96-450: Cape Verde (formally, the Republic of Cabo Verde ) is a group of arid Atlantic islands which are home to distinct communities of plants, birds, and reptiles. The Cape Verde Islands are located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean some 450 km (280 mi) off the west coast of the continent of Africa. The landscape varies from dry plains to high active volcanoes with cliffs rising steeply from
192-469: A desert climate ( Köppen : BWh) with a short wet season and a lengthy, very pronounced dry season . In fact, outside of 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
288-499: 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 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
384-609: A liberal character. Being 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
480-614: A lot of rain and southwestern slopes do not. This is because they are umbria areas, situated in the north hillsides or slopes of the mountainous areas, oriented behind the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere , in the shadyside orographic . So the amount of solar radiation that it receive is much lower than it would if it had without the island's relief which intercepts much of the sunlight. In terms of botanical ecology, these umbria areas are identified as being cool and moist. The current north of
576-563: A number of international organizations. It also participates in most international conferences on economic and political issues. Since 2007, Cape Verde has a special partnership status with the EU , under the Cotonou Agreement , and might apply for special membership , in particular because the Cape Verdean escudo , the country's currency, is indexed to the euro . In 2011 Cape Verde ratified
672-622: 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 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
768-557: A successful operation to put an end to a drug trafficking group which smuggled cocaine from Colombia to the Netherlands and Germany using the country as a reorder point. The operation took more than three years, being a secret operation during the first two years, and ended in 2010. In 2016, Cape Verdean Armed Forces were involved in the Monte Tchota massacre , a green-on-green incident that resulted in 11 deaths. The Cape Verde archipelago
864-622: A very degradated area. Also, most islands do not always get a monsoon. In fact, it is not surprising that some atmospheric precipitation of islands are limited in tropical rain. If rain arrives, it is usually between August and October. The first "rainy season" brings high temperatures and high humidity that condenses as dew mountain. The other rainy season is between December and June, when the northeast trade winds are common during this season, only altitudes above 600 m tend to receive regular rain. The island of Sal receives an average of 0 mm in May. When
960-516: Is 2,239 km (864 sq mi). In the west of the Barlavento group, Santo Antão , São Vicente , São Nicolau , Santa Luzia and islets Branco and Raso are volcanic and somewhat rocky yet quite widely capable of supporting semi-arid agriculture . In the east of the Barlavento group, Sal and Boa Vista are lightly-hilled, desert islands whose economies were based on salt and rely on fishing and tourism , having more in common with
1056-480: Is Santiago, which hosts the nation's capital, Praia, the principal urban agglomeration in the archipelago. Three of the Cape Verde islands, Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio, are fairly flat, sandy, and dry; the others are generally rockier with more vegetation. Geologically, the islands, covering a combined area of slightly over 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 square miles), are principally composed of igneous rocks , with volcanic structures and pyroclastic debris comprising
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#17328523925751152-493: Is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 sq mi). These islands lie between 600 and 850 kilometres (320 and 460 nautical miles) west of Cap-Vert , the westernmost point of continental Africa. The Cape Verde islands form part of the Macaronesia ecoregion , along with
1248-560: Is called Cidade Velha ("Old City"), to distinguish it from a town of the same name on a different Cape Verdean island ( Ribeira Grande on the island of Santo Antão ). The original Ribeira Grande was the first permanent European settlement in the tropics . In the 16th century, the archipelago prospered from the Atlantic slave trade . Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Francis Drake , an English privateer , twice sacked
1344-583: 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
1440-648: Is in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 570 kilometres (350 mi) off the western coast of the African continent, near Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania as well as part of the Macaronesia ecoregion . It lies between latitudes 14° and 18°N , and longitudes 22° and 26°W . The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets, that constitute an area of 4033 km (1557 sq mi). The islands are spatially divided into two groups: The largest island, both in size and population,
