ABSTRACT
Guinea-Bissau is a small tropical country of over 1 million peoples, and is located on West Africa’s coast between Senegal and Guinea. Bissau is the country’s capital and largest city with a population of 200,000. Thirty percent of the population is Balante, 20 percent Fulani, 14 percent Manjaca, 13 percent Mandinka, and 23 percent are composed of various smaller groups. Portuguese is the official language and Kriolo (or Crioulo) is the lingua franca. Fula, Mandinka, Manjanka, and Balanta are the most widely spoken indigenous languages. Over half of all Guinea-Bissauans still practice traditional indigenous religions (65 percent). Thirty percent of the remaining population is Muslim and 5 percent are Christian.
