À Descoberta da Guiné-Bissau

À Descoberta da Guiné-Bissau ( Portuguese for: "Discovering Guinea-Bissau") is a travel guide to the West African country of Guinea-Bissau . The authors are Joana Petrolho and Marta Rosa from the Portuguese aid organization Afectos com Letras .

The book was published in December 2015 by Afectos com Letras in collaboration with the European Union and the Guinea-Bissau Ministry of Tourism and Crafts ( Ministério do Turismo e Artesanato ) and was published in the four languages Portuguese ( À Descoberta da Guiné-Bissau ), English ( Discovering Guinea-Bissau ), French ( À la découverte de la Guinée-Bissau ) and Spanish ( A Descubrir Guinea-Bissau ). At the end of 2017, the runs of 3,000 copies printed at Gráfica Ediliber in Coimbra were largely sold out, but free PDF downloads are also available.

The occasion for the publication was the 40th anniversary of development cooperation between the EU and Guinea-Bissau. The country gained independence from Portugal in 1974 and joined the Lomé Convention in 1975 , the same year the official European engagement in Guinea-Bissau began.

background

On the one hand, the former Portuguese colony of Guinea-Bissau is considered to be chronically unstable to this day, after a series of domestic political crises with coups d'état and a civil war. Essentially, today only the former colonial power Portugal and the EU maintain development aid projects in the country. The few non-governmental organizations that continue to carry out projects in the country also include predominantly Portuguese initiatives, in addition to the Assistência Médica Internacional (AMI), above all Afectos com Letras.

On the other hand, the country will in future rely on tourism as an important economic development factor, in particular on gentle and natural tourism. Guinea-Bissau has a number of large nature reserves , the most famous of which is the Bissagos Archipelago , recognized by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve since 1996 (see also the list of nature reserves in Guinea-Bissau ).

Against this background, this travel guide to the country was presented to the public in spring 2016.

The publication of the book was reported in Portugal and the African countries with Portuguese as the official language .

Function, format and price

In addition to its function as a classic travel guide, the book is also intended to serve as a versatile source of information about Guinea-Bissau, as the small country is rarely reported and therefore little known. The book is aimed at travelers and interested parties outside Guinea-Bissau as well as the residents of the country itself, who receive an overview and the most important information about their country in a handy book.

The richly illustrated work is 162 pages thick and was published in the format 148 × 210 mm.

It was sold at a fixed price of 10 euros or 6,560 CFA .

Content and structure

The book begins with a foreword by Ambassador Victor Madeira dos Santos , head of the EU delegation in Guinea-Bissau, followed by maps providing an overview of the country's position and its most important locations.

After suggestions for day trips and various sightseeing tours lasting several days, there is a historical outline on page eleven and from page 15 information on the geography, climate, demography and administrative structure of Guinea-Bissau , then on the ethnic groups, languages, religions, traditions and customs of the country.

On page 19 the reader receives information on the economy and the key economic data. From page 20 the rich fauna and flora of Guinea-Bissau are presented, and from page 24 there are explanations of the country's gastronomy, sport and diverse culture. On page 28, the annual Guinea-Bissau holidays are listed with the date and occasion.

From page 29, the actual sights and travel destinations, now listed in detail, follow, broken down into the administrative regions and sectors of Guinea-Bissau . The various sights and destinations are presented, the accessibility and distances mentioned, and the local possibilities for transport, food and accommodation are listed. Destinations from nature, culture, architecture, folklore and history from all nine regions of the country are presented.

From page 142 onwards, information and tips are given on the recommended travel times, necessary entry formalities, recommended travel utensils and pharmacy, safety, information on health, along with contact details for the local hospitals and suitable pharmacies, as well as information on time zone, mains voltage, means of transport, currency and exchange , telecommunications and internet, airlines and travel agencies. This is followed by a small phrasebook for Guinea-Bissau Creole and the contact details of European embassies and consulates in Guinea-Bissau.

After an overview of the media landscape there, a glossary and an afterword on the situation and prospects for tourism in Guinea-Bissau by the Minister for Tourism and Handicrafts Malam Djaura , the most important projects of the aid organization Afectos com Letras are presented on page 154. A photo of the two authors and a thank you list are followed on page 158 by a table of contents and finally the last two pages with space for personal notes.