Welcome to Republic
of Guinea-Bissau
Location of Guinea-Bissau
• In western Africa, bordering Senegal and Guinea.
• One of the smallest states in continental Africa.
• Independence since 1974
from Portugal rule.
• Capital city: Bissau
People of Guinea-Bissau
• Population: 1,611,000 (est.)
• Nationality: Guinea-Bissauan / Guinean(s)
• Ethnic groups: African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%,
Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European
and mulatto less than 1%
• Religions: Indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%,
Christian 5%
Language of Guinea-Bissau
• Official language: Portuguese
• Other languages: Crioulo/Creole (language spoken by
44% of the population of Guinea-Bissau), African
languages
• Local greetings… Next page 
English
Portuguese
Pronunciation/Notes
Hello
Olá
Olah
How are you? (formal)
How are you? (informal)
Como está?
Como estás?
Komu eshta?
Komu eshtazh?
I’m OK, thank you.
Estou bem, obrigado
Estou bem, obrigada
Eshtoh baym[ng], Obrigahdu
Eshtoh baym[ng], Obrigahda
For ‘thank you’, men say ‘obrigado’, women say ‘obrigada’
(regardless of whether the person they are talking to is male or female)
I am fine
Estou óptimo
Estou óptima
Eshtoh ohtimu – only said by males
Eshtoh ohtima – nly said by females
Pleased to meet you
Prazer
Prazair – lit. “pleasure.”
Good Morning
Bom dia
Bom[ng] deeya (generally used up until about 1pm)
Good Afternoon
Boa tarde
Boa tarde (after about 1pm)
Good Evening/Night
Boa noite
Boa noite (Switch from saying ‘boa tarde’ to ‘boa noite’ around sunset)
Goodbye
Adeus
Adayush
‘Seeya’
Tchau/Chau
Chow – adaptation of the Italian word 'ciao’
Yes
Sim
Sim[ng]
No
Não
Now[ng]
Please
Se faz favor
Se fazh favor – often shortened to ‘faz favor’
Thank you
Obrigado
Obrigada
Obrigahdu – only said by males
Obrigahda – only said by females
My name is…
Chamo me…
O meu nome é…
Shamu-me… – lit. “I call myself…”
oo mayu nome eh – lit. “the my name is…”
What is your name?
Como se chama?
Qual é o seu nome?
Komu se-shama? – lit. "How do you call yourself?"
Kwal eh oo sayu nome? – lit. “What is the your name?”
Do you speak English?
Fala Inglês?
Fahla Ingle[a]ysh?
I am learning Portuguese
Eu estou a aprender Português
Ayoo eshtoh a aprender Portooge[a]ysh
Sorry!
Desculpe!
Deshculpe!
means: Welcome!
Bem-vinda! (female)
means: Congratulations!
means: I Love You
Guinea-Bissau National Anthem
(Esta é a Nossa Pátria Bem Amada)
"This is Our Well-Beloved Country"
PORTUGUESE (ENGLISH) LYRICS
Sol, suor e o verde e mar,
(Sun, sweat, verdure and sea)
Séculos de dor e esperança:
(Centuries of pain and hope;)
Esta é a terra dos nossos avós!
(This is the land of our ancestors!)
Fruto das nosas mãos,
(Fruit of our hands,)
Da flôr do nosso sangue:
(Of the flower of our blood:)
Esta é a nossa pátria amada.
(This is our beloved country.)
CHORUS:
Viva a pátria gloriosa!
(Long live our glorious country!)
Floriu nos céus a bandeira da luta.
(The banner of our struggle
Has fluttered in the skies.)
Avante, contra o jugo estrangeiro!
(Forward, against the foreign yoke!)
Nós vamos construir
Na patria immortal
A paz e o progresso!
(We are going to build
Peace and progress
In our immortal country!)
Nós vamos construir
Na patria immortal
A paz e o progresso!
(We are going to build
Peace and progress
In our immortal country!)
Ramos do mesmo tronco,
(Branches of the same trunk,)
Olhos na mesma luz:
(Eyes in the same light;)
Esta é a força da nossa união!
(This is the force of our unity!)
Cantem o mar e a terra
(The sea and the land,)
A madrugada eo sol
(The dawn and the sun are singing)
Que a nossa luta fecundou.
(That our struggle has borne fruit!)
Regions and sectors of
Guinea-Bissau
• Guinea-Bissau is divided into 8 regions (regiões) and
one autonomous sector (sector autónomo).
• These in turn are subdivided into thirty-seven sectors.
The regions are:
• Bafatá
• Biombo
• Bissau*
• Bolama
• Cacheu
• Gabu
• Oio
• Quinara
• Tombali
*autonomous sector
Time zone of Guinea-Bissau
• Guinea-Bissau uses UTC+0 (Singapore is
UTC+8) time zone.
• Therefore, when we wake up at 8am in the
morning, it is still 12 midnight over at
Guinea-Bissau.
Economy of Guinea-Bissau
• Currency: West African CFA franc (XOF)
DO YOU KNOW?
SGD $1 = CFAF $325
(estimated)
Climate of Guinea-Bissau
• The climate in Guinea-Bissau is tropical.
This means it is generally hot and humid.
Average temperature: 26.3°C
• The average rainfall for Bissau is 2024mm.
• It has a monsoonal-type rainy season
from June to November.
• From December through May, the country
experiences drought.
Typical scenery in Guinea-Bissau
Economy of Guinea-Bissau
• The economy depends mainly on agriculture and fishing.
• Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent
years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew
production.
• The major exports are fish and seafood, cashew nuts,
peanuts, along with small amounts of palm kernels, and
timber.
• Rice is the major crop and staple food.
Guinea-Bissau
- Food Consumption
•
•
•
Most Guineans eat rice with fish.
The more costly meals contain beef, goat, chicken or pork.
Meals are also made with palm oil and peanut sauces and
diverse vegetables.
•
Fruit available depends on the season, but mangos,
papayas, oranges, grape fruits, bananas, cashews and
peanuts are abundant.
Also try the sour "fole" fruits and the baobab fruit juice
(sumo de cabaceira).
Apples, pears, pineapples, watermelons are imported.
•
•
•
Vegetables sold in the markets include lettuce, tomatoes,
cucumbers, bell pepper, parsley, okra, potatoes, carrots,
onions, garlic, chili, sweet potatoes.
•
Street snacks are typically sandwiches with hardboiled egg,
omelete, fish or beef - or donuts, cake or hardboiled eggs.
Frozen juice in small plastic bags is popular among locals.
•
Baobab fruit
Guinea-Bissau
- Drinks
• The people of GuineaBissau love to drink a sweet
green tea known as “warga”.
• Non- Muslims also enjoy
drinking cashew wine or
palm wine.
Warga (strong sweet green tea)
Foods & Drinks
of Guinea-Bissau
• National specialities:
– Jollof rice served with
chicken or fish.
• National drinks:
– Palm wine.
– Cana de cajeu (cashew
rum made from the fruit
of the cashew nut).
Palm Wine and Palm Juice 
Culture of Guinea-Bissau
- Music
• The music of Guinea-Bissau is usually associated with
the polyrhythmic gumbe genre, the country's primary
musical export.
The calabash is the primary musical
instrument of Guinea-Bissau, and is
used in extremely swift and
rhythmically complex dance music.
Kora (21-string harp-lute)
A kora is built from a large calabash
cut in half and covered with cow skin
Sports in Guinea-Bissau
• There are many traditional African
sports in Guinea-Bissau, but wrestling
is among the oldest and most popular.
• The African board game of ouri is
played throughout the country.
• Football (soccer) is the most popular
Western sport in Guinea-Bissau.
• Guinea-Bissau made its Olympic
debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games,
where it competed in wrestling
events.
Ouri (Owari) Game Board
Places-of-Interest in
Guinea-Bissau
The presidential palace –
bombed-out during the civil war, but still
standing, though now only inhabited by bats.
The French Cultural Center –
in the Bayana roundabout often features
concerts, movies, dance classes, French
classes etc.
River Zoo Farm
Bissau Velho –
the old Portuguese colonial centre.
Hotel Bissau Palace –
probably the best restaurant in town. Has
a swimming pool that non-guests can use
for 5000 FCFA (eat lunch at the pool) and
wireless internet.
Education in Guinea-Bissau
• Officially, six years of primary
education is compulsory for
children age 7 to 14.
• For those children who show
scholastic promise, there are five
years of secondary education.
• 2 universities are founded in 2003
(based in Bissau), provide
opportunities for higher education.
Holiday in Guinea-Bissau
HOLIDAY NAME
DATE
New Year's Day
January 1
Heroes' Day (death of Amilcar Cabral)
January 20
International Women's Day
March 8
Labour Day
May 1
Pidjiguoiti Day
August 3
Korite (End of Ramadan)
September 21
National Day
September 24
Readjustment Movement Day
November 14
Tabaski (Feast of Sacrifice)
November 28
Christmas Day
December 25