The plants of Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is a tropical West African country with impressive biodiversity, strongly determined by the transition from the Atlantic coast to the drier interior. The flora is dominated by extensive mangrove forests along the jagged coastline and on the Bijagós Archipelago, which are among the largest in Africa and essential for coastal protection. Inland, vegetation gives way to humid rainforests and forest savannas, where economically important trees such as the cashew tree (the main export product), the oil palm and the majestic baobab characterise the landscape. This green wealth is home to a unique ecosystem where rare plant species thrive thanks to the warm, humid climate and abundant seasonal rainfall.