Bissau

Bissau is the caipital ceety o Guinea-Bissau. The ceety's borders are conterminous wi the Bissau Autonomous Sector. In 2007, the ceety haed an estimatit population o 407,424 accordin tae the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos. The ceety which is locatit on the Geba River estuary, aff the Atlantic Ocean, is the kintra's lairgest ceety, major port, admeenistrative an military centre.

History

The ceety wis founded in 1687 bi Portuguese settlers as a fortifee'd port an tradin centre. In 1942 it became the caipital o Portuguese Guinea. Efter the declaration o unthirldom bi the anti-colonial guerrillas o PAIGC, in 1973, the caipital o the de facto independent territories wis declared tae be Madina do Boe, but Bissau remained as the caipital o the Portuguese-occupied regions, an the de jure caipital o the entire Portuguese Guinea. When Portugal recognized the unthirldom o Guinea-Bissau an pulled oot in 1974 due tae the military coup o Aprile 25 in Lisbon, the twa territories merged an Bissau became the capital o the new independent state. The ceety is kent for its annual carnival.

Geography

View o Bissau frae Rio Gêba

Bissau is locatit at 11°52' North, 15°36' Wast [1], on the Geba River estuary, aff the Atlantic Ocean.

Demographics

The last time an offeecial census wis held in the kintra, in 1991, the ceety/region haed a population o 195,389. Housomeivver, by 2007, the ceety haed an estimatit population o 407,424 accordin tae the Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos.

Economy

Bissau is the kintra's lairgest ceety, major port, educational, admeenistrative an military centre. Peanuts, hardwoods, copra, palm ile, an rubber are the chief products. The airport that serves Bissau is Osvaldo Vieira International Airport. Poverty an lack o development is widespread.

Landmarks

Attractions include the Portuguese-built Fortaleza de São José da Amura barracks frae the 18t century, containin Amílcar Cabral's mausoleum, the Pidjiguiti Memorial tae the dockers killed in the Bissau Dockers' Strike on August 3, 1959, the Guinea-Bissau National Arts Institute, Bissau New Stadium an local beaches. Mony biggins in the ceety wur ruined durin the Guinea-Bissau Ceevil War (1998–1999), includin the Guinea-Bissau Presidential Palace an the Bissau French Cultural Centre (nou rebuilt), an the ceety centre is still unnerdeveloped.

Pensão Central's colonial façade in dountoun   Ruins o the former presidential palace   The road from the airport to the Parliament   Central Post Office biggin   A landmark monument in the ceety centre   The rulin pairty's heidquarters

Sister ceeties

• Águeda Municipality, Portugal
• Dakar, Senegal
• Taipei, Taiwan
• Praia, Cape Verde

References

• 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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