a group of related peoples living in the Republic of Guinea in areas neighboring on Senegal. The Tenda include the Bassari, Koniagi, Badyaranke, Mayo, and Boeni. Small groups of Bassari and Badyaranke also live in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. The total population is approximately 30,000 (1970, estimate). The Tenda languages belong to the Atlantic (Western Bantoid) group. Most of the Tenda have retained their traditional animistic beliefs. The principal occupations are agriculture (mainly the cultivation of millet and yams), hunting, and fishing.