Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is shaped by a deeply indented Atlantic coast of estuaries and mangroves, the Bijagós archipelago and low inland savannas. Seasonal tropical rainfall and tidal landscapes influence settlement and access. Vernacular buildings commonly use earth and laterite, timber, palm products and thatch, with simple raised or well-ventilated forms, broad eaves and locally renewable materials suited to humidity and heavy seasonal rains.