1536-701: Is the endemic type of humid subtropical laurel forest of macaronesian laurisilva, found on several of the Macaronesian African mainland enclaves and Macaronesian islands of the North Atlantic , namely Madeira Islands , the Azores , Cape Verde Islands, and the Canary Islands ; these are a relic of the Pliocene subtropical forests , supporting numerous endemic species. This laurisilva forests are found in
1632-480: Is usually defined as terrain that receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of annual rainfall. Sal's total of 145 mm (5.7 in) confirms this classification. Most of the year's rain falls in September. Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio have a flat landscape and arid climate, whilst the other islands are generally rockier and have more vegetation. Because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall, where not mountainous,
1728-575: Is why only the Plateau previously had relatively well-developed urbanization with its own infra-structures. The remaining neighbourhoods developed in 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
1824-575: 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
1920-551: The April 1974 revolution in Portugal , the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde. In December 1974, the PAIGC and Portugal signed an agreement providing for a transitional government composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. On 30 June 1975, Cape Verdeans elected a National Assembly which received the instruments of independence from Portugal on 5 July 1975. Immediately following
2016-480: The Azores , the Canary Islands , Madeira and the Savage Isles . The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the 15th century, when Portuguese explorers discovered and colonized the islands, thus establishing the first European settlement in the tropics. Because the Cape Verde islands were conveniently located to play a role in the Atlantic slave trade , Cape Verde became economically prosperous during
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#17328523925752112-711: The November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau , relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau became strained. Cape Verde abandoned its hope for unity with Guinea-Bissau and formed the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Problems have since been resolved and relations between the countries are good. The PAICV and its predecessor established a one-party system and ruled Cape Verde from independence until 1990. Responding to growing pressure for pluralistic democracy,
2208-534: The Portuguese language Cabo Verde ('green cape'), the name that Portuguese explorers gave the cape in 1444, a few years before they came across the islands. On 24 October 2013, the country's delegation to the United Nations informed it that other countries should no longer use Cape Verde or any other translations of Cabo Verde as part of its official name: all countries should use Republic of Cabo Verde as
2304-801: The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court . In 2017 Cape Verde signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . The judicial system consists of a Supreme Court of Justice – whose members are appointed by the president, the National Assembly, and the Board of the Judiciary ;– and regional courts. Separate courts hear civil, constitutional, and criminal cases. Appeals are to
2400-659: The Sotavento island Maio . There are four main islands of the Sotavento group. The western three islands, Brava , Fogo and Santiago , are rocky and volcanic agricultural islands, with the longest histories of human habitation. The fourth and easternmost island Maio is a flat desert island whose economy was primarily based on salt , giving it more in common with the Barlavento islands Sal and Boa Vista . The Ilhéus do Rombo are barren islets north of Brava. The total area of
2496-844: 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 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
2592-443: The dew point , causing it to condense part of the moisture that falls as rain or fog, creating a habitat especially cool, saturated with moisture in the air and soil. It is the balance between the dry and warm influence of the subtropical anticyclone, hot and dry summer and orography the responsible for carrying cool wet air. As latitude increases, this increases the impact of the storms, which in its journey from west to east, swept
2688-557: The (then) capital Ribeira Grande in 1585 when it was a part of the Iberian Union . After a French attack in 1712, the town declined in importance relative to nearby Praia , which became the capital in 1770. The decline in the slave trade in the 19th century resulted in an economic crisis. Cape Verde's early prosperity slowly vanished. However, the islands' position astride mid-Atlantic shipping lanes made Cape Verde an ideal location for re-supplying ships. Because of its excellent harbour,
