Fun facts about Guinea-Bissau!!

- Guinea-Bissau (or GB, for short) is only 35 years old, gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.

- GB is the fifth poorest country in the world based on GDP and HDI (human development index). I noticed today that the last paycheck I got from my last job was about twice as much as the average Guinea-Bissauan makes in a year.

- Former President Vieira and his rival Military Chief Wai were both assassinated in January 2009, though a stable interim government is currently in place. Fun times.

- Guineans predominantly practice traditional African religions, followed by Islam. There is a small, but growing Christian community. Our participation in this trip is part of a larger vision to transform GB into on of Africa's largest sending nations for missions. Unlike some of the surrounding countries, Christian work is openly welcomed.

- GB's currency is the African Franc (XFO). One US dollar buys about 460 XFOs.

- GB is 5 hours ahead of US Eastern Standard Time.

There's more to learn about this tiny little North African country, and I'm wanting to find out a little more about it in the near future. Especially cultural stuff. You can only get so much from a wikipedia page.