Bassari people
The Bassari people are an African people living in Senegal, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. The total population is between 10,000 and 30,000. Most of the Bassari are concentrated on either side of the Senegal-Guinea border southwest of Kedougou, Kédougou Region. This areas is referred to in French as "Pays Bassari", or "liyan" in the Bassari language.

The Bassari speak a Tenda language, "o-niyan". They refer to themselves as "a-liyan", pl. "bi-liyan". Most of the group are animists, with a significant minority of Christians (both Catholic and Protestant). Very few Bassari are Muslims. They have close relations with the Fula people centered locally in the nearby hills of the Fouta Djallon.

The Bassari are subsistence farmers for the most part, growing rice, millet, earth-peas and fonio. They also migrate to the cities and towns of Senegal and Guinea in the dry season in search of wage-labor, using the money they earn to buy household equipment, clothing and other necessary items.

The mythology of the Bassari is centered on the creation god Unumbotte.
Q1041
Senegal
LOC
Q117
Ghana
LOC
Q1005
Gambia
LOC
Q1006
Guinea
LOC
Q1007
Guinea-Bissau
LOC
Q586498
Kedougou
LOC
Q1046666
Kédougou Region
LOC
Q35098
Bassari language
Concept
Q1708753
Tenda language
MEDIA
Q43004
animists
Concept
Q106039
Christians
Concept
Q9592
Catholic
Concept
Q23540
Protestant
Concept
Q47740
Muslims
Concept
Q202575
Fula people
Concept
Q850245
Fouta Djallon
LOC
Q5090
rice
Concept
Q259438
millet
Concept
Q12439809
fonio
Concept
Q810476
Bassari
MEDIA
Q7897781
Unumbotte
MISC
Q810476
Bassari people
MEDIA
country
country
shares border with
shares border with
shares border with