Assomada is a city on the Sotavento (leeward) island of Santiago in Cape Verde . Since 1912, it is the seat of the municipality of Santa Catarina , which comprises the central western part and much of the interior of the island. It is the largest city in that region.
31-414: Assomada lies at about 550 m (1,800 ft) elevation on a plateau surrounded by mountains, farmland, and hills in the center of Santa Catarina. Assomada is located 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Praia. It has an urban area of about 550 ha (1,400 acres). In 2021, it had about 21,297 inhabitants, making it the second largest city on the island. Assomada plays an important commercial role and has
62-548: A more organic, chaotic way. Only after independence did the Plateau merge with the other neighbourhoods to constitute what is now considered the City of Praia. The whole city was, at the time, equipped with adequate infrastructure. Urbanization begun immediately after independence and sought to expand north. Praia has a desert climate ( Köppen : BWh) with a short wet season and a lengthy, very pronounced dry season . In fact, outside of
93-442: A plateau it had better protection against pirate attacks, which gave it a large advantage over the older city of Ribeira Grande ( Cidade Velha ). It gradually superseded Cidade Velha to become the most important settlement of Cape Verde, and became the capital of Cape Verde in 1770. The naval battle of Porto Praya took place at Praia Harbour on 16 April 1781, as Portugal was neutral, it involved Great Britain and France and ended in
124-484: A pleasant combination of urban areas and fields. Assomada lies near the midpoint of the highway that runs the length of the island of Santiago from Praia (the capital) in the south to the northern port of Tarrafal ( EN1-ST01 ). Assomada is subdivided into 22 neighborhoods including Achada Riba, Atrás de Banco, Bolanha, the City Center (central part), Chã de Santos, Covão, Covão Ribeiro, Cruz Vermelha, Cumbém (located in
155-439: A private university). The "summit city" as it is kindly called by its locals and the outsiders is increasingly consolidating its economic success and self-sustainability. The residents of the city of Assomada enjoy the highest living standards on the island of Santiago. Praia Praia ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpɾajɐ] , Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde . Located on
186-521: A tactical draw and French strategic victory. Praia was the first stop of Charles Darwin 's voyage with HMS Beagle in 1832. In the course of the 19th century, the Plateau was completely redeveloped with streets according to a grid plan , lined with grand colonial buildings and mansions. Praia officially became a city ( cidade ) in 1858, which secured its status as the capital of Cape Verde, concentrating political, religious and economic roles. In
217-594: Is also home to the National Library and the National Archives Building or the ANCV. The principal economic activities of Praia belong to the tertiary sector. Beyond activities related to administration and governance (local and national), there are extensive commerce, services (health care, education, tourism, restaurants and hotels, public functions, etc.), and other activities of a liberal character. Being
248-583: Is home to several sports teams with the most popular football (soccer) clubs include Sporting , Boavista , Travadores , Académica , Vitória and Desportivo ; others include ADESBA , based in Craveiro Lopes; Celtic , based in Achadinha de Baixo; Tchadense, based out of Achada Santo Antônio; Delta, and Eugênio Lima, based in that neighbourhood. Basketball clubs include ABC Praia, Bairro and Travadores. Volleyball clubs include Desportivo da Praia. All are part of
279-485: Is home to the University of Santiago, which is a major Cabo Verdean university and a private one, an extensive school complex, including a public high school (Amilcar Cabral High School), two private secondary schools (Centro de Ensino de Assomada and Escola Secundária Abrolhos) and a primary school (escola primária). It is also home to an elite technical high school (i.e., Grand Duke Henri Technical High School), which trains
310-628: The Monumento de Diogo Gomes , named after the Portuguese navigator who discovered the island of Santiago in 1460. Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Diocese of Santiago de Cabo Verde ( Catholic Church ), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , Church of the Nazarene , Universal Church of the Kingdom of God , Assemblies of God . Praia
