Portuguese Guinea

Origins

Portuguese and Cape Verdean traders had been active in the rivers of the Guinea coast since the 15th century. In 1588 the town of Cacheu was founded as a fortified trading base, followed by Bissau in the late 17th century. For long the posts were governed from Portuguese Cape Verde.

Rule and society

For centuries Portuguese control barely reached beyond a few trading towns, where Luso-African traders dealt in slaves and later groundnuts. The colony was separated from Cape Verde in 1879, and military campaigns between 1912 and 1915 imposed control over the interior. Under the Estado Novo it was governed through chiefs and forced labour.

Decline and legacy

From 1963 the PAIGC, led by Amilcar Cabral until his assassination in 1973, fought a guerrilla war that liberated much of the countryside. Independence was declared in 1973, and Portugal recognised Guinea-Bissau in 1974 after its revolution.