2784-561: The 16th and 17th centuries, attracting merchants, privateers , and pirates . It declined economically in the 19th century after the suppression of the Atlantic slave trade by the British Empire, and many of its inhabitants emigrated during that period. However, Cape Verde gradually recovered economically by becoming an important commercial center and useful stopover point along major shipping routes. Cape Verde became independent in 1975. Since
2880-695: 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 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,
2976-472: The 2016 parliamentary elections , taking back parliamentary majority after 15 year-rule of African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). In April 2021, the ruling center-right Movement for Democracy (MpD) of Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva won the parliamentary election . In October 2021, opposition candidate and former prime minister, Jose Maria Neves of PAICV, won Cape Verde's presidential election. On 9 November 2021, Jose Maria Neves
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3072-643: The Canaries, has a cooling effect on the islands of Cabo Verde, making the air temperature more bearable than it would expect in any case at this latitude. Conversely, the islands do not receive the upwellings (cold streams) that affect the West African coast, so the air temperature is cooler than in Senegal, but the sea is actually warmer, because the orographic relief of some islands, such as Sao Miguel with steep mountains, cover it with rich woods and luxuriant vegetation where
3168-574: The Cape Verde Islands. These are referred to as Cape Verde-type hurricanes . These hurricanes can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters away from Cape Verde. The average hurricane season has about two Cape Verde-type hurricanes, which are usually the largest and most intense storms of the season because they often have plenty of warm open ocean over which to develop before encountering land. The five largest Atlantic tropical cyclones on record have been Cape Verde-type hurricanes. Most of
3264-465: The Cape Verde archipelago are Diogo Dias , Diogo Afonso, Venetian Alvise Cadamosto , and Diogo Gomes (who had accompanied António de Noli on his voyage of discovery, and who claimed to have been the first to land on the Cape Verdean island of Santiago, and the first to name that island). In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded a settlement they called Ribeira Grande. Today it
3360-591: The National Assembly ;– MpD (36), PAICV (25), and the Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) (3). The two main political parties are PAICV and MpD. Movement for Democracy (MpD) ousted the ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) for the first time in 15 years in the 2016 parliamentary election, at which time its leader, Ulisses Correia e Silva, became prime minister. Jorge Carlos Almeida Fonseca
3456-719: The PAICV called an emergency congress in February 1990 to discuss proposed constitutional changes to end one-party rule. Opposition groups came together to form the Movement for Democracy (MpD) in Praia in April 1990. The one-party state was abolished on 28 September 1990, and the first multi-party elections were held in January 1991. The MpD won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, and MpD presidential candidate António Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated
3552-559: The PAICV's candidate with 73.5% of the votes. Legislative elections in December 1995 increased the MpD majority in the National Assembly. A February 1996 presidential election returned President Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001 returned power to the PAICV, with the PAICV holding 40 of the National Assembly seats, MpD 30, and Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD) and Labour and Solidarity Party (PTS) 1 each. In February 2001,
3648-513: The PAICV-supported presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MpD leader Carlos Veiga by only 13 votes. President Pedro Pires was narrowly re-elected in 2006 elections . President Jorge Carlos Fonseca led the country after the 2011 Cape Verde presidential election and he was re-elected in the 2016 election . He was supported by the Movement for Democracy Party. MpD also won in
3744-505: The Sahara. This occurs between November and March and is generally similar to the "Calima" affecting the Canary Islands. The ocean near Cabo Verde is an area of tropical cyclone formation; since these storms have the whole Atlantic over which to develop as they move westward, they are among the most intense hurricanes, and are called Cape Verde-type hurricanes . The Cape Verde islands are
3840-574: The Serra Malagueta community of Santiago Island, as of 2009. The average precipitation per year in Praia is 240 mm (9.45 in). During the winter, storms blowing from the Sahara sometimes cloud the sky; however, sunny days are the norm year round. The clearest skies are found between February and June, with very little rainfall during these months. Saharan dust, Harmattan wind, laden with dust come from