341-723: The Escola Central (today known as the Escola Grande ). For much time it was the only primary school in Praia. At the beginning of the 1960s, other primary schools began to be built in neighbourhoods around the Plateau and in other localities on the island. Praia was also the first site in Cape Verde with a secondary education institution with the creation of the Liceu Nacional in 1861. However,
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#1732877084275372-405: The Plateau was considered to be the city, the other neighbourhoods being relegated to the condition of peripheral suburbs, in spite of always having a close relationship with the Plateau (people movements, goods and services exchanges, etc.). This is why only the Plateau previously had relatively well-developed urbanization with its own infra-structures. The remaining neighbourhoods developed in
403-496: The Santiago League South Zone . Many clubs play at Estádio da Várzea . Praia is twinned with: Plateau (Praia) Plateau is the historic centre of the capital city of Praia on the island of Santiago , Cape Verde . It gets its name (from French “plateau”) because it is situated on a plateau overlooking the port of Praia. Its average elevation is 37 meters above sea level. The population of Plateau
434-511: The Portuguese authorities were not interested in implementing secondary education in Cape Verde and the school failed as a result; secondary education became, afterwards, the role of the Seminário de Ribeira Brava on the island of São Nicolau, and later of the lyceum in Mindelo. In 1960, Praia again had secondary education, first with a facility on 12 September Plaza and later in its own building. With
465-669: The Sucupira terminal in the city centre, which was opened in May 2018. In 2015 a project called EcobusCV started running a fleet of dual fuel waste vegetable oil / diesel minibuses between Praia and Assomada. However, services were suspended in November 2016. There is the Museu Etnográfico (Ethnographic Museum), which was founded in 1997. Some of the oldest buildings in Praia are Jaime Mota Barracks ( Quartel Jaime Mota ) dating from 1826. Since 2016,
496-671: The early 1920s, the population was around 21,000. As in other parts of the archipelago, resistance against Portuguese rule rose in the 1950s. There was no open independence war like in Guinea-Bissau ; after the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal and the resulting end of the Portuguese Colonial War , Cape Verde declared independence in July 1975. After independence, Praia underwent a demographic boom, receiving migrating movements from all
527-512: The expansion of education in Cape Verde in the 1990s, buildings dedicated to education were constructed in Cape Verde, and Praia in 2016 had 12 secondary education schools. International schools: For higher education, there are the Universidade de Santiago , Instituto Superior de Ciencias Juridícas e Sociais , Instituto Superior de Ciencias Económicas e Empresariais , Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde , and University of Cape Verde . Praia
558-471: The historic centre of Praia is on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites . Landmarks in the colonial city center include Albuquerque Square (named after the colonial governor of the mid 19th century, Caetano Alexandre de Almeida e Albuquerque ), the old city hall built in the 1920s, the Presidential Palace , which was constructed in the end of the 19th century to house the Portuguese governor and
589-605: The islands. As a result, 56% of the entire population of Cape Verde resides in Santiago; and 29% in the Municipality of Praia alone. Its estimated population has reached 151,436 (2015). On 28 June 1985, Praia became member of UCCLA, the Union of Luso – Afro-Americo-Asiatic Capital Cities, an international organization. Geographically, Praia may be described as a set of plateaus and their surrounding valleys . These plateaus generally have
620-641: The months of August, September and October, little precipitation falls on Praia. The city on average sees about 210 millimetres (8.3 in) of rain per year. Since the coldest month is far above 18 °C (64 °F) its temperature patterns resembles a tropical climate , but lacks enough precipitation to be classified as such. Despite the fact that it has an arid climate, Praia seldom gets very hot or very cold, due to its oceanside location on Santiago Island. Temperatures are warm and constant with an average high temperature of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low temperature of 22 °C (72 °F). According to
