The region now known as Guinea-Bissau was once a tributary kingdom (Gabu) of the Mali Empire -- it flourished between 13th and 15th centuries CE.
In 1446 the first of many Portuguese explorers reached the coast, landing near what is now Bissau. But it was not until the 1600s that trading and colonization really began -- gold, ivory, pepper were sought after goods, as well as slaves. The Portuguese prospered from the slave trade, but were restricted to the coast by local African rulers -- it was they who controlled the flow of slaves to the coast.
It was only in the 20th century that Portugal expanded inland, deciding that the interior offered potential for cash crops such as peanuts. In 1952 Portuguese Guinea became an overseas province of Portugal. Four years later Amílcar Cabral, a Marxist nationalist, formed the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC, African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde). In 1963 Amílcar Cabral led the PAIGC and its followers into a war of independence -- it lasted 11 years.
On 20 January 1973 Amílcar Cabral was assassinated, just before the PAIGC declared the country independent. On 10 September the following year (after the Carnation Revolution brought an end to the Portuguese Empire) Guinea-Bissau was formally granted independence. Luís Cabral, Amílcar's brother, became the country's first president.
Since independence Guinea-Bissau has experienced a number of coups, political corruption and civil strife. In 1980 a military coup ousted Cabral and brought in João Vieira as head of state. Multi-party democracy followed in 1991.
After several coup attempts in the 80s and 90s, Vieira was removed from power in 1991. His successor, Kumba Yalá, was in turn ousted in 2003. Vieira was re-elected president in 2005, and remained in power until his assassination in 2009.
