September 24: Guinea-Bissau Independence Day

Today is the National Day of Guinea-Bissau, celebrating their Independence from Portugal in 1973. 10 facts about the country:

NASA satellite image of Guinea-Bissau

1. It is bordered by Senegal to the north, Guinea to the south and east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its west.
2. At 36,125 square kilometres (13,948 sq mi), the country is larger than Taiwan or Belgium. Other sources list it as being three times the size of the US state of Connecticut.
3. The altitude is low, ranging from sea level in coastal areas to its highest point of 300 metres (984 ft) in the north east corner of the country. The highest point does not have a name.
4. The capital and largest city is Bissau - the name of the city was added to the name of the country after independence to distinguish it from the Republic of Guinea.
5. The national emblem of Guinea-Bissau comprises a Black star, often referred to as the Black star of Africa; and a seashell at the bottom uniting two symmetrical Olive branches. The sea shell is symbolism for the country's coastal location.
6. The national motto of the nation translates into English as "Unity, Struggle, Progress".
7. It is the 147th most populous country in the world with a 2010 estimate of 1,647,000 people living there.
8. Only 14% of the people speak the official language, Portuguese. The most widely spoken language (44%) is Kriol, a Portuguese-based creole language. Others speak a variety of native African languages.
9. The Portuguese set up colonies and trading posts around the coasts and on rivers as early as the 16th century, but did not explore inland for 300 years, because the local rulers would not allow them to. They were only there to trade, with slaves being one of the major exports at that time.
10. Today, the major exports are fish, cashew nuts and ground nuts.