 (declared); 10 September 1974 (from Portugal)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at more than $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases valued at less than $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Legal system based on French civil law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Legislative branch unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
National holiday Independence Day, 24 September
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Parliamentary seats > Female	10%		[65th of 143]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Political parties and leaders African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Party for Social Renewal or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Democratic Social Front or FDS; Electoral Union or UE; Guinea-Bissau Civic Forum/Social Democracy or FCGSD [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Guinea-Bissau Democratic Party or PDG; Guinea-Bissau Socialist Democratic Party or PDSG [Serifo BALDE]; Labor and Solidarity Party or PST [Iancuba INDJAI]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Party for Renewal and Progress or PRP; Progress Party or PP [Ibrahima SOW]; Union for Change or UM [Amine SAAD]; Union of Guinean Patriots or UPG [Francisca VAZ]; United Platform or UP (coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB); United Popular Alliance or APU; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD
Source: United Nations World Statistics Pocketbook and Statistical Yearbook
Status democracy
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Source: electionworld.org
Time required to start a business > days	233 days		[2nd of 171]
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International in 2006, political instability within Senegal's Casamance region resulted in thousands of Senegalese refugees, cross-border raids, and arms smuggling into Guinea-Bissau
Source: World Development Indicators database
United Nations mission http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5454.htm
Source: All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008

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