Bolama (town): Difference between revisions
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'''Bolama''' is the closest of the [[Bissagos Islands]] to the mainland of [[Guinea-Bissau]], and is also the name of the island's main town, the capital of the [[Bolama Region]]. The island has a population of 6,024, the town Bolama 4,819 (2009 census).<ref name=ine/> |
'''Bolama''' is the closest city of the [[Bissagos Islands]] to the mainland of [[Guinea-Bissau]], and is also the name of the island's main town, the capital of the [[Bolama Region]]. The island has a population of 6,024, the town Bolama 4,819 (2009 census).<ref name=ine/> |
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It is almost surrounded by [[mangrove]] [[swamp]]s and is known for its [[cashew nut]]s. Although often visited by local people, the island was apparently uninhabited when [[United Kingdom|British]] [[colonist]]s settled it in 1792. Following a series of failures, they abandoned the island in 1794, another colonisation attempt in 1814 also being quickly ended. |
It is almost surrounded by [[mangrove]] [[swamp]]s and is known for its [[cashew nut]]s. Although often visited by local people, the island was apparently uninhabited when [[United Kingdom|British]] [[colonist]]s settled it in 1792. Following a series of failures, they abandoned the island in 1794, another colonisation attempt in 1814 also being quickly ended. |
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Revision as of 15:27, 2 February 2020
Bolama | |
|---|---|
 Italian plane crash monument with Governor's palace | |
  Bolama Location in Guinea-Bissau | |
| Coordinates: 11°35′N 15°28′W / 11.583°N 15.467°W | |
| Country |  Guinea-Bissau |
| Region | Bolama Region |
| Area | |
• Total | 65 km2 (25 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2009)[1] | |
• Total | 6,024 |
| • Density | 93/km2 (240/sq mi) |
Bolama is the closest city of the Bissagos Islands to the mainland of Guinea-Bissau, and is also the name of the island's main town, the capital of the Bolama Region. The island has a population of 6,024, the town Bolama 4,819 (2009 census).[1]
It is almost surrounded by mangrove swamps and is known for its cashew nuts. Although often visited by local people, the island was apparently uninhabited when British colonists settled it in 1792. Following a series of failures, they abandoned the island in 1794, another colonisation attempt in 1814 also being quickly ended.
History
The Portuguese also claimed Bolama in 1830 and a dispute developed. In 1860, the British proclaimed the island annexed to Sierra Leone, but in 1870 a commission chaired by Ulysses S. Grant awarded Bolama to Portugal. Subsequently, in 1879, Bolama became the first capital of Portuguese Guinea and remained so until its transfer to Bissau in 1941. Bissau had been founded in 1687 by Portugal as a fortified port and trading center. This transfer was needed due to the shortage of fresh water in Bolama. Bolama later became a seaplane stop, and a seaplane crash in 1931 is commemorated by a statue in the town.
The abandoned houses of the old capital provide a shelter for many thousands of enormous fruit eating bats. Every evening, these bats flock to the mainland, darkening the skies.
A fruit processing plant was built on Bolama shortly after independence of Guinea Bissau, with Dutch foreign aid. This plant produced canned juice and jelly of cashew fruit. However, it could not expand and had to shut down its operations, due to the shortage of fresh water on the island.
Attractions on the island include sandy beaches and the Bolama Governor's Palace. It is also designated as a biosphere reserve, and the Bissau-Guinean government is aiming for it to be designated the nation's first World Heritage Site. A causeway links the island to the Ilha das Cobras.
Twin towns – sister cities
Bolama is twinned with:
Gallery
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Ubiquitous ruins at Bolama streets -
Street view -
Ruins of former administration building
Further reading
- The history of the English colonisation attempt in 1792 is chronicled in the first six chapters of the 2013 book, "The Ship of Death: The Voyage that Changed the Atlantic World" by (professor of history) Billy G. Smith.[3][4]
References
- ^ a b População por região, sector e localidades por sexo censo 2009, Instituto Nacional de Estatística Guiné-Bissau
- ^ "Geminações de Cidades e Vilas". Associação Nacional de Municípios Portugueses (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2013-07-20.
- ^ The Ship of Death Yale University Press, 2013; accessed 26 September 2014.
- ^ The Do-Gooders Who Unleashed A Plague book review of "The Ship of Death", reviewed by Peter Lewis for British newspaper The Daily Mail, 30 January 2014; accessed 26 September 2014.
External links
- Abolition Gone Wrong - article about the failed 1792 English settlement of Bolama
- Bolama Region
- Populated places in Guinea-Bissau
- Bissagos Islands
- Sectors of Guinea-Bissau
- Populated places established in 1792
- 1792 establishments in the British Empire
- 1794 disestablishments in the British Empire
- 1830 establishments in Portuguese Guinea
- 1860 disestablishments in Portuguese Guinea
- 1860 establishments in the British Empire
- 1870 disestablishments in the British Empire
- 1870 establishments in Portuguese Guinea