About Cape Verde

Located in the North Atlantic some 500 kilometres off the western coast of Africa, the archipelago of Cape Verde is a collection of ten volcanic islands and several smaller islets. Divided into the Baralavento (windward) islands (Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista) and the Sotavento (leeward) islands (Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava) the islands have a combined size of just over 4,000 square kilometres and enjoy a milder climate than the African mainland with average daily temperatures ranging from 25 °C (77 °F) in January to 29 °C (84 °F) in September.

 

From the active volcano on the island of Fogo, to the extensive salt flats on Sal and Maio and the lush and lively Santiago, Cape Verde’s islands vary widely in terrain and character. While Sal and Boa Vista have, in recent years, attracted the most visitors, the largest island both in terms of size and population is Santiago where Cape Verde’s capital Praia is located.

 A former Portuguese colony, gaining its independence in 1975, Cape Verde provides a mixture of Portuguese and West African influences. Portuguese and the local dialect of Creole (a mixture of archaic Portuguese and African words) are the countries primary languages although English is also widely spoken. The democratic Republic of Cape Verde enjoys both a stable political and economic system with a higher per capita income than that of many continental African countries. Seeking close ties with the US, EU and Portugal, since gaining its independence, the government is now focused on developing tourism as the countries’ major industry.