Bissau

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Bissau, estimated population 355,000 (2004), is the capital of Guinea-Bissau. The city is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean. It is the country's largest city, major port, and administrative and military center. Peanuts, hardwoods, copra, palm oil, and rubber are the chief products. The city was founded in 1687 by Portugal as a fortified port and trading center. In 1942 it became the capital of Portuguese Guinea but was replaced by Madina do Boe in 1973-74. Bissau is located at 11°52' North, 15°36' West (11.86667, -15.60). [1]

The city is known for its annual carnival. Other attractions include the Fortaleza d'Amura barracks containing Amílcar Cabral's mausoleum, the Pidjiguiti Memorial to the dockers killed in the Bissau Dockers' Strike on August 3, 1959, the Guinea-Bissau National Arts Institute, Bissau New Stadium and local beaches. Many buildings in the city were ruined during the Guinea-Bissau Civil War, including the Guinea-Bissau Presidential Palace and the Bissau French Cultural Centre (now rebuilt), and the city centre is still underdeveloped.

The airport that serves Bissau is Osvaldo Vieira International Airport.

Bissau seen from Rio Gêba

[edit] External links

Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 11.85° -15.5833°
- Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
- Aerial image from TerraServer
- Satellite image from WikiMapia

[edit] Reference

Richard Andrew Lobban, Jr. and Peter Karibe Mendy, Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, 3rd ed. (Scarecrow Press, 1997, ISBN 0-8108-3226-7) pp. 91-96

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Portuguese Empire

North Africa

15th century
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1420 Madeira
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¹ Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753. ² Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879.

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¹ 1975 is the date of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, the independence of East Timor was recognized by Portugal and the rest of the world.