The archipelago was uninhabited until the 15th century, whenPortuguese explorers colonised the islands, establishing one of the firstEuropean settlements in thetropics. Its strategic position gave it a significant role in thetransatlantic slave trade during the 16th and 17th centuries; the islands saw rapid economic growth driven by the trade of manufactured goods, rum, and cloth for African slaves, ivory, and gold. By the mid 19th century, increased foreign competition, persistent drought, and the decline of the slave trade led to economic decline and emigration; Cape Verde gradually recovered as an important commercial centre and stopping point for major shipping routes.
Cape Verde became independent in 1975. Since the early 1990s, it has been a stablerepresentative democracy and has remained one of the most developed and democratic countries in Africa. Lacking natural resources, itsdeveloping economy is mostly service-oriented, with a growing focus on tourism and foreign investment. With a population of around 596,000 (as of 2022), Cape Verde isamong the least populous countries in Africa. The Cape Verdean people trace their ancestry primarily to West African populations, with additional contributions from early Portuguese settlers and other groups who came to the islands during the Atlantic era. A sizeablediaspora 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 theAfrican Union.
The official language isPortuguese,[1] while the recognised national language isCape Verdean Creole (Crioulo), which is spoken by the vast majority of the population. As of the 2021 census, the most populous islands wereSantiago (269,370)—which hosts the country's capital and largest city,Praia—São Vicente (74,016),Santo Antão (36,632),Fogo (33,519) andSal (33,347). The largest cities are Praia (137,868),Mindelo (69,013),Espargos (24,500) andAssomada (21,297).[11]
The country is named after theCap-Vert peninsula on theSenegalese coast.[12] The nameCap-Vert, in turn, comes from thePortuguese languageCabo Verde ('green cape'), the name given to it by Portuguese explorers in 1444, a few years before they came across the islands. Historically, the name has been anglicised as Cape Verde. In 2013, the country's delegation informed theUnited Nations that onlyCabo Verde and not other translations should be used for official purposes.[9][13]
Insulae Capitis Viridis (1598), showing Cape Verde
The archipelago was formed approximately 40–50 million years ago during theEocene era. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited.[14][15][16] They were discovered byGenoese and Portuguese navigators around 1456. According to Portuguese official records,[17] the first discoveries were made by Genoa-bornAntónio de Noli, who was afterwards appointed governor of Cape Verde by Portuguese KingAfonso V. Other navigators mentioned as contributing to discoveries on the Cape Verde archipelago areDiogo Dias, Diogo Afonso,VenetianAlvise Cadamosto andDiogo Gomes (who had accompanied António de Noli on his voyage of discovery, and who claimed to have been the first to land onSantiago and the first to name that island).
In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded a settlement they called Ribeira Grande. Today it is calledCidade Velha ("Old City"), to distinguish it fromRibeira Grande. The original Ribeira Grande was the first permanent European settlement in thetropics.[18]
In the 16th century, the archipelago prospered from theAtlantic slave trade.[18] Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements.Francis Drake, an Englishprivateer, twice sacked Ribeira Grande in 1585 when it was a part of theIberian Union.[18] After a French attack in 1712, the town declined in importance relative to nearbyPraia, which became the capital in 1770.[18]
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 harbourMindelo, located on the island ofSão Vicente, became an important commercial centre.[18] DiplomatEdmund Roberts visited Cape Verde in 1832.[19] Cape Verde was the first stop ofCharles Darwin's voyage withHMS Beagle in 1832.[20]
With few natural resources and inadequate sustainable investment from the Portuguese, the citizens grew increasingly discontented with 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.[18]
In 1956,Amílcar Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organised (inPortuguese Guinea) the clandestineAfrican Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).[18] It 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 toConakry, Guinea, in 1960, the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal in 1961. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into awar in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10,000Soviet Bloc-supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and African troops.[18]
By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite the presence of the Portuguese troops, but the organisation did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was grantedde jure independence in 1974. A budding independence movement—originally led byAmílcar Cabral who was assassinated in 1973—passed on to his half-brotherLuís Cabral and culminated in independence for the archipelago in 1975.