3936-478: The Sotavento Islands is 1,803 km (696 sq mi). Three islands – Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio – generally are level and lack natural water supplies. Mountains higher than 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) are found on Santiago, Fogo, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau. Sand carried by strong winds has caused erosion on all islands, especially the windward ones. Sheer, jagged cliffs rise from the sea on several of
Geography of Cape Verde - Misplaced Pages Continue
4032-623: 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,
4128-719: The Supreme Court. The military of Cape Verde consists of the National Guard and the Coast Guard; 0.7% of the country's GDP was spent on the military in 2005. Having fought their only battles in the war for independence against Portugal between 1974 and 1975, the efforts of the Cape Verdean armed forces have turned to combating international drug trafficking. In 2007, together with the Cape Verdean Police , they carried out Operation Flying Launch ( Operacão Lancha Voadora ),
4224-454: 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 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
4320-726: The United States maintain embassies in Praia. Cape Verde maintains a vigorously active foreign policy, especially in Africa. Cape Verde is a founding member state of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth, an international organization and political association of Lusophone nations across four continents, where Portuguese is an official language. Cape Verde has bilateral relations with some Lusophone nations and holds membership in
4416-451: The air temperature is cooler than in Senegal, but the sea is warmer. Due to the relief of some islands, such as Santiago with its steep mountains, the islands can have orographically induced precipitation, allowing rich woods and luxuriant vegetation to grow where the humid air condenses soaking the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss, etc. On the higher islands and somewhat wetter islands, exclusively in mountainous areas, like Santo Antão island,
4512-427: The arid areas of the coast to more than 1000 mm in the humid mountain. Mostly rainfall precipitation is due to condensation of the ocean mist. Today much of the forest cover comprises relatively immature agroforestry plantations, in which are used non-native species such as Prosopis juliflora, Leucaena leucocephala and Jatropha curcas. The native laurel forest species are in wet area only in mountainous areas. On
4608-420: The base of towering mountains. Ocean cliffs have been formed by catastrophic debris landslides . Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures on the islands and cold Atlantic currents produce an arid atmosphere around the archipelago. Conversely, the islands do not receive the upwelling (cold streams) that affect the West African coast, so
4704-510: The basic principles of its government. The president is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The prime minister is the head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for five-year terms. In 2016, three parties held seats in
4800-465: The basis of the two nations' independence movement. Moving its headquarters to Conakry , Guinea in 1960, the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal in 1961. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10,000 Soviet Bloc -supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and African troops. By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite
4896-410: 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, the Portuguese authorities were not interested in implementing secondary education in Cape Verde and the school failed as
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#17328523925754992-433: 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 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
5088-472: 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 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
5184-412: The city of Mindelo , located on the island of São Vicente , became an important commercial centre during the 19th century. Diplomat Edmund Roberts visited Cape Verde in 1832. Cape Verde was the first stop of Charles Darwin 's voyage with HMS Beagle in 1832. With few natural resources and inadequate sustainable investment from the Portuguese, the citizens grew increasingly discontented with
5280-431: The climate is suitable for the development of dry monsoon forest, and laurel forest as this vegetation is believed to have been present in the past. However, most vegetation has now been converted to agriculture and forest fragments are now restricted to areas where cultivation is not possible, such as mountain peaks and steep slopes. The demand for wood has resulted in deforestation and desertification . Of particular note
5376-416: The climate is suitable for the development of dry monsoon forests, and laurel forests . Average temperatures range from 22 °C (72 °F) in February to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in September. Cape Verde is part of the Sahelian semi-arid belt, with nothing like the rainfall levels of nearby West Africa . It rains irregularly between August and October, with frequent brief heavy downpours. A desert
