Balanta

E151359

The Balanta are a major West African ethnic group primarily found in Guinea-Bissau, known for their rice farming traditions, decentralized social organization, and rich musical and ritual culture.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Balanta canonical 10
Balanta Brassa 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf West African people
ethnic group
agriculturalSpecialization wetland rice cultivation
artForm body decoration
ritual masks
wood carving
continent Africa
country Guinea-Bissau
culturalPractice age-grade system
ancestor veneration
initiation rites
culturalValue autonomy
communal solidarity
economicActivity local trade
palm wine production
ethnonymVariant Balanta self-linksurface differs
surface form: Balanta Brassa

Balanta Ganja
Balanta Kentohe
foodStaple millet
rice
initiationFeature female initiation rites
male circumcision
secret knowledge transmission
instrument drums
string instruments
kinshipSystem segmentary lineage system
language Balanta language
languageFamily Niger–Congo languages
languageSubfamily Atlantic–Congo languages
musicTradition drumming ensembles
polyphonic singing
politicalStructure acephalous
region Casamance
northern Guinea-Bissau
religion Christianity
Islam
traditional African religion
ritualSpecialist diviner
healer
significantPopulationIn Senegal
The Gambia
socialOrganization decentralized
subsistenceType small-scale agriculture
traditionalHousing compounds of round huts
traditionalOccupation cattle herding
fishing
rice farming

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (11)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Maia Morgenstern notableWork Balanta
Manjaco relatedEthnicGroup Balanta
Balanta ethnonymVariant Balanta self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Balanta Brassa