Bissagos Islands : GUINEA-BISSAU
The Bissagos Islands, or Bijagós Archipelago, is a group of eighteen major islands and dozens of smaller ones 30 miles off the Guinea coast in western Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. The southern islands constitute a Biosphere Reserve. The Bissagos Islands or Bijagós Archipelago are a group of some eighteen major islands and dozens more smaller ones in the Atlantic Ocean with an area of 2 624 km2 and a population of 30 000 (2006). They are a part of Guinea-Bissau. In pre-colonial times, the islands were central to the trade along the coast of West Africa and they built up a powerful navy. In 1535 this enabled them to rout the Portuguese when they attempted to conquer the islands. The islands were not taken by Portugal until 1936[citation needed]. Today, only twenty of the islands are inhabited and the others have only small populations of the Bijagós people. The southern islands are today a nature reserve. The islands of Bubaque, Bolama, and Caravela are the most populated and are visited by tourists. This continued even during the years of unrest in Guinea-Bissau as the islands remained isolated from those events. They constitute a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, known for animals including marine turtles and monkeys and are mostly forested. The population mostly speaks Bijago and has a considerable degree of autonomy. The islands include: Bolama, Bubaque, Carache, Caravela, Enu, Formosa, Galinhas, João Viera, Maio, Meneque, Orango, Orangozinho, Ponta, Roxa, Rubane, Soga, Unhacomo, Uno and Uracane. Orango is run by a matriarchy, in which the women choose their husbands, making each spouse-to-be a single plate of food (often a traditional fish eye platter). Agreement is marked by the eating of the fish.
Guinea-Bissau was first reached by Europeans when the Portuguese arrived in 1446 and it became a slave-trading centre. Until 1879 it was administered with the Cape Verde Islands, but then became a separate colony under the name of Portuguese Guinea. Nationalist groups began to form in the 1950s, and PAIGC was established in 1956. Portugal refused to grant independence, fighting broke out, and by 1972 PAIGC claimed to control two-thirds of the country. In 1973 the ‘liberated areas’ were declared independent, a national people's assembly was set up, and Luiz Cabral was appointed president of a state council. Some 40,000 Portuguese troops were engaged in trying to put down the uprising and suffered heavy losses, but before a clear outcome was reached a coup in Portugal ended the fighting, and PAIGC negotiated independence with the new government in Lisbon. Guinea-Bissau is a republic with a multiparty political system, with a presidential executive. Its 1984 constitution was amended in 1991 to legalize parties other than the African Party for the Independence of Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The constitution provides for a single-chamber legislature, the 100-member national assembly, popularly elected from multi-member constituencies for four-year terms. The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The president appoints a prime minister after consultation with party leaders in the legislature. There is a supreme court, comprising nine justices appointed by the president. The country is divided into nine regions.
In 1974 Portugal formally acknowledged Guinea-Bissau as a sovereign nation. PAIGC began to lay the foundations of a socialist state, intended to include Cape Verde, but in 1980, four days before approval of the constitution, Cape Verde withdrew, feeling that Guinea-Bissau was being given preferential treatment. In November 1980, at a time of economic difficulties which had made the government unpopular, João Bernardo ‘Nino’ Vieira, who had been prime minister since 1978, deposed Cabral in a bloodless military coup and became chair of a council of revolution. At its 1981 congress, PAIGC decided to retain its name, despite Cape Verde's withdrawal, and its position as the only party was confirmed, with Vieira as secretary general. Normal relations between the two countries were restored in 1982. In 1984 a new constitution made Vieira head of government as well as head of state, and in 1989 he was re-elected for another five-year term. He outlined a programme of political liberalization, which involved the repeal of articles of the constitution enshrining the leading role of the PAIGC, and new laws to allow the formation of other political parties, a free press, and independent trade unions with the right to strike. The Bissagos Islands or Bijagós Archipelago are a group of some eighteen major islands and dozens more smaller ones in the Atlantic Ocean. They are a part of Guinea-Bissau. In pre-colonial times, the islands were central to the trade along the coast of West Africa and they built up a powerful navy. In 1535 this enabled them to rout the Portuguese when they attempted to conquer the islands. The islands were not taken by Portugal until 1936. Today, only twenty of the islands are inhabited and the others have only small populations of the Bijagós people. The southern islands are today a nature reserve. The islands of Bubaque, Bolama, and Caravela are the most populated and are visited by tourists. This continued even during the years of unrest in Guinea-Bissau as the islands remained isolated from those events. They constitute a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, known for animals including marine turtles and monkeys and are mostly forested. The population mostly speaks Bijago and has a considerable degree of autonomy. The islands include: Bolama, Bubaque, Carache, Caravela, Enu, Formosa, Galinhas, João Viera, Maio, Meneque, Orango, Orangozinho, Ponta, Roxa, Rubane, Soga, Unhacomo, Uno and Uracane. Orango is run by a matriarchy, in which the women choose their husbands, making each spouse-to-be a single plate of food (often a traditional fish eye platter). Agreement is marked by the eating of the fish.