5472-533: The colonial masters, who refused to provide the local authorities with more autonomy. In 1951, Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism . In 1956, Amílcar Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organized (in Portuguese Guinea ) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). It demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed
5568-409: The country's official name. Speakers of English have used the name Cape Verde for the archipelago and, since independence in 1975, for the country. In 2013, the Cape Verdean government determined that it would thenceforth use the Portuguese name Cabo Verde for official purposes, including at the United Nations , even when speaking or writing in English. The archipelago of modern-day Cape Verde
5664-441: The early 1990s, Cape Verde has been a stable representative democracy and has remained one of the most developed and democratic countries in Africa. Lacking natural resources, its developing economy is mostly service-oriented, with a growing focus on tourism and foreign investment. Its population of around 596,000 (as of 2022) is of mostly of Sub-Saharan African and minor European heritage, and predominantly Catholic , reflecting
5760-451: 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 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
5856-613: The endemic and critically endangered Bourne's heron . The 11 endemic reptile species include a giant gecko ( Tarentola gigas ), and there are other geckos and skinks in abundance. The giant skink ( Macroscincus coctei ) is now thought to be extinct. Almost all of the natural environment has been destroyed by conversion to agriculture and logging for firewood, as well as natural soil erosion , all of which has threatened several species of birds and reptiles. The remaining original forest exists at high altitudes only. Newer problems include illegal beach sand extraction and overfishing while
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#17328523925755952-418: 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 the national statistics office, the city's population was estimated 159,050 as of July 2017. As of the mid-19th century,
6048-410: 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
6144-435: The humid air condenses and soak the plants, rocks, soil, logs, and moss. Hurricanes often begin forming in the waters around the islands of Cabo Verde, but it is rare that the strength of the storm reaches close to the islands. A Cape Verde type hurricane is formed in the area south of the islands, near Sao Miguel, after a tropical wave on the African continent during the rainy season. The storm picks up strength when it crosses
6240-421: The humid mountain. Most rainfall precipitation is due to condensation of the ocean mist. In some islands, like Santiago, the wetter climate of the interior and the eastern coast contrasts with the drier one on the south/southwest coast. Praia, on the southeast coast, is the largest city on the island and the largest city and capital of the country. While most of Cape Verde receives little precipitation throughout
6336-427: The island of Fogo. The islands lie on a bathymetric swell known as the Cape Verde Rise . The Rise is one of the largest protuberances in the world's oceans, rising 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) in a semi-circular region of 1200 km (460 sq mi), associated with a rise of the geoid . Pico do Fogo , the largest active volcano in the region, erupted in 2014. It has an eight-kilometre-diameter (five-mile) caldera ,
6432-404: The islands of Macaronesia in the eastern Atlantic, in particular the Azores, Madeira Islands, and western Canary Islands, from 400 m to 1,200 m elevation. Trees of the genera Apollonias ( Lauraceae ), Ocotea (Lauraceae), Persea (Lauraceae), Clethra (Clethraceae), Dracaena ( Ruscaceae ), and Picconia ( Oleaceae ) are characteristic. The Madeira Islands laurel forest
6528-445: The islands of Cabo Verde housed an extensive savanna and dry forest cover , but mostly it was removed to convert to agricultural land, which, together with the arid climate and rugged terrain, has led to a soil erosion and desertification widespread. However, the archipelago can be divided into four broad ecological zones (arid, semiarid, subhumid and humid), according to altitude and average annual rainfall ranging from 200 mm in
6624-427: The landscape is so arid that less than two percent of it is arable. The archipelago can be divided into four broad ecological zones – arid, semiarid, subhumid and humid, according to altitude and average annual rainfall ranging from less than 100 millimetres (3.9 inches) in the arid areas of the coast as in the Deserto de Viana (67 millimetres (2.6 inches) in Sal Rei ) to more than 1,000 millimetres (39 inches) in
