 |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 323,948[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Guinea-Bissau Senegal The Gambia | |
| Languages | |
| Balanta, Kriol | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional African religion, Roman Catholicism, Islam |
The Balanta (Guinea-Bissau Creole and Portuguese: balanta; French: balante; lit. “those who resist” in Mandinka[2]) are an ethnic group found in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Senegal, Cape Verde and The Gambia. They are the largest ethnic group of Guinea-Bissau, representing more than one-quarter of the population. Despite their numbers, they have remained outside the colonial and postcolonial state because of their social organisation. The Balanta can be divided into six dialects: Nyacra, Ganja (Mane), Naga, Patch, Sofar and Kentohe. The largest of which are the Balanta Kentohe.
Names and Surnames/Last Names Surnames/Last Names: The Balantas mainly get their last names from the name that is given to a clan, like "Na Sanyang",meaning, "house of Sanyang" which points to a clan. Normally,in a Balanta society, houses are built based on clans.
Names: Normally, the Balantas name a child depending on the circumstances, situations and conditions they are. For instance, a child could be named as "Yabna", which means "rest", "Alámy" which means "King", and so on. Also, the Balantas could name a child to express sarcasms as means of responses to their rivals. For instance,"Nsimban", which means, "I have heard them","Boulonyi" to mean "I am hated." These are few of the traditional names that a child could be named in a Balanta society.
Archaeologists believe that the people who became the Balanta migrated to present-day Guinea-Bissau in small groups between the 10th and 14th centuries CE.[2] During the 19th century, they spread throughout the area that is now Guinea-Bissau and southern Senegal in order to resist the expansion of the Kaabu kingdom.[2] Today, the Balanta are found in the modern-day countries of Senegal, Cape Verde and Gambia but mostly reside in the southern and central regions of Guinea-Bissau.
- ^ "Recenseamento Geral da População e Habitação 2009 Características Socioculturais" (PDF). Instituto Nacional de Estatística Guiné-Bissau. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
- ^ a b c Appiah, Anthony; Gates (Jr.), Henry Louis, "Encyclopedia of Africa, Volume 1." (Editors: Anthony Appiah, Henry Louis Gates (Jr.)), Oxford University Press (2010), p. 148, ISBN 9780195337709 URL: [1] (retrieved 1 August 2024)