São Domingos (Guinea-Bissau) Explained

São Domingos
Settlement Type:Sector and city
Coordinates:12.4019°N -16.2006°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Guinea-Bissau
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Cacheu
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:GMT
Utc Offset1:+0:00

São Domingos is both a Sector and a city in the Cacheu Region of Guinea-Bissau. The sector contains the main border checkpoint to Senegal between Jegue (on the Guinean side), Mpack on the Senegalese.

History

There was a Portuguese trading post at Sao Domingos (known in the local Banyum language as Buguendo) at least as early 1535, by which point it had attained a semi-unofficial status.[1] In the late sixteenth century, however, relations between the Portuguese lançados and the native Bainuk people deteriorated. The late 1570s saw the Europeans invite the king of Kassa to attack the town; despite this victory, conditions did not improve, and the traders relocated to another town further upriver.[2] This experiment likewise failed, and the center of the lancados trade moved across the river to Cacheu.[3]

In 2016 it was announced that this border crossing would be significantly developed with funding from the UEMOA.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Rodney . Walter . May 1966 . A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545-1800 . ProQuest .
  2. Rodney, 175.
  3. Rodney, 176.
  4. https://www.radiosolmansi.net/index.php/Nacional/guine-bissau-e-senegal-vao-beneficiar-de-um-posto-de-controlo-de-mercadorias-na-zona-fronteirica.html Announcement of the new border facilities project