About the People

Guinea-Bissau is the world’s fifth-poorest nation and has the fifth-lowest Human Development Index. Two-thirds of the population lives in extreme poverty. During the civil war of 1998-99, much of the country’s infrastructure was destroyed, and it has been slow to recover under a cloud of persistent anarchy. The UN has declared it as the first narcotic state in Africa. It has become a transit point for cocaine from Colombia to Europe and heroin from Southeast Asia to the United States.

Guinea-Bissau’s population is dominated by more than 20 African ethnicities, including the Balante, one of the largest ethnic groups in the country, the Fulani and their subgroups, the Diola, Nalu, Bijagó, Landuma, Papel and the Malinke. There is also a small Cape Verdean minority with mixed African, European, Lebanese and Jewish origins. During the colonial period, the European population consisted mainly of the Portuguese and included some Lebanese, Italian, French and English groups and other nationalities. Notably, there was never a substantial settler population in Guinea-Bissau as in other Portuguese colonies.

About 40% of Guinea-Bissau’s population is Muslim. Among Christians, who make up about 20% of the population, Roman Catholicism predominates. About 17% of the population practices traditional beliefs, including ancestor worship, demonic possession and animism. Christianity and Islam tend to be syncretized with African traditional beliefs.

About the Project

Since 2020, the Geba Animist Project has been served primarily by South American missionaries as they grow an Adventist company in this country. Much of the work they do is with the youth. In fact, they are currently enacting plans to create vibrant Pathfinder and Adventurer clubs in their city.

They also work with the local schools. According to the Dias family, “One of our activities in Guinea-Bissau is in elementary schools, where we seek to contribute to the education of children by bringing them relevant life knowledge that can help them understand more about God’s plan for their lives (chaplaincy). We work with music, stories, science, sports and other subjects. The profile of Guinea-Bissau children is quite complex for us, who come from another culture, but little by little, we are seeing results.”

People-Group Facts

• Population: 318,000 Animists
• Language: Portuguese (official)
• Religion: Animism