6720-405: The legacy of Portuguese rule. A sizeable Cape Verdean diaspora community exists across the world, especially in the United States and Portugal, considerably outnumbering the inhabitants on the islands. Cape Verde is a member state of the African Union . Cape Verde's official language is Portuguese. The recognized national language is Cape Verdean Creole , which is spoken by the vast majority of
6816-471: The longest-lived tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin are Cape Verde hurricanes. Praia Praia ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpɾajɐ] , Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde . Located on 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
6912-424: The lower and drier islands the vegetation, before human colonization, consisted of savanna or steppe vegetation, with the flattest inland portion supporting semi-desert plants. At higher altitudes, a form of arid shrubland was also present. These islands were covered with savanna on the plains and arid shrubland on the mountainsides, but after over 500 years of human habitation (after Portuguese colonisation) nearly all
7008-445: The majority of the archipelago's total volume. The volcanic and plutonic rocks are distinctly basic; the archipelago is a soda-alkaline petrographic province, with a petrologic succession similar to that found in other Macaronesian islands. Magnetic anomalies identified in the vicinity of the archipelago indicate that the structures forming the islands date back 125–150 million years: the islands themselves date from 8 million (in
7104-413: The mountainous islands. The lack of natural vegetation in the uplands and coast also contributes to soil erosion. The interior valleys support denser natural vegetation. Natural resources: Salt , basalt rock, limestone , kaolin , fish , clay , gypsum Cabo Verde shares maritime boundaries with Mauritania and Senegal . Cabo Verde has signed treaties with Senegal and Mauritania delimiting
7200-451: 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
7296-425: The nesting birds are vulnerable due to introduced mammals, including cats and rats. Cape Verde Cape Verde ( / ˈ v ɜːr d ( i )/ , VURD( -ee) ) or Cabo Verde ( / ˌ k ɑː b oʊ ˈ v ɜːr d eɪ / KAH -boh VUR -day , / ˌ k æ b oʊ -/ KAB -oh - , local Portuguese: [ˈkabu ˈveɾdɨ] ), officially the Republic of Cabo Verde ,
7392-430: 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
7488-416: The ocean. The climate is arid. The total size is 4,033 km (1,557 sq mi). The archipelago consists of ten islands and five islets, divided into the windward (Barlavento) and leeward (Sotavento) groups. The six islands in the Barlavento group, which sit in the sits in the trade winds , are Santo Antão , São Vicente , Santa Luzia , São Nicolau , Sal , and Boa Vista . The total land mass
7584-445: The original vegetation has been cleared in favour of widespread agriculture including the grazing of goats, sheep and cattle and the planting of imported crop species. There are some remaining patches of dry forest high on steep mountainside including a number of endemic plant species, but these are inaccessible and hard to study. On the higher islands and somewhat wetter islands, exclusively in mountainous areas, like Santo Antao island,
7680-515: 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 the Escola Central (today known as the Escola Grande ). For much time it was the only primary school in Praia. At
7776-545: The population. As of the 2021 census the most populated islands were Santiago , where the capital Praia is located (269,370), São Vicente (74,016), Santo Antão (36,632), Fogo (33,519) and Sal (33,347). The largest cities are Praia (137,868), Mindelo (69,013), Espargos (24,500) and Assomada (21,297). The country is named after the Cap-Vert peninsula, on the Senegalese coast. The name Cap-Vert , in turn, comes from
7872-425: The presence of the Portuguese troops, but the organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974. A budding independence movement — originally led by Amílcar Cabral , assassinated in 1973 — passed on to his half-brother Luís Cabral and culminated in independence for the archipelago in 1975. Following
7968-417: The rain comes, if it comes, it can be very strong. Half of the rain in a particular year can often fall into a single storm. Most of the Cape Verde islands are dry, but on islands with high mountains and farther away from the continental land mass, by orography, the humidity is much higher, giving a rainforest habitat, very degraded by the strong human presence. Northeastern slopes of high mountains often receive
8064-529: The rim of which is at an elevation of 1,600 metres (5,249 feet) and an interior cone that rises to 2,829 metres (9,281 feet) above sea level . The caldera resulted from subsidence, following the partial evacuation (eruption) of the magma chamber, along a cylindrical column from within the magma chamber (at a depth of 8 kilometres (5 miles)). Extensive salt flats are found on Sal and Maio. On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along
