Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) elections : last held 3 July and 7 August 1994 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 46.0%, RGB-MB 19.2%, PRS 10.3%, UM 12.8%, FLING 2.5%, PCD 5.3%, PUSD 2.9%, FCG 0.2%, others 0.8%; seats by party - PAIGC 62, RGB 19, PRS 12, UM 6, FLING 1
Judicial branch: none; there is a Ministry of Justice in the Council of Ministers
Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [President Joao Bernardo VIEIRA, leader]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois Kankoila MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Bah Fatah Movement or RGB-MB [Domingos FERNANDES Gomes]; Guinea Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Vi'tor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Koumba YALLA, leader]; Union for Change Coalition or UM [Joao da COSTA, Pres.]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Vi'tor Sau'de MARIA]
International organization participation: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Rufino Jose MENDES chancery: 918 16th Street NW, Mezzanine Suite, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 872-4222 FAX: [1] (202) 872-4226
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Peggy BLACKFORD embassy : Bairro de Penha, Bissau mailing address: C.P. 297, 1067 Codex, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau telephone: [245] 252273, 252274, 252275, 252276 FAX: [245] 252282
Flag description: 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
Economy
Economy - overview: Guinea-Bissau ranks among the poorest countries in the world. Farming and fishing are the main economic activities. Cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, and fish are the primary exports. Exploitation of known mineral deposits is unlikely at present because of a weak infrastructure and the high cost of development. Although Guinea-Bissau won an IMF Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility in 1996, recent political instability and overspending have undermined the progress of economic reform and delayed disbursements of donor aid.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.1 billion (1996 est.)