Guinea-Bissau was first reached by Europeans when the Portuguese arrived in 1446 and it became a slave-trading centre. Until 1879 it was administered with the Cape Verde Islands, but then became a separate colony under the name of Portuguese Guinea. Nationalist groups began to form in the 1950s, and PAIGC was established in 1956. Portugal refused to grant independence, fighting broke out, and by 1972 PAIGC claimed to control two-thirds of the country. In 1973 the ‘liberated areas’ were declared independent, a national people's assembly was set up, and Luiz Cabral was appointed president of a state council. Some 40,000 Portuguese troops were engaged in trying to put down the uprising and suffered heavy losses, but before a clear outcome was reached a coup in Portugal ended the fighting, and PAIGC negotiated independence with the new government in Lisbon. Guinea-Bissau is a republic with a multiparty political system, with a presidential executive. Its 1984 constitution was amended in 1991 to legalize parties other than the African Party for the Independence of Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The constitution provides for a single-chamber legislature, the 100-member national assembly, popularly elected from multi-member constituencies for four-year terms. The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The president appoints a prime minister after consultation with party leaders in the legislature. There is a supreme court, comprising nine justices appointed by the president. The country is divided into nine regions.
In 1974 Portugal formally acknowledged Guinea-Bissau as a sovereign nation. PAIGC began to lay the foundations of a socialist state, intended to include Cape Verde, but in 1980, four days before approval of the constitution, Cape Verde withdrew, feeling that Guinea-Bissau was being given preferential treatment. In November 1980, at a time of economic difficulties which had made the government unpopular, João Bernardo ‘Nino’ Vieira, who had been prime minister since 1978, deposed Cabral in a bloodless military coup and became chair of a council of revolution. At its 1981 congress, PAIGC decided to retain its name, despite Cape Verde's withdrawal, and its position as the only party was confirmed, with Vieira as secretary general. Normal relations between the two countries were restored in 1982. In 1984 a new constitution made Vieira head of government as well as head of state, and in 1989 he was re-elected for another five-year term. He outlined a programme of political liberalization, which involved the repeal of articles of the constitution enshrining the leading role of the PAIGC, and new laws to allow the formation of other political parties, a free press, and independent trade unions with the right to strike. The Bissagos Islands or Bijagós Archipelago are a group of some eighteen major islands and dozens more smaller ones in the Atlantic Ocean. They are a part of Guinea-Bissau. In pre-colonial times, the islands were central to the trade along the coast of West Africa and they built up a powerful navy. In 1535 this enabled them to rout the Portuguese when they attempted to conquer the islands. The islands were not taken by Portugal until 1936. Today, only twenty of the islands are inhabited and the others have only small populations of the Bijagós people. The southern islands are today a nature reserve. The islands of Bubaque, Bolama, and Caravela are the most populated and are visited by tourists. This continued even during the years of unrest in Guinea-Bissau as the islands remained isolated from those events. They constitute a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, known for animals including marine turtles and monkeys and are mostly forested. The population mostly speaks Bijago and has a considerable degree of autonomy. The islands include: Bolama, Bubaque, Carache, Caravela, Enu, Formosa, Galinhas, João Viera, Maio, Meneque, Orango, Orangozinho, Ponta, Roxa, Rubane, Soga, Unhacomo, Uno and Uracane. Orango is run by a matriarchy, in which the women choose their husbands, making each spouse-to-be a single plate of food (often a traditional fish eye platter). Agreement is marked by the eating of the fish.