8160-494: The specific boundaries. However, the two treaties conflict in their delimitation of the precise borders. Due to the numerous islands it has an Exclusive Economic Zone of 800,561 km (309,098 sq mi). Rainfall is irregular, historically causing periodic droughts and famines. Desalination plants now provide water to more than half the country's population. Experiments with fog collectors have been conducted since 1962, however, such collectors had not been expanded beyond
8256-552: The sun, because the islands are in the Northern Hemisphere , between 600 and 1,500 meters, thus benefiting from the humidity provided by the trade winds to form such a sea of clouds. In its botanical ecology, the mountain umbria is identified with cool and moisture. In Cabo Verde forest cover is around 11% of the total land area, equivalent to 45,720 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 15,380 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 13,680 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 32,040 hectares (ha). For
8352-405: The warm waters of Atlantic. The laurel forest is a type of cloud forest, the cloud forests , are developed preferably about mountains , where the dense moisture from the sea or ocean, is precipitated by the action of the relief. Opposing the terrain to a front of warm, moist air mass, it forces to increase the height above sea level of that body wet and warm air mass, which cools and decreases
8448-410: The west) to 20 million years (in the east). The oldest exposed rocks occurred on Maio and the northern peninsula of Santiago and are 128–131 million-year-old pillow lavas. The first stage of volcanism in the islands began in the early Miocene , and reached its peak at the end of this period when the islands reached their maximum sizes. Historical volcanism (within human settlement) has been restricted to
8544-438: The western coasts of continents, dumping heavy rains as carrying high humidity. Precipitation multiply if these air masses are crossing mountains in the way. The resulting climate is wetter, but with an annual oscillation of the temperature moderated by the proximity of the ocean. Appear mostly occupying favorable areas named geographically Umbrias , this is north hillsides or slopes of the mountainous areas that are oriented behind
8640-518: The year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership . The islands constitute the unique Cape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion , according to the World Wildlife Fund . Cape Verde is the driest archipelago of the ecoregion of Macaronesia . That with a greater influence of African species due to its geographical location near the African mainland of the Sahel. At first,
8736-547: The year, the northeastern slopes of high mountains see significant rainfall due to orographic lift, especially in areas far from the sea. In some such areas this precipitation is sufficient to support a rainforest habitat, albeit one significantly affected by the islands' human presence. These umbria areas are identified as cool and moist. Cape Verde lies in the Cape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion. Western Hemisphere-bound hurricanes often have their early beginnings near
8832-563: Was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. There are four endemic bird species including the Raso lark along with more common swifts , larks , warblers , and sparrows . The islands are an important breeding site for seabirds including the Cape Verde shearwater and Fea's petrel ( Pterodroma feae ), which breeds only here and in Madeira . Santiago Island holds the only breeding site of
8928-406: 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 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
9024-754: Was elected president in August 2011 and re-elected in October 2016. He is also supported by the MpD. In November 2021, Cape Verde opened its first embassy in Nigeria. In 2013 then United States President Barack Obama said Cape Verde is "a real success story". Among other achievements, it has been recognized with the following assessments: Cape Verde follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states. Angola, Brazil, China, Libya, Cuba, France, Guinea-Bissau, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Russia, Luxembourg, and
9120-531: Was formed approximately 40–50 million years ago during the Eocene era. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited. They were discovered by Genoese and Portuguese navigators around 1456. According to Portuguese official records, the first discoveries were made by Genoa-born António de Noli , who was afterwards appointed governor of Cape Verde by the Portuguese king Afonso V . Other navigators mentioned as contributing to discoveries on
9216-547: Was sworn in as the new President of Cape Verde . On 2 February 2024, Cape Verde became the third African country to be free of malaria . Cape Verde is a stable semi-presidential representative democratic republic . In 2020 it was the most democratic nation in Africa , ranking 2023 as 45th in the world, according to the electoral democracy score of the V-Dem Democracy indices . The constitution – adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995 and 1999 – defines
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