Balante

Bulanda, or Brassa (self-designation, Belante), a people living primarily in Guinea (Bissau). The Balante, together with the linguistically related tribes of the Mandyako, Pepel, Burama, Biafada, and others, number about 400,000 persons in Guinea (Bissau), with about 40,000 more living on the Ilhas do Cabo Verde and about 5,000 in Senegal (1967 estimate). The Balante language belongs to the Atlantic (north Bantoid) group. The Balante raise crops (chiefly rice) and fish along the coasts. The majority of Balante adhere to traditional beliefs, although some are Muslims.