Bissagos Islands

The Bissagos Islands lie off the mouths of the Geba and Grande rivers, where channels divide a broad Atlantic archipelago. Its inhabitants were skilled fishers, cultivators and builders of seagoing canoes. Islanders traded with the mainland and European ships, but also launched raids for captives along the coast. Their war canoes and knowledge of the channels helped them defend their independence against repeated Portuguese attempts to impose authority on the islands.