Portuguese-based Creole Languages - Africa

Africa

The oldest Portuguese-based creole are the so-called Crioulos of Upper Guinea, born around the Portuguese settlements along the northwest coast of Africa. Originally spoken on a wider area, they are presently reduced to the following branches:

• Guinea-Bissau Creole (Kriol): lingua franca of Guinea-Bissau, also spoken in Casamance, Senegal and in Gambia.
• Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu, Kriol): a dialect continuum spoken on the islands of Cape Verde, with some decreolization.

Another group is spoken in the Gulf of Guinea, in São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea:

• Angolar (Ngola, N'góla): in coastal areas of São Tomé Island.
• Annobonese (Fá d'Ambô): in Annobón Island.
• Forro: in São Tomé.
• Principense (Lunguyê) (almost extinct): in Príncipe Island.

Many other Portuguese creoles probably existed in Africa, especially in the Congo region and former Portuguese feitorias in the Gulf of Guinea.

Portuguese pidgins still exist in Angola and Mozambique, uncreolized. A Portuguese pidgin, known as Simple Portuguese, is still used as lingua franca between distinct Angolan tribes.

Portuguese Creoles are the mother tongue of Cape Verde (it also has a largest number of standard Portuguese speakers) and Guinea-Bissau's population.