learn about cape verde

Folklore says that when God was satisfied with Creation, he brushed his fingers together, and the crumbs that fell unnoticed from his fingers into the sea formed Cape Verde.

The geological explanation explains that there are hot spots under the Earth’s crust and every time the heat and pressure conditions are right bubbling magna has risen as a volcano and left an Island in the Atlantic to mark where it has been. This hotspot erupts every few million years, and 15 million years ago Sal was created, and most recently Fogo, only 100,000 years ago.

The Cape Verde Islands are located between 14 and 17° northern latitude and 22 and 25° western longitude in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at the height of Senegal. The total area of the archipelago covers 4,033 square kilometres and includes ten larger islands, of which nine are inhabited, and five smaller uninhabited islands. 

Through the various effects of wind and rain, the islands display a greatly contrasting surface structure. The eastern islands, which are distinguished by a flat relief, are differentiated from the mountainous western islands. While dry, flat desert landscapes and white sandy beaches predominate in the east with Sal, Boavista and Maio, rugged mountain ranges with green valleys and volcanoes can be found in the western archipelago with Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolao, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. The coasts on the eastern islands are shallow as they slope into the sea, while the western islands have steep cliffs of up to 800 metres bordering on the ocean. The islands’ highest elevation is the Pico de Fogo on the island of Fogo with a height of 2829 metres, which is still an active volcano that most recently erupted in November 2014. 

They are arranged in a “U“ that opens towards the west, with Brava at its southernmost point. The farthest end of the island group in the north is Santo Antão. They extend a total of 300 kilometres from north to south and 250 kilometres from east to west. The predominating north-east passat (trade) wind on the archipelago divides Cape Verde into the group of islands that lies above the wind (Barlavento) with Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolao, Boa Vista, Sal, Santa Luzia, Branco and Razo, and the islands lying below the wind (Sotavento) with Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. 

In terms of their geography, the islands belong to the Macaronesian group with Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Azores due to their similar vegetation. Macaronesia is translated as the “Islands of Bliss“...

CAPE VERDE

For centuries, the islands were a setting for the transatlantic slave trade, exile for political prisoners of Portugal and a place of refuge for Jews and other victims of religious persecution during the Spanish-Portuguese Inquisition. After an uprising of the slaves in 1853, which was suppressed with much bloodshed, slavery was finally abolished on Cape Verde in 1878. On Cape Verde, families developed from the “free” people and slaves who lived together peacefully. Situated at the hub between Europe, America and the Indian Ocean, Cape Verde can now look back at a significant achievement: the birth of a completely new Creole culture and language, evolving from the blending of very diverse ethnic groups. 

From that time on, cultivation of the land was operated by the sharecropping system, which still is typical for the agricultural in Cape Verde. However, the exporting of salt, bananas, coffee, fish and purging nuts did not bring the desired profits. Export costs are too high due to the remote location of the islands and resources are scarce. 

The newly achieved independence from Portugal on 5 July 1975 presented the government with difficult tasks: The state coffers were empty, a terrible drought once again plagued the country and the number of unemployed people had risen to 60% because the jobs in the colonial administration were lost. But with the support of development aid organisations, it was possible to gradually rebuild the country. Tourism has been, and still is, a big part of the country’s development plan. 

The current political climate on Cape Verde is characterised by social peace and stability. In recent years it has seen economic growth averaging 6%, the construction of three international airports and hundreds of kilometres of roads. In 2008 Cape Verde became only the second country after Botswana to be promoted by the United Nations out of the ranks of the 50 least developed countries. 

BOA VISTA

Boa Vista island was discovered by the Portuguese around 1460 and named Saint Cristovao. It was used as a leper colony in the 1400’s for the more affluent Europeans. By 1619 there were a handful of people living on the island hunting the goats that were introduced by the first settlers. The island was often the first sight of land for many Portuguese sailors on their voyages across the Atlantic and their cries of “good sight” (Boa Vista) led to the current day name. 

Around 1620 English sailors discovered the islands high quality salt production and realised its potential, they settled around the natural salt pans in the South of the island and built its first settlement at Povoacao Velha. This led to a period of relative prosperity for the island and by 1677 Boa Vista even had its own priest. Unfortunately this prosperity attracted the attention of sea borne raiders and it was regularly plundered leading to the arming of the population of Povoacao Velha.

By 1800 Porto Ingles (Sal Rei) with its sea port became the most important town on the island, but the plundering continued and after the town was razed in 1818 the decision was taken to build a fort on the Ilheu do Sal Rei. With this protection the island again prospered and it became an important cultural centre, even giving rise to the most famous style of Cape Verdean music, the “Morna”. 

By the mid 19th century, following a series of droughts, most of the population had emigrated. There was a brief revival at the start of the 20th century with the export of lime, clay tiles and castor oil but continued drought and famine have plagued Boa Vista.

The Cape Verde Government earmarked Boa Vista for major touristic development, approving plans for new hotels and resorts, as well as investing in the Island’s infrastructure, such as new roads, improved power supplies and desalination plants. Change has happened, and is still happening, each year. The challenge continually faced is encouraging sustainable tourism. Visitors staying in self-catering apartments, like the ones we offer, bring tourists who make the biggest different to the local economy.