Following theApril 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.[18]
On 2 February 2024, Cape Verde became the third African country to be free ofmalaria.[21]
The constitution – adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995 and 1999 – defines the basic principles of its government. Thepresident is thehead of state and is elected bypopular vote for a five-year term.[18] Theprime minister is thehead of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by theNational Assembly and appointed by the president.[24] Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for five-year terms. In 2016, three parties held seats in the National Assembly – MpD (36), PAICV (25), and the Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) (3).[25] The two main political parties are PAICV and MpD.[25]
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 the Supreme Court.[18]
In 2013 then United States PresidentBarack Obama said Cape Verde is "a real success story".[26] Among other achievements, it has been recognised with the following assessments:
C With the maximum score, Cape Verde shares first place with Portugal.
D Cape Verde was the only African country to reach the maximum rating.
E With the maximum score, Cape Verde shares first place with 48 other countries.
F The rank on this list is expressed in reverse order. To be comparable with the other rankings on this table, the actual rank of 116 was inverted, by subtracting it from the number of countries on the list, currently 177.
Cape Verde follows a policy ofnonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states.[18] Angola, Brazil, China, Libya, Cuba, France, Guinea-Bissau, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Russia, Luxembourg, and the United States maintain embassies in Praia.[18] Cape Verde maintains a vigorously active foreign policy especially in Africa.[18]
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 combatting international drug trafficking. In 2007, together with theCape Verdean Police, they carried out Operation Flying Launch (Operacão Lancha Voadora), 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 theMonte Tchota massacre, a green-on-green incident that resulted in 11 deaths.[38]
A topographic map of Cape VerdeA satellite photo of the Cape Verde islands, 2010
The Cape Verde archipelago is in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 570 kilometres (350 mi) off the western coast of the African continent, nearSenegal,The Gambia, andMauritania as well as part of theMacaronesiaecoregion. It lies between latitudes14° and18°N, and longitudes22° and26°W. The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets,[39] that constitute an area of 4033 km2 (1557 sq mi).[39]
The islands are spatially divided into two groups:
The largest island, both in size and population, is Santiago, which hosts the nation's capital, Praia, the principal urban agglomeration in the archipelago.[39] Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio, are fairly flat, sandy, and dry; the other islands are generally rockier with more vegetation.
The beach of Calhau, with Monte Verde in the background, onSão Vicente
Geologically, the islands are principally composed ofigneous rocks, with volcanic structures andpyroclastic debris comprising the majority of the archipelago's total volume. Thevolcanic andplutonic rocks are distinctly basic; the archipelago is a soda-alkalinepetrographic province, with apetrologic succession similar to that found in other Macaronesian islands. The islands lie on a bathymetric swell known as theCape Verde Rise.[40] 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 km2 (460 sq mi), associated with a rise of thegeoid.[41]
Magnetic anomalies identified in the vicinity of the archipelago indicate that the structures forming the islands date back 125–150 million years: the islands date from 8 million (in the west) to 20 million years (in the east).[41] The oldest exposed rocks occurred on Maio and the northern peninsula of Santiago and are 128–131 million-year-oldpillow lavas. The first stage of volcanism in the islands began in the earlyMiocene 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 Fogo.[42]Pico do Fogo, the largest active volcano in the region, erupted in 2014. It has an eight-kilometre-diameter (five-mile)caldera, 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)).
Extensivesalt flats are found on Sal and Maio.[39] On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along the base of towering mountains.[39] Ocean cliffs have been formed by catastrophicdebris landslides.[43]
Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures and cold Atlantic currents produce an arid atmosphere. Conversely, the islands do not receive theupwelling (cold streams) that affect the West African coast, so 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 haveorographically 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, the climate is suitable for the development of dry monsoon forests andlaurel forests.[39] Cape Verde lies in theCape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion.[44] Average temperatures range from 22 °C (72 °F) in February to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in September.[45] Cape Verde is part of theSahelian semi-arid belt, with nothing like the rainfall levels of nearbyWest Africa.[39] It rains irregularly between August and October, with frequent brief heavy downpours.[39] A desert 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.[45]
Because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall where not mountainous, the landscape is so arid that less than two percent of it is arable.[46] The archipelago can be divided into four broad ecological zones – arid, semiarid, sub-humid 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 theDeserto de Viana (67 millimetres (2.6 inches) inSal Rei) to more than 1,000 millimetres (39 inches) in 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.
