About Cape Verde

The Republic of Cape Verde is a republic located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, though the position of the Islands of the Blest, the longitude zero meridian of the ancient Geography of Marinos of Tyre and Ptolemy, agrees tolerably with Cape Verde.

The country is named after Cap Vert (meaning Green Cape) in Senegal, the westernmost point of continental Africa.

Cape Verde is an archipelago off the west coast of Africa. It is formed by 10 main islands and about 8 islets. The main islands are:

• Barlavento (northern island group)
• Santo Antao
• Sao Vicente
• Santa Luzia
• Sao Nicolau
• Sal
• Boa Vista
• Sotavento (southern island group)
• Maio
• Santiago
• Fogo
• Brava

Climate

Cape Verde is in the subtropical zone. Average temperatures range from ° (75°F) in January and February to 29°C (85°F) in September. The average annual rainfall for Cape Verde is 68.4 mm, with September being the wettest month with 33.6 mm. Conversely, the months April to July record less than one millimetre of rainfall each. The climate is arid, but Cape Verde's position in the Atlantic contributes to soften the aridity, that otherwise would be the same aridity that in continental areas.

Environment

The isolation of Cape Verde about 500 km from the African mainland has resulted in the islands having a large number of endemic species, many of which are endangered by human development. Endemic birds include Alexander's Swift (Apus alexandri), Raso Lark (Alauda razae), Cape Verde Warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis), and Iago Sparrow (Passer iagoensis), and reptiles include the Cape Verde Giant Gecko (Tarentola gigas).

Charles Darwin gives a vivid description of the geology, climate, zoology and botany of the Islands in the first chapter of his Voyage of the Beagle.

Culture

The culture of Cape Verde reflects its mixed African and Portuguese roots. It is well known for its diverse forms of music such as Morna and the urban Angolan kizomba, and a wide variety of dances: the soft dance Morna, and its modernized version, passada, the Funaná - a sensual mixed Portuguese and African dance, the extreme sensuality of coladeira, and the Batuque dance. These are reflective of the diverse origins of Cape Verde's residents. The term "Cabo" is used to refer to residents as well as the culture of Cape Verde.

Sal Island

The name Sal is taken from the now disused salt mines. A soak in the half natural, half man-made salt lagoon at the Pedro Lume salt mines, where the salinity is on a par with that of the Dead Sea, is a must during any visit to the island. Though not particularly large, measuring approximately 30 kms by 12 kms at its longest and widest points, Sal is considered to be the most 'touristy'. The island is renowned for its magnificent white sandy beaches, with perhaps the best known being the 8 km Santa Maria beach. Unlike Santiago Island, with its contrasting scenery, Sal is the flattest, and most barren island. Nevertheless, crystal clear, unpolluted waters make for a diver's paradise and provide the basis for many other water related sports. The international airport, built in 1939, made Sal the gateway to the Cape Verde islands. This, coupled with its thriving nightlife and a reputation as a sun seekers paradise, resulted in Sal becoming the Archipelago's major tourist attraction.

Boa Vista

Although nearly three times larger than Sal, Boa Vista is a much quieter island, with Sal Rei as its sleepy capital. Of a more uniform, somewhat pentagonal shape, it measures approximately 31 kms by 29 kms at its longest and widest points. Known as the island of beaches and dunes, it boasts some 55 km of unspoilt beaches with Curralinho beach (better known as Santa Monica) being the largest and most beautiful in Cape Verde. The island is essentially flat, with a barren interior of volcanic formations interspersed with palm filled oases, something of a dramatic extreme. The highest point, Pico d'Estancia, rises 390m above the landscape. An abundance of sand dunes, together with a surface somewhat rusty in colour, gives the island a lunar appearance in places. However, like Sal, the crystal clear, unpolluted waters provide excellent conditions for all forms of water sports. There are significant plans for the development of Boavista as its natural beauty has been recognized by the tourist industry and the airport is currently being expanded to accommodate international flights.

Maio

Like Boavista, Maio is a quiet and tranquil island, almost the place that time forgot. Wind erosion has resulted in very little evidence of the island's volcanic past except for Monte Penoso with an altitude of 436m. The island is arid with hardly any irrigated land, though oddly, it does have the largest forest park in Cape Verde. Similar in size to Sal, measuring approximately 24kms by 16kms at its longest and widest points, virtually the entire coastline is made up of beautiful, deserted beaches of golden sand, ideal for the water enthusiast. These beaches are also a favourite for turtles in which to lay their eggs. The capital, Vila Do Maio, with its large white baroque church, is a small town, which runs alongside one of the longest beaches in the archipelago. Many investors believe that the beauty of Maio will draw tourists, willing to make a small additional flight of ten minutes, from Santiago.

Santiago Island

Measuring approximately 55 kms by 29 kms at its longest and widest points, Santiago is the largest island in the archipelago and considered to be the most 'African', famous for its traditional festivals and music. The capital Praia is noisy, crowded and bustling with activity. Some 10 kms from Praia is the port of Cidade Velha, once the Portuguese capital of Cape Verde. This town boasts the remains of an imposing cathedral and the magnificent 15th century fort of S. Filipe. Famous visitors to this island include Captain Cook and Sir Francis Drake, both of whom docked here on their voyages of discovery. The contrasting scenery of this island takes us from a rugged coastline, with occasional sandy beaches, inland via lush plantations of delights such as banana, papaya and mango, to a mountainous interior. The highest point is the twin peak of Pico d'Antonia, rising 1392m above the landscape. Deep valleys within the mountainous region are planted with corn and a wide variety of vegetables. For this reason, the island has become known as 'the bread basket of the archipelago'. The recently completed Praia International Airport will inevitably attract greater numbers of tourists, not just to this island, but also for onward travel to other islands within the group.