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The Bissagos Islands, also spelled Bijagós ( pt, Arquipélago dos Bijagós), are a group of about 88 islands and islets located in the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
off the coast of
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...
. The archipelago was formed from the ancient
delta
Delta commonly refers to:
* Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet
* River delta, at a river mouth
* D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta")
* Delta Air Lines, US
* Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19
Delta may also ...
of the
Geba and
Grande de Buba rivers and spans an area of . 20 of its islands are populated year-round, including the most populated island,
Bubaque
Bubaque is one of the Bijagós Islands in Guinea-Bissau, and is also the name of its main town. The island has a population of 6,427, the town Bubaque 4,299 (2009 census). The area of the island is 75 km2, it is 13.6 km long and 8&nbs ...
, where the administrative capital is situated.
There is a high diversity of ecosystems: mangroves with intertidal zones, palm forests, dry and semi-dry forests, secondary and degraded forests, coastal savanna, sand banks and aquatic zones. The archipelago was declared a
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
MAB's work engag ...
in 1996.
Demographics
The population is estimated at about 30,000 (2006) and the ethnic group Bissago ( pt, Bijagó) predominates. It has a relatively youthful population due to high birth rates and low life expectancy.
Economy
The economy is largely rural, with many families living from subsistence farming and fishing. There is some tourist activity, mostly boat charters from neighboring Senegal. Lack of infrastructure and communication links prevent the development of the islands' tourism potential. Starting in the early 2000s, several of the islands began to be used as transit depots for
narcotraffic, which is quickly changing the social and economic fabric of the islands.
History
In pre-European colonial times, the islands were central to the trade along the coast of
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurit ...
and they built up a powerful navy. In 1535, this enabled them to rout the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, who later built a fort on Bissao, which was abandoned in 1703. The islands were not formally annexed by Portugal until 1936.
The Bissagos were visited by Austrian anthropologist and photographer
Hugo Bernatzik
Hugo Adolf Bernatzik (26 March 1897 – 9 March 1953, born and died in the city of Vienna), was an Austrian anthropologist and photographer.
Bernatzik was the founder of the concept of alternative anthropology.
Biography
Hugo Adolf Bernatzik was ...
in 1930–1931, who documented daily life among the Bidyogo people.
The
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is a public research university in Bloomsbury, central London, and a member institution of the University of London that specialises in public health and tropical medicine.
The inst ...
is conducting research into infectious diseases on the islands. Because they are so isolated there is less danger of contamination of the results than in other places.
Culture
Due to difficulties of communication with mainland Guinea-Bissau that persist to this day, the population has a considerable degree of
autonomy
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...
and has shielded its ancestral culture from outside influence. The
Bijago language
Bijago or Bidyogo is the language of the Bissagos Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau. There are some difficulties of grammar and intelligibility between dialects, with the Kamona dialect being unintelligible to the others.
Dialects are as follows:
* ...
is spoken along with
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
and
creole.
Some authors argue that Bijago culture tends to be matriarchal, with women managing the household, the economy, law, as well as initiating courtship (women choose their husbands and terminate the matrimony). Other sources dispute this and suggest that closer examination has revealed a fundamentally patriarchal society where women, in spite of their substantial participation in material production and important roles in social, political, and religious matter, remain essentially unequal to men. A 2016 study suggested that female status in Bijagos society was diminished during the
slave trade
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
era but has become more valued again in more recent times.
In 2012, a study by Bissau-Guinean sociologist Boaventura Santy examined the social representations of the people of the island of Formosa Bijagó about possible threats from climate change. The study concluded that for "the Bijagó the natural and the social are inextricably linked, to the extent that a crisis in the social system would have negative effects" on the natural system. In particular, it was the lack of harmony between the community, ancestors and the supernatural world that was seen as causing environmental dissonance.
Art
The Bissagos peoples produce many artifacts for daily use and ritual following a traditional iconography that is unique to their culture, and shows variations from island to island. Among the most striking
Bidyogo art
Bijago art or Bidyogo art is African tribal art produced by the natives of the Bijagos Islands of Guinea-Bissau. It includes many artifacts for daily use and ritual practices, following a traditional iconography that is unique to their culture, ...
pieces are the portable ancestor shrines ("iran") and the zoomorphic masks representing cows ("vaca-bruta"), sharks, stingrays and, occasionally, other local animals. Traditionally-decorated artifacts are also produced for "fanado" coming-of-age ceremonies (wood masks, spears, shields, headgear, bracelets), daily activities (fishing, agriculture) and personal use (stools, basketry, foodware). Its unique aesthetics make
Bidyogo art
Bijago art or Bidyogo art is African tribal art produced by the natives of the Bijagos Islands of Guinea-Bissau. It includes many artifacts for daily use and ritual practices, following a traditional iconography that is unique to their culture, ...
easily distinctive from other African tribal arts.
Notable people
*
Benkos Biohó
Benkos Biohó (late 16th century — 1621), also known as Domingo Biohó was a Mandinka and South American leader who escaped from the slave port of Cartagena with ten others and founded San Basilio de Palenque, then known as the "village of th ...
, Former African king who was shipped to
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a link ...
during the slave trade but managed to escape and found the
maroon
Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown".
According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...
village known as
San Basilio de Palenque
San Basilio de Palenque or Palenque de San Basilio, often referred to by the locals simply as Palenke, is a Palenque village and corregimiento in the Municipality of Mahates, Bolivar in northern Colombia. Palenque was the first free African to ...
.
See also
*
List of islands of Guinea-Bissau
This is a list of islands of Guinea-Bissau.
Bissagos Islands
*Bubaque
* Bolama
*Carache
*Caravela
*Enu
* Formosa
* Galinhas
* João Vieira
* Maio
* Meneque
*Orango
*Orangozinho
* Poilão
* Ponta
*Roxa
* Rubane
* Soga
*Unhacomo
* Uno
*Uracane
...
*
João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park
João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park ( pt, Parque Nacional Marinho João Vieira e Poilão) is a national park in Guinea-Bissau. It was established in August 2000. It covers an area of and includes the uninhabited islands of João Vieira ...
References
Sources
Bijagós Islands" ''Encyclopædia Britannica''
An article about the land and the people of Bijagós Archipelago* TVEDTEN, Inge ''The Difficult Transition from Subsistence to Commercial Fishing. The Case of the Bijagbs of Guinea-Bissau.'' Pages 129 to 130 In VAN GINKEL, Rob and VERRIPS, Jojada (editors)
MAST (Maritime Anthropological Studies)Vol. 3, No. 1 1990'' Krips Repro, Meppel, The Netherlands.
External links
Saving Paradise: Bissagos Archipelago
{{Coord, 11, 15, N, 16, 05, W, region:GW_type:isle, display=title
Matriarchy
Ramsar sites in Guinea-Bissau
Atlantic islands of Guinea-Bissau
Freshwater ecoregions of Africa