The Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border is 341 km (212 m) in length and runs from 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 ...

in the west to the

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

with Guinea in the east.

Description

The border starts in the west at

Cape Roxo Cape Roxo ( pt, Cabo Roxo, french: Cap Roxo), is a headland in West Africa, marking the westernmost frontier of Guinea-Bissau with Senegal. On the lower side is the São Domingos district of the Cacheu Region of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, a ...

on the Atlantic coast, and the proceeds overland in a north-easterly directions via a series of irregular and straight lines past the

12th parallel north The 12th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 12 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Africa, the Indian Ocean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Central America, South America and the Atlantic Ocean ...

; at 12°40N it turns east and then follows a straight line to the Guinean

History

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

began exploring the coastal areas of modern Guinea-Bissau in the mid-1400s; Bissau was founded in 1765 and became the centre of the Portuguese trade in slaves, gold and ivory along a vaguely defined area along the coast referred to as

Portuguese Guinea Portuguese Guinea ( pt, Guiné), called the Overseas Province of Guinea from 1951 until 1972 and then State of Guinea from 1972 until 1974, was a West African colony of Portugal from 1588 until 10 September 1974, when it gained independence as Gu ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

had also taken an interest in the region, settling on the coast of modern Senegal in the 17th century; the French gradually extended their rule further inland from the mid-1800s onward. The 1880s saw an intense competition between the European powers for territories in Africa, a process known as the Scramble for Africa. The process culminated in the

Berlin Conference The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, also known as the Congo Conference (, ) or West Africa Conference (, ), regulated European colonisation and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany's sudden emergenc ...

of 1884, in which the European nations concerned agreed upon their respective territorial claims and the rules of engagements going forward. As a result, France and Portugal signed a treaty on 12 May 1886 delimiting a border between their West African colonies (i.e. the modern Guinea-Bissau–Senegal and

Guinea–Guinea-Bissau border The Guinea–Guinea-Bissau border is 421 km (262 m) in length and runs from the Atlantic Ocean in the south-west to the tripoint with Senegal in the north-east. Description The border starts in the southwest at the Atlantic coast near the m ...

). A joint Franco-Portuguese commission than demarcated the boundary on the ground during the period 1900–05, marking it with 184 numbered pillars (pillars 58-184 covered the Portuguese Guinea-Senegal boundary). This final boundary was then approved by an exchange of notes in 1905–06. Senegal gained independence from France in 1960, followed by Portuguese Guinea (as Guinea-Bissau) in 1974 after a prolonged war against Portuguese forces; the border became an international one between two sovereign states. The border region has been used by various armed groups involved in the Casamance conflict and the

Guinea-Bissau Civil War The Guinea-Bissau Civil War was fought from 7 June 1998 to 10 May 1999 and was triggered by an attempted coup d'état against the government of President João Bernardo Vieira led by Brigadier-General Ansumane Mané.Uppsala Conflict Data Progra ...

in the late 1990s.

Settlements near the border

Guinea-Bissau

* Varela * Susana * São Domingos * Sedendal * Ingore * Barro * Bigene * Dungal * Cuntima * Cambaju * Sare Bacar * Pirada

Senegal

Kabrousse Kabrousse (also spelled Cabrousse) is a village in the rural community of Diembéring, Oussouye, Ziguinchor, Casamance, Senegal. It is a coastal village located a few kilometers south of Cap Skirring. In a straight line, it is the closest place in ...

* * Mpack * * Kamboua * * Koumbakara

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guinea-Bissau-Senegal border Borders of Guinea-Bissau Borders of Senegal International borders