Guinea-Bissau

Following Portuguese exploration in the 15th century, Portuguese Guinea finally became a colony in 1897. War for independence started in 1960, and independence was achieved on 10 September 1974. (It was the first Portuguese colony to gain independence.) Find out more about Guinea-Bissau with these resources…

A Brief History of Guinea-Bissau - Part 1
A brief introduction to the history of Guinea-Bissau from the time of early humans to the present day. Part 1 - Early Kingdoms to Civil War

A Brief History of Guinea-Bissau – Part 2
A brief introduction to the history of Guinea-Bissau from the time of early humans to the present day. Part 2 - Civil War to Present Day

Background Notes: Guinea-Bissau
A useful potted history is included with these US Department of State Background Notes on Guinea-Bissau. Also included is a range of political, economic, and geographical data, as well as information on its people, defence, and relations with the US.

Guinea-Bissau History from Lonely Planet
A quirky, colloquial presentation of Guinea-Bissau’s history presented by LonelyPlanet.com. Makes awfully good reading and may galvanise your interest in Africa’s regional history. Not only suitable for travellers.

Guinea-Bissau - a Country Profile from the BBC
An extremely brief historical overview accompanies this BBC Country Profile of Guinea-Bissau. Of particular interest are the simplified regional map (see where the country is in Africa), a photograph of Guinea-Bissau’s current Chief of State, and details about the countries media.

Timeline for Guinea-Bissau from the BBC
A chronology of important events in the history of Guinea-Bissau given by year (and for more recent events by month also).

CIA World Fact Book: Guinea-Bissau
A useful map and a range of geographical, political, and economic facts which are mostly up-to-date. Unfortunately this country profile lacks historical information (except for independence date), but the population statistics are probably the best available.

Guinea-Bissau's Chief of State and Cabinet Ministers
Updated weekly, this list of Guinea-Bissau's Chief of State and Cabinet Ministers is provided by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America.

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