Cape Verde

Overview

The Cape Verdian Islands are not far from the main land of West-Africa, but they have a very distinct character. The people on the islands speak Portuguese and mainly live of remittances from migrated family members and fisheries. The islands have an enormous touristic potential that is not yet fully exploited. This is a good reason to go now!

The most important island is Sao Tiago (Santiago) island. Praia , the capital of the country, Cidade Velha and the beaches around Tarrafal are some of the main attractions. Sao vicente is smaller but Mindelo , the capital of the island, is the most lively city of the country and considered the cultural capital of the island.

The main reason to go to Fogo is to hike on the volcano. Another good option for hikers is Brava . Beaches, beaches and beaches is what Sal offers. Most flights from Europe go directly to this island.

History

In 1462 Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha)--the first permanent European settlement city in the tropics. In the 16th century the archipelago prospered from the transatlantic slave trade. Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Sir Francis Drake sacked Ribeira Grande in 1585. After a French attack in 1712 the city declined in importance relative to Praia which became the capital in 1770.

The archipelago has experienced recurrent drought and famine since the end of the 18th century and with the decline in the slave trade its fragile prosperity slowly vanished. However the islands' position astride mid-Atlantic shipping lanes made Cape Verde an ideal location for resupplying ships. Because of its excellent harbor Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente) became an important commercial center during the 19th century.

Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in 1951 in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism. Nevertheless in 1956 Amilcar Cabral a Cape Verdean and Rafael Barbosa organized (in Guinea-Bissau) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) which demanded improvement in economic social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed 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...more