Long-form name: Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Type: republic; highly centralized one-party regime since September 1974

Capital: Bissau

Administrative divisions: 8 regions; Bafata, Bissau, Bolama, Buba, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Tombali

Independence: 24 September 1973 (from Portugal; formerly Portuguese Guinea)

Constitution: 16 May 1984

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 September (1973)

Branches: president and Cabinet; 150-member National Popular Assembly, overseen by 15-member Council of State

Leader: @m5Chief of State and Head of Government--President of the Council of State Brig. Gen. Joao Bernardo VIEIRA (assumed power 14 November 1980 and elected President of Council of State on 16 May 1984); First Vice President Col. Iafai CAMARA (since 7 November 1985); Second Vice President Vasco CABRAL (since 21 June 1989)

Suffrage: universal over age 15

Elections: legislative elections held March 1984; legislature elected Vieira to serve a five-year term as President on 16 May 1984, and it relected him again for a further five-year term on 19 June 1989

Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), led by President Vieira, only legal party; Guinea-Bissau decided to retain the binational party title despite its formal break with Cape Verde

Communists: a few Communists, some sympathizers

Member of: AfDB, CEAO, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Alfredo Lopes CABRAL; Chancery (temporary) at the Guinea-Bissauan Permanent Mission to the UN, Suite 604, 211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 661-3977; US--Ambassador John Dale BLACKEN; Embassy at 17 Avenida Domingos Ramos, Bissau (mailing address is C. P. 297, Bissau); telephone Õ245å 212816 or 212817

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Cape Verde which has the black star raised above the center of the red band and is framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell

NOTE: The information regarding Guinea-Bissau on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Guinea-Bissau Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Guinea-Bissau Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.