Western Hemisphere-bound hurricanes often have their early beginnings near the Cape Verde Islands. TheseCape Verde hurricanes can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters. 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 the longest-lived tropical cyclones in the Atlantic basin are Cape Verde hurricanes.[47]
Since 1851 the islands have been struck by hurricanes twice in recorded history: in 1892 and in 2015 (Hurricane Fred, the easternmost hurricane ever to form in the Atlantic).[48]
Climate data for Cape Verde:São Vicente,Sal andSantiago, 1981–2010 normals, 1931–1960 extremes
According to the president ofNauru, in 2011 Cape Verde was ranked the eighth most endangered nation due to flooding from climate change.[52] In 2023UN Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres arrived in Cabo Verde to raise concerns about climate change. He said that the country is on the frontlines of the existential crisis generated by climate disruptions and that world leaders need to take action to address the climate crisis.[53] Cabo Verde is a leader inrenewable energy in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, 20% of its energy comes from renewable sources, and the goal is to increase that to 50% by 2030.[54] In 2023, Portugal signed an agreement to forgive €140 million of Cape Verde's debt in exchange for the country investing in environmental projects. This agreement is one of the firstdebt-for-nature swaps in Africa.[55]
Cape Verde's isolation has resulted in the islands having several endemic species, particularly birds and reptiles, many of which are endangered by human development. Endemic birds includeAlexander's swift (Apus alexandri),Bourne's heron (Ardea purpurea bournei), theRaso lark (Alauda razae), theCape Verde warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis), and theIago sparrow (Passer iagoensis).[56] The islands are also an important breeding area for seabirds including theCape Verde shearwater. Reptiles include the Cape Verde giant gecko (Tarentola gigas).
Forest cover is around 11% of the total land area, equivalent to 45,720 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 15,380 ha in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 13,680 ha and planted forest covered 32,040 ha. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership.[57][58]
Cape Verde is divided into 22municipalities (concelhos) and subdivided into 32 parishes (freguesias), based on the religious parishes that existed during the colonial period:
Cape Verde's notable economic growth and improvement in living conditions despite a lack of natural resources have garnered international recognition, with other countries and international organisations often providing development aid. Since 2007, the UN has classified it as adeveloping nation rather than aleast developed country.
Cape Verde has fewnatural resources. Only five of the ten main islands (Santiago, Santo Antão, São Nicolau, Fogo, and Brava) normally support significant agricultural production,[61] and over 90% of all food consumed is imported. Mineral resources include salt,pozzolana (a volcanic rock used in cement production), andlimestone.[18] Its small number of wineries making Portuguese-style wines have traditionally focused on the domestic market, but have recently met with some international acclaim.[citation needed]
The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of the GDP.[citation needed] Although nearly 35% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about 9% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. Fish and shellfish are plentiful, and small quantities are exported. Cape Verde has cold storage and freezing facilities andfish processing plants in Mindelo, Praia, and on Sal. Expatriate Cape Verdeans contribute an amount estimated at 20% of GDP to the domestic economy throughremittances.[18]Despite having few natural resources and being semi-desert, the country has the highest living standards in the region and has attracted thousands of immigrants of different nationalities.[citation needed]
Since 1991, the government has pursued market-oriented economic policies, including an open welcome to foreign investors and a far-reaching privatisation programme. It established as top development priorities the promotion of a market economy and the private sector; the development of tourism, light manufacturing industries, and fisheries; and the development of transport, communications, and energy facilities. From 1994 to 2000 about $407 million in foreign investments were made or planned, of which 58% were in tourism,[62] 17% in industry, 4% in infrastructure, and 21% in fisheries and services.[18]
In 2011, a wind farm was built on four islands that supplies about 30% of the electricity of the country.[63]As host to theECOWAS Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, inaugurated in 2010, Cape Verde plans to lead by example by becoming entirely reliant on renewable energy sources by 2025.[64][needs update] This policy is consistent with the host of documents adopted in 2015 paving the way to more sustainable development, including Cape Verde'sTransformational Agenda to 2030, itsNational Renewable Energy Plan and itsLow Carbon and Climate-resilient Development Strategy. Two years later, these were followed by aStrategic Plan for Sustainable Development, 2017–2021.[64]
