Geography of Guinea-Bissau - Definition and Overview

This article describes the geography of Guinea-Bissau.

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal

Geographic coordinates

12° 00′ N, 15° 00′ W

Map references

Africa

Area

• Total: 36,120 km²
• Land: 28,000 km²
• Water: 8,120 km²

Area--comparative

Slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries

• Total: 724 km
• Border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km

Coastline

350 km

Maritime claims

• Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (370.4 km)
• Territorial sea: 12 nm (22.2 km)

Climate

Tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds

Terrain

Mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east

Elevation extremes

• Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
• Highest point: Unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m

Natural resources

Fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum

Land use

• Arable land: 11%
• Permanent crops: 1%
• Permanent pastures: 38%
• Forests and woodland: 38%
• Other: 12% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land

17 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards

Hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires

Environment--current issues

Deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing

Environment--international agreements

• Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
• Signed, but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

See also: Guinea-Bissau