History of Guinea-Bissau

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Part of a series on the
History of Guinea-Bissau
Colonial history
Portuguese Guinea Portuguese Empire Bissau-Guinean Americans Atlantic slave trade Pidjiguiti massacre
Independence struggle
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
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People have inhabited the region now known as Guinea-Bissau for thousands of years. In the 13th century, it became a province of the Mali Empire that later became independent as the Empire of Kaabu. Portugal claimed the region beginning in the 1450s. Portuguese control of the area was limited to several forts along the coast during most of this period. Portugal gained complete control of the mainland after the pacification campaigns of 1912–1915. The offshore Bijagos Islands were not colonized until 1936.^[1][2] After gaining independence in 1974, the country was controlled by a single-party system until 1991.^{[not verified in body]} The introduction of multi-party politics in 1991 brought the first multi-party elections in 1994. A civil war broke out in 1998 and lasted until 1999.