Balante

people

Also known as: Balanta Brassa

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Last updated

June 18, 2026

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The Balante are a people primarily found in Sudanese French Senegal and Angola. They speak the West-Atlantic language, also known as Balante. In Guinea-Bissau, the Balante are the major ethnic group in the Tombali region, where they engage in rice cultivation and raise livestock. The Balante people are also referred to as Balanta.12

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Guinea-Bissau
Ethnic and linguistic groups
…20 African ethnicities, including the Balante, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country, the numerous Fulani and their many subgroups, the Diola, the Nalu, the Bijagó, the Landuma, the Papel (Pepel), and the Malinke. There is also a small Cape Verdean minority with mixed African, European,
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…20 African ethnicities, including the Balante, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country, the numerous Fulani and their many subgroups, the Diola, the Nalu, the Bijagó, the Landuma, the Papel (Pepel), and the Malinke. There is also a small Cape Verdean minority with mixed African, European,
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