Bolama is the closest of the Bijagós Islands to the mainland of Guinea-Bissau, and is also the name of the island's main town, the capital of the Bolama Region. It is almost surrounded by mangrove swamps and is known for its cashew nuts. Although often visited by local people, the island was apparently uninhabited when British colonists settled it in 1792. Following a series of failures, they abandoned the island in 1794, another colonisation attempt in 1814 also being quickly ended. Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal Mangroves are woody trees or shrubs that grow in mangrove habitats or mangal (Hogarth, 1999). ... A freshwater swamp A swamp is a wetland that features permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of hummocks, or dry-land protrusions. ... Binomial name Anacardium occidentale L. The Cashew Anacardium occidentale is a tree in the flowering plant family, Brazil, where it is called by its Portuguese name Cajú (the fruit) or Cajueiro (the tree). ... This article refers to a colony in politics and history. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1814 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The Portuguese also claimed Bolama in 1830 and a dispute developed. In 1860 the British proclaimed the island annexed to Sierra Leone, but in 1870 a commission chaired by Ulysses S. Grant awarded Bolama to Portugal. Subsequently, in 1879, Bolama became the first capital of Portuguese Guinea and remained so until its transfer to Bissau in 1941. It later became a seaplane stop, and a seaplane crash in 1931 is commemorated by a statue in the town. 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... 1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Ulysses Simpson Grant (April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American Civil War general and the 18th (1869–1877) president of the United States. ... 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... In politics a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has an alternative meaning based on an alternative meaning of capital) is the principal city or town associated with its government. ... Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974. ... Bissau, estimated population 197,610 (1991), is the capital of Guinea-Bissau. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery A seaplane is an aircraft designed to take off and land on water. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Attractions on the island include sandy beaches and the Bolama Governor's Palace. It is also designated as a biosphere reserve, and the Guinea-Bissauan government is aiming for it to be designated the nation's first World Heritage Site. A causeway links the island to the Ilha das Cobras. Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... Beach A beach or strand is a geological formation consisting of loose rock particles such as sand, shingle, or cobble along the shoreline of a body of water. ... The biosphere is that part of a planet earths outer shell—including air, land, and water—within which life occurs, and which biotic processes in turn alter or transform. ... Reserve can mean several things; 1. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... In modern usage, a causeway is a road elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ...