Archipelago dos Bijagos (12N, 16W Off coast of Africa)

This photograph shows a small portion of the Archipelago dos Bijagos, a series of islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. The archipelago is actually a submerged delta of the Gęba River, and the sediments carried in its current can be seen flowing past the islands. Most of this small country (at just under 36300 sq. km, or about 14000 sq. mi, it is only slightly larger than the state of Maryland) is composed of low-lying coastal plains with many navigable rivers, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at long estuaries. The highest elevation in the country is only about 305 meters (1000 feet). Guinea-Bissau is bordered by the countries of Senegal in the north and Guinea on the east and southeast, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. This tropical nation is a former colony of Portugal, and so has Portuguese as its official language, although Kriolu (a native language) and French are also used. The capital city of Bissau, which is also the country’s main seaport, has a population of about 200,000. Roughly one-fifth of the country’s population lives in Bissau.

The Archipelago dos Bijagos takes its name from the Bijago ethnic group, one of the many different cultural groups that make up the population of Guinea-Bissau. Most of the country is rural, and the archipelago is no exception: many of the islanders make their living through subsistence farming. The normal diet is made up of rice and other grains along with tropical fruits like bananas and mangoes. In coastal areas such as this, fish is more likely to be available than other meats.

Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest nations in the world, and relies heavily on foreign aid. Most of the fuel and manufactured products in the country – and even a portion of their food – must be imported, despite its own unused natural resources of mineral and oil deposits, and abundant fishing areas. As it lies in the tropics, diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis are common, and hospitals and clinics are few and far between. The economy is slow in part due to governmental upsets, and coups have repeatedly overturned the country’s leadership, even in recent years. The inadequate communication and transportation systems, along with economic and government troubles, have made improving conditions there more difficult.