PORTUGUESE GUINEA, a Portuguese possession in West Africa, extending along the Guinea coast from Cape Roxo in 12° 9' N. to the Cogon estuary in o° 5e N. Inland it reaches to 13° 4o' W., being enclosed landward by French territory, the Casamance district of Senegal to the north and French Guinea north and south. The country has an area of about 14,00o sq.m., and a population very variously estimated. It is probably about 350,000. The country consists largely of a low-lying deltaic region, together with an adjacent archipelago of small islands called the Bissagos. The principal rivers are, in the north the Cacheu ( 225 m. long) ; in the centre the Geba, and in the south the Rio Grande, which turning north-west in its lower course falls into the same estuary as the Geba. In the coast regions the temperature varies from a mean maximum of 85° F in May to a mean mini mum of 77° F in January. From December to April is the dry season, with a strong harmattan blowing. June and July are marked by severe thunderstorms, and the rainy season lasts to the end of November. The rainfall is about 77 in. a year, prac tically all between June and November.
Large forest regions extend behind the mangrove-lined lagoons. Their characteristic trees are the oil and date palms, the baobab, the shea-butter tree, ebony, mahog any and calabash trees, and the acacia. Rubber vines are fairly abundant. Besides the forests, densest along the river valleys, there are extensive tracts of grassland and park-like country. Fruit trees include the papaw, with fruit the size of ostrich eggs, the guava, custard apple, mango, the banana, the orange and the citron. The tobacco, indigo and cotton plants grow wild, and the coffee plant is also found. Ground-nuts and kola nuts are culti vated, and rice and millet are the chief crops grown.
The elephant is found in the district between the Geba and Grande rivers, and hippopotamus are numerous. Other animals include the panther, wild boar, various antelopes, baboons, chim panzees and large snakes. Crocodiles and sharks abound in the rivers. Birds include the pelican, heron, marabout, the trumpet bird and innumerable yellow parrots.
The people of the interior are mostly Fulani (q.v.), among whom are scattered a large number of Mandinga (q.v.). The coast regions and the islands are inhabited by negro tribes, which live side by side, mixing little with one another and preserving their own customs. Descendants of persons of various tribes who became Christian converts are called Gurmettes ; they form the bulk of the population of the towns. Of the other inhabi tants, going from south to north, the chief tribes are the Nalu, who dwell by the Kasini and are keen traders; the Biafare or Biaffade, who occupy the region between the sea and the Rio Grande: the Bulam (Mankaie), living in the island of Bolama, and much given to adorning their bodies by long cuts formed into patterns; the Balanta, an industrious, agricultural race (though formerly addicted to piracy), inhabiting the banks of the Geba; the Papel (Papies) of the island of Bissao, formerly cannibals, also an agricultural people, untamed and warlike; the Manjak and a branch of the Felup peoples, these last living near the Rio Cacheu in savage isolation and much given to waylaying and pillaging strangers. The Manjak (Manjacos) inhabit the country between
the Mancoa and the Cacheu, and the neighbouring islands. Ex cellent seamen, good artisans and sharp traders, they maintain a sort of feudal system. The seaward islands of the Bissagos are inhabited by a tribe of fishers and pirates called Bidiogos.
The non-native inhabitants include a number of mulatto descendants of the Portuguese and people from the Cape Verdi whose dialect of Portuguese known as creole is widely understood by the natives. There are Portuguese officials and soldiers.
Bissao (Sao Jose di Bissao), near the mouth of the Geba estuary, is the chief port, with a safe and deep anchorage. Bolama (pop. 4,000), on the island of the same name, is the capital of the country. It also has a good harbour, small naval workshops and an aerodrome. Cacheu is a port on the river Cacheu near its mouth, and Farim 90 m. up-stream is a trading centre, other trading-centres are Bafata on the Geba and Xitoli, on the Rio Grande. The chief exports, practically all native produce, are ground nuts and palm kernels ; with hides, rubber and bees-wax in smaller values. The imports include cotton piece goods (from England) kola-nuts (from Sierra Leone), trade spirits (from Hamburg) and wines (from Portugal). No discriminatory duties were imposed on foreign goods (except wines) and before the World War fully 70% of the exports went to Germany, which supplied some 4o% of the imports. Later the French took a good share of the trade. The import of trade spirits was greatly restricted. The value of exports, 46,000 in 1890, had risen to £232,000 in 1914, and was £416,000 in
The imports in the years named were valued at £69,000, £312,000 and £513,000 respectively. Revenue is derived from customs and a hut tax; in modern times, revenue first exceeded expenditure in 1910–II. For 1926-27, revenue was estimated at 19,966,00o escudos (about £170,000 sterling), and expenditure at 59,685,00o escudos.