651-418: The most promising Cape Verdean youth in career skills. Commerce, financial services (particularly banking), transport, and educational services are the lifeblood of the city. Among the financial entities that contribute much to the local economy are: six commercial banks, hundreds of retail and wholesale businesses, a relatively large fleet of taxis and minivans, schools (including private secondary schools and
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#1732877084275682-410: The name achada (Achada de Santo António, Achada de São Filipe, Achada Eugénio Lima, Achada Grande, Achadinha, etc. — achada being a Portuguese word to designate a volcanic plateau), but the central one is called Plateau . The urban settlement is made mostly on top of these plateaus and along the valleys. The islet of Santa Maria is in front of the beach bearing the same name. For a long time, only
713-478: The nation's capital as well as the economic hub, Praia is one of the most economically viable cities in the Cape Verde archipelago. About one third (1/3) of the city's population lives below the poverty line today (2014). The gross metropolitan product for the city is about 39% of the country's GDP, translating into US$ 4764 income per capita. The city is served by Nelson Mandela International Airport and Cabo Verde Airlines , both having headquarters in Praia. It has
744-451: The nation's second most used port, Praia Harbor , with a ferry terminal linking to other islands, direct ferry routes are Maio , Fogo and São Vicente . The port is managed by the national port authority ENAPOR . The port was reconstructed and expanded in 2014. Praia has a dual carriageway ring road , the Circular da Praia (EN1-ST06), which is connected with the main national roads to
775-408: The national statistics office, the city's population was estimated 159,050 as of July 2017. As of the mid-19th century, the population was estimated at 1,500 to 2,000. When Edmund Roberts visited in 1832, he noted a population of black people in Praia totaling about "nineteen twentieths" of the population. The city of Praia is home to the first primary school in the archipelago, originally known as
806-409: The natural harbour in the early 16th century. Due to its strategic position on a plateau it was easily defended against pirate attacks, which gave it a large advantage over the older city of Ribeira Grande ( Cidade Velha ). It gradually superseded Cidade Velha to become the most important settlement of Cape Verde, and became the seat of the colonial government in 1770. In the course of the 19th century,
837-457: The natural harbour . The ports of Santiago were important ports of call for ships sailing between Portugal and the Portuguese colonies in Africa and South America. Between the end of the 16th century and the end of the 18th century, both Ribeira Grande and Praia suffered many pirate attacks, including those by Francis Drake ( 1585 ) and Jacques Cassard ( 1712 ). Due to its strategic position on
868-430: The north ( EN1-ST01 ) and the west ( EN1-ST05 ) of the island. The main roads inside the city are Avenida Grão Ducado de Luxemburgo (from the centre to the west), Avenida Amílcar Cabral (in Plateau ) and Avenida Cidade de Lisboa . Public transport within the city of Praia is provided by the company SolAtlântico. There are 12 city bus lines. Intercity share taxis for other cities on the island of Santiago depart from
899-445: The south), Cutelo, Cutelo Somada, Espinho Branco, Leiria, Lém Vieira, Matinho, Nhagar (located in the north), Pedra Barro, Ponta Fonte Lima, Portãozinho, Tarafalinho and Tras da Empa (Traz d'Empa). According to Cabo Verde 2021 Census, there were 21,297 inhabitants in the city of Assomada. The age and sex distribution at the 2010 census were: In addition to a vocational school (i.e., Escola de Formação Profissional), Assomada
930-540: The southern coast of Santiago island , within the Sotavento Islands group, the city is the seat of the Praia Municipality . Praia is the political, economic and cultural center of Cape Verde. The island of Santiago was discovered by António da Noli in 1460. The first settlement on the island was Ribeira Grande ( Cidade Velha ). The village Praia de Santa Maria was first mentioned around 1615 and grew near
961-465: Was 1,019 at the 2010 census. Many public buildings are situated in Plateau , notably the Presidential Palace , the cathedral , the city hall and the Ethnographic Museum . Adjacent neighbourhoods are Gamboa /Chã de Areia to the south, Várzea to the southwest and west, Achadinha to the northwest, Fazenda to the north and Praia Negra to the east. Praia was founded as a small village near