Farim is a town of northern
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border, its north and Guinea to Guinea–Guinea-Bissau b ...
. It sits on the north bank of the
Farim/Cacheu River, about 215 km (135 miles) up the river from
Cacheu. Population 8,661 (2009 census).
[População por região, sector e localidades por sexo censo 2009]
, Instituto Nacional de Estatística Guiné-Bissau
History
Farim was founded about 1641 by the Captain-Major of Cacheu, who recruited
lançados from
Geba to move to where they would be less vulnerable to attack by African tribes. The name derived from ''
farim'', the title of the local
Mandinka ruler of
Kaabu
Kaabu (1537–1867), also written Gabu, Ngabou, and N'Gabu, was a federation of Mandinka kingdoms in the Senegambia region centered within modern northeastern Guinea-Bissau, large parts of today's Gambia, and extending into Koussanar, Kou ...
. For their part, the Mandinkas and
Soninke called the settlement Tubabodaga ("village of the whites"). It was well-situated as a port, since the river was continuously navigable by sailing vessels from Cacheu.
In 1696 the local king of
Canico attacked the Luso-African settlement at Farim, but was repulsed and eventually captured. The Captain-Major of Cacheu led a force of
Papel and
Balanta troops to destroy nearby villages and fortify the town, officially making it a ''
presídio'' (garrisoned place) though an order dated 10 November 1696. Under diplomatic pressure from the
Mansa of Kaabu, however, he released the king of Canico. Control of the region around Farim remained in the hands of the local kings, and Portuguese control was limited to the fortress. In the late 17th century, the Buramo King of Farim held significant control over the
Cacheu River, with the exception of several islands at the mouth of the river, ruled by independent principalities.
It was a base for operations against
Oio in 1897 and 1902. Farim started to grow in earnest in the 1910s, with over twenty trading firms based there, and became a
vila (town) in 1918.
Farim had become a ''
centro comercial'' by 1925, and experienced an influx of
Lebanese and
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
n merchants, dealing in
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...
s and
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
. Its economy was hit hard by the independence struggle in the 1960s and 1970s.
Sports
There are several sports clubs (notably football and athletics) in Farim, including
SC Farim.
Named after
A
crater on Mars is named after the town.
References
Sources
* Richard Andrew Lobban Jr. and Peter Karibe Mendy, ''Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau'', 3rd ed. (Scarecrow Press, 1997 ) pp. 160–163
*
{{Authority control
Oio region
Populated places in Guinea-Bissau
Sectors of Guinea-Bissau