page_title: Guinea-Bissau
section_title: Culture
hierarchical_section_title: Guinea-Bissau / Culture
caption_attribution_description: Português: No Hotel Ecolodge Ponta Anchaca na Ilha de Rubane, nos Bijagós. Deutsch: Das Hotel Ecolodge Ponta Anchaca auf der Insel Rubane im Bissagos-Archipel. English: The Hotel Ecolodge Ponta Anchaca on the Rubane island in the archipelago of Bissagos Islands.
context_page_description: Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers 36,125 square kilometres with an estimated population of 1,874,303. It borders Senegal to the north and Guinea to the south-east.
  Guinea-Bissau was once part of the kingdom of Kaabu, as well as part of the Mali Empire. Parts of this kingdom persisted until the 18th century, while a few others were under some rule by the Portuguese Empire since the 16th century. In the 19th century, it was colonised as Portuguese Guinea. Upon independence, declared in 1973 and recognised in 1974, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country's name to prevent confusion with Guinea. Guinea-Bissau has a history of political instability since independence, and only one elected president has successfully served a full five-year term. The new president is elected December 29 2019.
  Only about 2% of the population speaks Portuguese, the official language, as a first language, and 33% speak it as a second language. However, Creole is the national language and also considered the language of unity.
caption: Hotels at Bissagos Islands
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