The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is located in West Africa. Upon independence, the name of its capital, Bissau, was added to the country’s name to prevent confusion with the Republic of Guinea.
It is bordered by Senegal to the north, and Guinea to the south and east, with the Atlantic Ocean to its west. This small, tropical country lies at a low altitude; its highest point is 300 metres. The interior is savanna, and the coastline is plain with swamps of Guinean mangroves.
The Bijagos Archipelago (a group of some 18 major islands and dozens more smaller ones) extends out to sea.