Despite its almost total lack of natural resources, Guinea-Bissau is blessed for two reasons. Firstly, a long liberation war against the Portuguese threw the complicated tribal mosaic together into an unusually unified nation. Secondly, Guinea-Bissau is still predominantly a nation of farmers. In 1986 the Government adopted a World Bank structural adjustment programme, and one of the most important results was a dramatic increase in food prices. Good roads were built into the near-impenetrable interior and measured food production has risen by about 300 per cent.
Goods are available in the shops.
The urban poor maintain strong links with agriculture and the population hasn't suffered as much as people feared from the price rises. This is a country of steamy tropical abundance with some fine beaches thrown in. But despite the enormous shoals of fish swimming tantalizingly off the coast, the Government is unable to afford fish-processing plants. Foreign companies are being invited in to exploit this and other resources. Vast problems confront this tiny African state, but some unexpected embers of hope are glowing quite brightly.