Tags: Ethnic Group.
The Balanta (same spelling in Guinea-Bissau Creole and Portuguese balante in French transliteration) meaning literally “those who resist” are an ethnic group found in Guinea-Bissau Senegal 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 organization.