Guinea-Bissau

American  

[gin-ee-bi-sou] / ˈgɪn i bɪˈsaʊ /

noun

1. a republic on the western coast of Africa, between Guinea and Senegal: formerly a Portuguese overseas province; gained independence in 1974. 13,948 sq. mi. (36,125 sq. km). Bissau.

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Guinea-Bissau British  

noun

1. Former name (until 1974): Portuguese Guinea.  a republic in West Africa, on the Atlantic: first discovered by the Portuguese in 1446 and of subsequent importance in the slave trade; made a colony in 1879; became an independent republic in 1974. Official language: Portuguese; Cape Verde creole is widely spoken. Religion: animist majority and Muslim. Currency: franc. Capital: Bissau. Pop: 1 660 870 (2013 est). Area: 36 125 sq km (13 948 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

He was born in Guinea-Bissau in 1991 and lived in Madeira, and then Lisbon, in Portugal as a young child, before his family moved to the UK when he was 16.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Nixon, the HHS spokesman, said the study is paused pending a review by Guinea-Bissau.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

But public outrage at the project prompted the Guinea-Bissau government to suspend it last month.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

The other African scorers -- Ghanaian Antoine Semenyo, Beto from Guinea-Bissau and Senegalese Ismaila Sarr -- were involved in draws.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990.

From The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency