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Bijagós Islands
The Bijagós Islands, also spelled Bijagos (Portuguese: Arquipélago dos Bijagós) and formerly known as Bissagos, are a group of about 88 islands and islets located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Guinea-Bissau.
The archipelago was formed from the ancient delta of the Geba and Grande de Buba rivers and spans an area of 12,958 km2 (5,003 sq mi). Twenty of its islands are populated year-round, including the most populated island, Bubaque. The administrative capital, Bolama is situated on the island of Bolama.
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 in 1996. The site has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because its intertidal mudflats and mangroves support significant populations of non-breeding and wintering waterbirds, especially large numbers of migratory Palaearctic waders, gulls and terns, as well as greater flamingos and pink-backed pelicans.
The population is estimated at 30,000 (2006) and the ethnic group Bissago pp) (Portuguese: Bijagó) predominates. It has a relatively youthful population due to high birth rates and low life expectancy.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] 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.
In pre-European colonial times, the islands were central to the trade along the coast of West Africa and they built up a powerful navy. In 1532, King Joao III of Portugal ceded a nominal right to the islands to his brother Luis, Duke of Beja as well as generous trading rights. In 1535, Dom Luis sent a force to conquer the islands, but the islanders' strong navy destroyed it, leaving few survivors. For years afterwards the Bijagós refused to trade with the Portuguese and treated any shipwrecked sailors harshly, until relations were restored around 1550. The Bissago islanders then became important providers of slaves to the Portuguese, putting aside inter-island rivalries to raid the mainland.
In 1849, with the people of the Bijagós still fiercely independent, the British and French mounted a joint expedition to 'pacify' the islands, but they were repulsed. The Portuguese tried several times to put down 'tax revolts' in the islands in the early 20th century but largely failed. The islands were not formally annexed by Portugal until 1937.
The Bijagós were visited by Austrian anthropologist and photographer Hugo Bernatzik in 1930–1931, who documented daily life among the Bidyogo people.
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Bijagós Islands
The Bijagós Islands, also spelled Bijagos (Portuguese: Arquipélago dos Bijagós) and formerly known as Bissagos, are a group of about 88 islands and islets located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Guinea-Bissau.
The archipelago was formed from the ancient delta of the Geba and Grande de Buba rivers and spans an area of 12,958 km2 (5,003 sq mi). Twenty of its islands are populated year-round, including the most populated island, Bubaque. The administrative capital, Bolama is situated on the island of Bolama.
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 in 1996. The site has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because its intertidal mudflats and mangroves support significant populations of non-breeding and wintering waterbirds, especially large numbers of migratory Palaearctic waders, gulls and terns, as well as greater flamingos and pink-backed pelicans.
The population is estimated at 30,000 (2006) and the ethnic group Bissago pp) (Portuguese: Bijagó) predominates. It has a relatively youthful population due to high birth rates and low life expectancy.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed] 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.
In pre-European colonial times, the islands were central to the trade along the coast of West Africa and they built up a powerful navy. In 1532, King Joao III of Portugal ceded a nominal right to the islands to his brother Luis, Duke of Beja as well as generous trading rights. In 1535, Dom Luis sent a force to conquer the islands, but the islanders' strong navy destroyed it, leaving few survivors. For years afterwards the Bijagós refused to trade with the Portuguese and treated any shipwrecked sailors harshly, until relations were restored around 1550. The Bissago islanders then became important providers of slaves to the Portuguese, putting aside inter-island rivalries to raid the mainland.
In 1849, with the people of the Bijagós still fiercely independent, the British and French mounted a joint expedition to 'pacify' the islands, but they were repulsed. The Portuguese tried several times to put down 'tax revolts' in the islands in the early 20th century but largely failed. The islands were not formally annexed by Portugal until 1937.
The Bijagós were visited by Austrian anthropologist and photographer Hugo Bernatzik in 1930–1931, who documented daily life among the Bidyogo people.