The compounds usually adjoin to form compact villages. In general, the dwellings are round with mud walls and cone-shaped, thatched roofs. However, many local variations exist. In the Kunante community, men hunt, fish, clear the land, and tend the cattle. The women do the gathering and help some with the agricultural work.
Chiefs exercise political authority in the villages.
Succession usually passes to the next brother or to the oldest son of the deceased's oldest sister. Circumcision of males is practiced, and some female circumcision is also continued. The Kunante prefer cousins as marriage partners. In such cases, however, each wife has her own hut, and the husband spends a fixed period with each on a rotation basis. Most of the population of Guinea-Bissau are ethnic religionists, still following traditional beliefs.