Between 2000 and 2009, real GDP increased on average by over 7% a year, well above the average for sub-Saharan countries and faster than most small island economies in the region. Strong economic performance was bolstered by one of the fastest-growing tourism industries in the world, as well as by substantial capital inflows that allowed Cape Verde to build up national currency reserves to the current 3.5 months of imports. Unemployment has been falling rapidly, and the country is on track to achieve most of the UN Millennium Development Goals – including halving its 1990 poverty level. In 2007, Cape Verde joined theWorld Trade Organization (WTO) and in 2008 the country graduated from Least Developed Country (LDC) to Middle Income Country (MIC) status.[65][66]
Cabral Avenue, one of the main symbols of Cape Verde's development
Cape Verde has significant cooperation with Portugal at every level of the economy, which has led it to link its currency first to thePortuguese escudo and, in 1999, to the euro. On 23 June 2008 Cape Verde became the 153rd member of the WTO.[67] In early January 2018, the government announced that the minimum wage would be raised to 13,000 CVE (€118) per month, from 11,000 CVE, which was effective in mid-January 2018.[68][69]
TheEuropean Commission's total allocation for the period of 2008–2013 foreseen for Cape Verde to address "poverty reduction, in particular in rural and peri-urban areas where women are heading the households, as well as good governance" amounts to €54.1 million.[70]
The major ports are Mindelo and Praia, but all other islands have smaller port facilities. In addition to the international airport on Sal,airports have been built on all of the inhabited islands. All but the airports on Brava and Santo Antão enjoy scheduled air service. The archipelago has 3,050 km (1,895 mi) of roads, of which 1,010 km (628 mi) are paved, most usingcobblestone.[18]
Cape Verde had a population of 593,149 in 2022.[5] A large proportion (236,000) of Cape Verdeans live on Santiago.[71] Cape Verdeans are descendants of Africans (free or enslaved) and Europeans of various origins. There are also Cape Verdeans who have Jewish ancestors from North Africa, mainly on Boa Vista, Santiago and Santo Antão.
The country's historical trajectory included, from the beginning, a process of social class formation. At this moment, the absence of a "bourgeoisie" can be seen, but the existence of several types of "petty bourgeoisie" is numerically significant. The majority of the population is, however, made up of the peasantry and some working class.[72]
The official language isPortuguese.[1] It is the language of instruction and government. It is also used in newspapers, television, and radio.Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu) is used colloquially and is the mother tongue of virtually all Cape Verdeans. The national constitution calls for measures to give it parity with Portuguese.[1] There is a substantial body of literature in Creole, especially in theSantiago Creole and theSão Vicente Creole.Kriolu has been gaining prestige since the nation's independence from Portugal.
The differences between the forms of the language within the islands have been a major obstacle in the way of standardisation of the language. Some people have advocated the development of two standards: a north (Barlavento) standard, centred on the São Vicente Creole, and a south (Sotavento) standard, centred on the Santiago Creole.Manuel Veiga, a linguist and minister of culture of Cape Verde, is the premier proponent ofKriolu's officialisation and standardisation.[73]
People inSantiago, the largest island in the country
Almost twice as many Cape Verdeans live abroad (nearly one million) than in the country itself.[77] The islands have a long history of emigration, and Cape Verdeans are highly dispersed worldwide, fromMacau toHaiti and Argentina to Sweden.[78] The diaspora may be much larger than official statistics indicate, as, until independence in 1975, Cape Verdean immigrants had Portuguese passports. The majority live in the United States and Western Europe, with the former hosting the largest overseas population at 500,000. Most in the U.S. are concentrated inNew England, particularlyBoston,New Bedford, andProvidence;Brockton, Massachusetts, has the largest community of any American city (18,832).[79]
Cape Verdeans have been migrating to Massachusetts since the 1840s, but most of the current population arrived in the 1970s.[80] They are now one of the top ten immigrant groups in Boston and the largest hailing from Africa. The first wave of immigrants came to Massachusetts to work in thewhaling industry.[80] When whaling declined, they moved into maritime jobs, seasonal agricultural work (like picking cranberries), and factory work. The second wave of immigrants arrived after Cape Verde gained independence in 1975. They also found work in factories, but as manufacturing plants closed down, they moved into the service industry in the 1990s. Immigrants have developed a vibrant small business sector, including restaurants, groceries, real estate and insurance offices, and other enterprises.[80] Immigrants in the U.S. have a long history of enlistment in the U.S. military, with a presence in every major conflict from the Revolutionary War to the Vietnam War.[81]
Due to centuries of colonial ties, the second largest number of Cape Verdeans live in Portugal (150,000), with sizable communities in the former Portuguese colonies of Angola (45,000) andSão Tomé and Príncipe (25,000). Major populations exist in countries with cultural and linguistic similarities, such as Spain (65,500), France (25,000), Senegal (25,000), and Italy (20,000). Other large communities live in the United Kingdom (35,500), the Netherlands (20,000, of which 15,000 are concentrated inRotterdam), and Luxembourg and Scandinavia (7,000). Outside the U.S. and Europe, the biggest Cape Verdean populations are in Mexico (5,000) and Argentina (8,000).
