Geography Quiz Arcade

Capital of Guinea-Bissau: Bissau — Facts & 5-Question Quiz

The capital of Guinea-Bissau is Bissau. Guinea-Bissau sits in Africa, has a population of 2,105,566, and uses the XOF. Official languages include Portuguese.

Quick facts

  • Capital: Bissau
  • Continent: Africa
  • Population: ~2,105,566
  • Area: 36,125 km²
  • Population density: 58.3 people per km²
  • Official language: Portuguese
  • Currency: XOF
  • ISO code: GW

How big is Guinea-Bissau?

By population, Guinea-Bissau ranks 147th in the world, holding roughly 0.03% of all people on Earth. By land area it ranks 135th.

Those two numbers rarely match, and the gap between them is the interesting part. Guinea-Bissau has 58.3 people per square kilometre, which is close to the world average of 59.4. It is more spacious than its population alone would suggest.

Within Africa, Guinea-Bissau is the 46th most populous country of 54.

Countries of a similar size

The two countries closest to Guinea-Bissau in population are North Macedonia (2,093,599) and Slovenia (2,119,675).

By land area, its closest counterparts are Taiwan (36,193 km²) and Bhutan (38,394 km²).

Comparisons like these are worth more than raw figures when you are trying to remember them. A number on its own is hard to hold; a number next to a country you already have a feel for is much easier.

Language and currency

Portuguese is spoken officially in 9 countries in this dataset, including Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Equatorial Guinea and Mozambique, and 3 others.

The XOF is not unique to Guinea-Bissau — it is also used by Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali, and 3 others. Shared currencies usually mark a monetary union or a long-standing peg, and they are a useful shortcut in quizzes: get one country's currency and you often get several.

How to remember Guinea-Bissau

The capital is already in the name: drop 'Guinea-' and you have Bissau. That is also how to tell it apart from Guinea (capital Conakry) and Equatorial Guinea.

The flag of Guinea-Bissau: red, yellow and green, with a black star

🇬🇼 The flag is a red vertical band at the hoist with a black five-pointed star, and yellow over green horizontal bands. These are the Pan-African colours. The black star is a symbol of African unity.

Region and neighbours

Guinea-Bissau is a small country on the Atlantic coast of West Africa, including the Bijagós islands offshore. It shares land borders with 2 countries: Senegal and Guinea.

Three facts about Guinea-Bissau

  1. The Bijagós archipelago, a group of about 88 islands, is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
  2. Guinea-Bissau declared independence from Portugal in 1973, and Portugal recognised it in 1974.
  3. Portuguese is the official language, but Guinea-Bissau Creole is the language most people share.

Sources: Wikipedia: Guinea-Bissau, Wikipedia: Flag of Guinea-Bissau, Wikipedia: Bissau, CIA World Factbook.

Quiz yourself on Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau capital quiz

  1. What is the capital of Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼?

    • Monrovia
    • Bissau
    • Nairobi
    • N'Djamena
    Show answer

    Bissau

  2. What is the capital of Lesotho 🇱🇸?

    • Juba
    • Rabat
    • Mogadishu
    • Maseru
    Show answer

    Maseru

  3. What is the capital of Gabon 🇬🇦?

    • Cairo
    • Libreville
    • Freetown
    • Lilongwe
    Show answer

    Libreville

  4. What is the capital of Namibia 🇳🇦?

    • Windhoek
    • Lilongwe
    • Malabo
    • Dakar
    Show answer

    Windhoek

  5. What is the capital of Botswana 🇧🇼?

    • Maseru
    • Harare
    • Bissau
    • Gaborone
    Show answer

    Gaborone

Guinea-Bissau in Africa

The largest countries by population sharing this continent are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

If you are learning capitals region by region — far more effective than working alphabetically — Africa is the block Guinea-Bissau belongs to, and its neighbours are the ones worth learning alongside it.

Try the Country to Capital Quiz, or the harder reverse direction. There is also a full country profile for Guinea-Bissau.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of Guinea-Bissau?

The capital of Guinea-Bissau is Bissau.

What is the population of Guinea-Bissau?

About 2,105,566, making it the 147th most populous country in the world.

How big is Guinea-Bissau?

36,125 square kilometres, ranking 135th by land area, at a density of 58.3 people per square kilometre.

What currency does Guinea-Bissau use?

The XOF, shared with 7 other countries.

What are the colours of the Guinea-Bissau flag?

The flag of Guinea-Bissau is a red vertical band at the hoist with a black five-pointed star, and yellow over green horizontal bands. These are the Pan-African colours. The black star is a symbol of African unity.

Which countries border Guinea-Bissau?

Guinea-Bissau shares land borders with Senegal and Guinea.

How can I remember the capital of Guinea-Bissau?

The capital is already in the name: drop 'Guinea-' and you have Bissau. That is also how to tell it apart from Guinea (capital Conakry) and Equatorial Guinea.

More capitals to learn

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