Balanta people

The Balanta (Guinea-Bissau Creole and Portuguese: balanta; French: balante; lit. “those who resist” in Mandinka) are an ethnic group found in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Senegal, Cape Verde and The Gambia. They are the second largest ethnic group of Guinea-Bissau, representing around a 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.

The Balantas mainly get their last names from the name that is given to a clan, for example. "Na Sanyang", meaning, "house of Sanyang" – which points to a clan. Normally, in a Balanta society, houses are built based on clans.

Normally, the Balantas name their children depending on the circumstances, situations and conditions they are in. For example, a child could be named as "Yabna", which means "rest"; "Alámy" which means "king", and so on. The Balanta could also name a child to express sarcasms as a means of responding to their rivals. For example,"Nsimban", which means, "I have heard them"; "Boulonyi", meaning "I am hated", etc.

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. 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. 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.