Portuguese Guinea

8.9

A former name for Guinea-Bissau, a country on the west coast of Africa that was a Portuguese colony until 1974

proper noun

Literature

: Guinea Portuguesa

In 1974, Portuguese Guinea officially became known as Guinea-Bissau.

Examples

The struggle for independence in Portuguese Guinea was one of Africa's longest colonial wars.
Many historical documents still refer to Guinea-Bissau by its colonial name, Portuguese Guinea.
The history of Portuguese Guinea is fascinating.
Did Portuguese Guinea have a significant impact on trade?
In 1974, Portuguese Guinea officially became known as Guinea-Bissau.
Many historical documents still refer to Guinea-Bissau by its colonial name, Portuguese Guinea.
The struggle for independence in Portuguese Guinea was one of Africa's longest colonial wars.

Synonyms

Republic of Guinea-Bissau

vsPortuguese Guinea

4.9

A country in West Africa on the Atlantic coast

is the colonial name used for the territory before independence in 1974

Guinea-Bissau

vsPortuguese Guinea

5.5

A country in West Africa on the Atlantic coast

is the colonial name used for the territory before independence in 1974

Surface Forms

Portuguese Guinea main

Morphology

Portuguese + Guinea

The phrase is a simple adjectival place name combining 'Portuguese' (relating to Portugal) with 'Guinea' (the place), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the Guinea associated with Portugal — i.e., the territory formerly under Portuguese control. This adjective+place pattern is cross-linguistically common for colonial or national designations, making the meaning directly derivable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Portuguese Guinea comes from when Portugal ruled that part of West Africa: Portuguese (the rulers) was put before Guinea (the region), like a label on a map. So the name meant 'the Guinea ruled by Portugal', and it changed to Guinea-Bissau after 'independence' in 1974.