Bissau

Bissau () is the capital, and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. Bissau had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, and its administrative and military centre.

Etymology

The term Bissau may have come from the name of a clan N'nssassun, in its plural form Bôssassun.
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Intchassu (Bôssassu) was the name given to the nephew of King Mecau—the first sovereign of the island of Bissau—, son of his sister Pungenhum. Bôssassu formed a clan of the Papel peoples.

History

The city was founded in 1687 by Portugal as a fortified port and trading center. In 1942 the capital of Portuguese Guinea was transferred from Bolama to Bissau.

After the declaration of independence by the anti-colonial guerrillas of PAIGC in 1973, the capital of the rebel territories was declared to be Madina do Boe, while Bissau remained the colonial capital. When Portugal granted independence, following the military coup of April 25 in Lisbon, Bissau became the capital of the new independent state.

Bissau was the scene of intense fighting during the beginning and end of the Guinea-Bissau Civil War in 1998 and 1999.

Geography and climate

Bissau is located at 11°52' North, 15°36' West (11.86667, -15.60
GNS: Country Files
on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean. The land surrounding Bissau is extremely low-lying, and the river is accessible to ocean-going vessels despite its modest discharge for about beyond the city.

Bissau has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen ''Aw''), not quite wet enough to qualify as a tropical monsoon climate (''Am'') but much wetter than most climates of its type.

Almost no rain falls from November to May, but during the remaining five months of the year the city receives around of rain.

Demographics

At the 1979 census, Bissau had a population of 109,214. By the 2015 census Bissau had a population of 492,004.

Economy

Bissau is the country's largest city, major port, educational, administrative, industrial and military center. Peanuts, hardwoods, copra, palm oil, milk products, and rubber are the chief products. Bissau is also the main city of the fishing and agricultural industry in the country.

Transportation

Air

Bissau is served by Osvaldo Vieira International Airport, the country's sole international airport, which currently offers flights from six different airlines.

Highways

The main highway connecting Bissau to the rest of the nation and the continent is the Trans–West African Coastal Highway. There are also many smaller national highways that connect to other big cities such as Bafatá and Gabu.

Education

The main secondary school institutions in Bissau are the National Lyceum Kwame N'Krumah and the Bethel-Bissau Adventist School. The main higher education institutions in the city are the Amílcar Cabral University, the Catholic University of Guinea Bissau, and the Jean Piaget University of Guinea-Bissau.

The city of Bissau still has two international schools:
* Escola Portuguesa da Guiné-Bissau
* Escola Portuguesa Passo a Passo

Culture

Attractions include the Portuguese-built Fortaleza de São José da Amura barracks from the 18th century, containing Amílcar Cabral's mausoleum, the Pidjiguiti Memorial to the dockers killed in the Bissau Dockers' Strike on August 3, 1959, the Guinea-Bissau National Arts Institute, Bissau New Stadium and local beaches.

Many buildings in the city were ruined during the Guinea-Bissau Civil War (1998–1999), including the Guinea-Bissau Presidential Palace and the Bissau French Cultural Centre (now rebuilt), and the city centre is still underdeveloped. Because of the large populations of Muslims in Bissau, Ramadan is also an important celebration.

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in the country, as well as in the city. Many teams are based in the city, such as: UD Internacional, SC de Bissau, SC Portos de Bissau, Sport Bissau e Benfica, and FC Cuntum. Stadiums that are located in the city are Estádio Lino Correia and Estádio 24 de Setembro.

Religion

The majority of the population of Bissau is with the majority being Muslims (50%), then Christians (34%) and animists (7.9%).

Places of Worship

Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also some Christian churches and temples such as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bissau (Catholic Church), Evangelical Churches, and the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
File: Catedral de Bissau (2).jpg , Bissau Cathedral
File: Mesquita em Bissau.jpg, Mosque in Bissau

Notable people

* Benvindo António Moreira (born 1989), footballer

Gallery

File:Bissau geba.png, View of Bissau from Geba River
File:Bissau1.jpg, ''Ministério da Justiça'' - Guinea-Bissau's Justice Ministry
File:Praça Che Guevara, Bissau.jpg, Che Guevara Square, Bissau
File:STCP_1.JPG, Public transport in Bissau
File:20130610 - Monumento aos Heróis da Independência.jpg, A landmark monument in the city center
File:Edif%C3%ADcio_da_Galp_em_Bissau.jpg, Administration building of the Portuguese energy company Galp
File:Agencia BCEAO em Bissau.jpg, An ECOWAS branch in Bissau
File:Bissau paigc hq.jpg, PAIGC's headquarters
File:Guine.jpg, Residential area in Bissau
File:Pal%C3%A1cio_da_Rep%C3%BAblica_(fundos).jpg, Guinea-Bissau's Presidential Palace
File:Centre culturel franco-bissau-guinéen, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.jpg, French Culture Centre in Bissau
File:Solar_panels_(482989866).jpg, Solar panels on a rooftop of a building
File:Bissau,_CTT.jpg, Central Post Office building
File:Museu_Etnogr%C3%A1fico_Nacional,_Bissau.jpg, ''Museu Etnográfico Nacional'' - National Ethnographic Museum
File:Avenida_dos_Combatentes_da_Liberdade_da_P%C3%A1tria,_Bissau_(1).jpg, ''Combatentes da Liberdade'' Avenue, Bissau
File:Alfândega de Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.jpg, Bissau-Guinean Customs Agency, ''Porto de Bissau''
File:Hotel_Imp%C3%A9rio,_Bissau.jpg, One of the hotels in the city
File:Porto_de_Bissau_01.jpg, Port of Bissau

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Bissau is twinned with:
* Águeda Municipality, Portugal
*Dakar, Senegal
*Chongqing, People's Republic of China
* Agadir, Morocco
*Havana, Cuba
*Lisbon, Portugal
*Lagos, Nigeria
*Luanda, Angola
*Taipei, Taiwan
*Praia, Turkey
*Sintra, Portugal

References

Further reading

*

External links

*
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{{Authority control

Populated places established in 1687
Former Portuguese colonies
Capitals in Africa
Populated places in Guinea-Bissau
Populated coastal places in Guinea-Bissau
Geba River
Regions of Guinea-Bissau
Sectors of Guinea-Bissau
1687 establishments in Portuguese Guinea
1687 establishments in Africa