Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is one of the smallest and least-visited countries in Africa, a sliver of West African coast where rivers spill into mangrove swamps and the Bijagos Archipelago scatters 88 islands into the Atlantic. It is a place where hippos swim in saltwater, cashew trees outnumber people, and the Creole culture born from centuries of Portuguese colonialism has produced some of the most infectious music on the continent.

The country's history is marked by a brutal independence war against Portugal, led by the brilliant Amilcar Cabral, who was assassinated just months before victory in 1973. Since then, Guinea-Bissau has struggled with political instability - it has had more coups and attempted coups than almost any country in Africa. But the people's resilience is remarkable. Bissau, the small capital, hums with gumbe music and the smell of grilled fish. The Bijagos Islands, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, remain one of Africa's last truly wild archipelagos where traditional matriarchal societies still govern daily life.