PORTUGUESE GUINEA, gin'e. A colony of Portugal in Northwest Africa, bounded on the north by Senegal, on the east and south by French Guinea, on the west by the At lantic (Map: Africa, C 3). The boundary with French Guinea was established by con vention in 1886. Area, 14,265 square miles. Numerous islands which belong to the col ony, including the Bissagos, line the coast. The shores are difficult of access. The land rises gradually from the that coast region to the mountains of French Guinea, and is generally fertile. The Rio Grande is the largest river. In the lower part of its course it forms a wide inlet of the sea. The climate is excessively hot. The average annual temperature is 78.8' F. The rainy season is between Slay and Novem ber. The flora and fauna are tropical. The palm tree abounds. The forests contain a large variety of valuable woods. Rice and millet are the chief crops.
The French control the commerce. Bulama, the capital, on the island of the same name, has a safe harbor, and divides the commerce with two other ports, including Bissao. The annual for
eign commerce is above $1,100,000, the exports averaging about one-third of the imports. Ivory, wax, nuts, and lndia-rubber are exported. About 150 vessels, with some 60,000 tonnage, yearly visit the ports, excluding the coasting trade. The government is practically a Portuguese protecto rate. There are a governor and a council. The estimated revenue for 1902-03 was $140,400, the expenditure $232.000. The military force is very light. The population is probably about 200,000, and consists of portions of many races, including the Fulbe. Portuguese Guinea was a bone of contention between Portugal and Great Britain between 1792 and 1870, in which latter year the United States Government as arbiter justified the claims of the former.