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Location of Guinea-Bissau on the globe

Guinea-Bissau

GW

West Africa

Guinea-Bissau is home to 6 documented ethnic groups in West Africa — led by Balanta (~30%), Fulani Guinea-Bissau (~22%), Manjago (~14%), Guinea-Bissau Other (~14%). This page blends their phenotype and demographic data into one weighted reference: skin tone, facial features, hair texture and build, drawn from published census and ancestry sources.

Demographic Composition

Composition weights are derived from self-identification in published census and demographic surveys. Each row links to the source ethnic-group atlas page.

Ethnic groupWeightSource
BalantaBalanta30.0%Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census plus subsequent estimates; Balanta (~30%, ~600,000+ of ~2M+ total). Niger-Congo source population, predominantly traditional religion / Christian
Fulani Guinea-BissauFulani Guinea-Bissau22.0%Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census; Fulani / Peulh (~22%); Muslim populations
ManjagoManjago14.0%Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census; Manjago / Mandyak (~14%); Niger-Congo
Guinea-Bissau OtherGuinea-Bissau Other14.0%Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census residual; includes Beafada, Bijago, Felupe (Jola), plus Cape Verdean Creole-descended and Portuguese-descended smaller groups
Mandinka Guinea-BissauMandinka Guinea-Bissau13.0%Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census; Mandinka (~13%); Mande source population
PapelPapel7.0%Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census; Papel (~7%)

Guinea-Bissau Phenotype Profile

Guinea-Bissau has a heterogeneous demographic structure with Balanta (~30%) as the largest group plus substantial Fulani, Manjago, Mandinka, and other groups.

A descriptive view, not a claim about individuals

This page shows a weighted aggregate of phenotype observations across the Guinea-Bissau population, based on demographic composition from published census and ancestry sources. Phenotypes within any country are far more varied than the aggregate suggests; this is a descriptive reference, not a deterministic claim about any individual. For source-level detail on individual ethnic groups, see the constituent atlas pages linked below.

Methodology Notes

Composition weights derived from Guinea-Bissau 2009 Census plus subsequent estimates.

See full project methodology →

Primary Sources

  1. 1.Instituto Nacional de Estatística Guiné-Bissau. RGPH 2009. Bissau: INE; 2011.
  2. 2.Lobban RA, Mendy PK. Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. 4th ed. Scarecrow; 2013.
  3. 3.Forrest JB. Lineages of State Fragility: Rural Civil Society in Guinea-Bissau. Ohio University Press; 2003.
  4. 4.Galli RE, Jones J. Guinea-Bissau: Politics, Economics, and Society. Frances Pinter; 1987.
  5. 5.Tishkoff SA, Reed FA, Friedlaender FR, et al. The genetic structure and history of Africans and African Americans. Science. 2009;324(5930):1035-1044.

Other countries in West Africa

Aggregate phenotype references for neighbouring West Africa nations, weighted by demographic composition.

Browse all West Africaethnic groups & countries →