Over the years, Cape Verde has increasingly become a net recipient of migrants, due to its relatively high per capita income, political and social stability, and civil freedom.[citation needed] Chinese make up a sizeable and important segment of the foreign population, while nearby West African countries account for most immigration. In the 21st century, a few thousand Europeans and Latin Americans have settled in the country, mostly professionals, entrepreneurs, and retirees. Over 22,000 foreign-born residents are naturalised, hailing from over 90 countries.
The infant mortality rate among children between 0 and 5 years old is 15 per 1,000 live births according to the latest (2017) data from the National Statistics Bureau,[82] while the maternal mortality rate is 42 deaths per 100,000 live births. The HIV-AIDS prevalence rate among Cape Verdeans between 15 and 49 years old is 0.8%.[83]
According to the latest data (2017) from the National Statistics Bureau,[82] life expectancy at birth is 76.2 years; that is, 72.2 years for males and 80.2 years for females. There are six hospitals: two central hospitals (Praia and Mindelo) and four regional hospitals (in Santa Catarina, São Antão, Fogo, and Sal). In addition, there are 28 health centers, 35 sanitation centers, and a variety of private clinics.
The population is among the healthiest in Africa. Since its independence, it has greatly improved its health indicators. Besides having been promoted to the group of "medium development" countries in 2007, leaving theleast developed countries category (becoming the second country to do so[84]), as of 2020 it was the11th best ranked country in Africa in itsHuman Development Index. The total expenditure on health was 7.1% of GDP (2015). Cabo Verde ranks 48th out of 127 countries with sufficient data, with a GHI score of 9.2, indicating low hunger.[85]
Cape Verde has one of the best educational systems in Africa, ranked 8th by the World Education Forum in 2023.[86] Although the educational system is similar to the Portuguese system, over the years the local universities have been increasingly adopting the American educational system; for instance, all ten existing universities offer four-year bachelor's degree programmes as opposed to five-year bachelor's degree programmes that existed before 2010. Primary school education is mandatory and free for children between ages 6-14.[87]
In 2011, the net enrollment ratio for primary school was 85%.[87][88] Approximately 91% of the total population over 15 years of age is literate,[89] and roughly 25% of the population holds a college degree;[90] a significant number of these college graduates hold doctorate degrees in different academic fields. Textbooks have been made available to 90 percent of school children, and 98 percent of the teachers have attended in-service teacher training.[87] Although most children have access to education, some problems remain.[87] For example, there is insufficient spending on school materials, lunches, and books.[87]
University of Santiago
As of October 2016[update], there were 69 secondary schools (including 19 private secondary schools) and at least 10 universities. In 2015, 23% of the population had either attended or graduated from secondary schools. When it came to higher education, 9% of men and 8% of women held a bachelor's degree or had attended universities. The total expenditure on education was 5.6% of GDP (2010). The mean years of schooling of adults over 25 years is 12. These trends were held in 2017. Cape Verde stands out in West Africa for the quality and inclusiveness of its higher education system. As of 2017, one in four young people attended university and one-third of students opted for fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.[64] Women made up one-third of students but two-thirds of graduates in 2018.[64]
In 2011, Cape Verde devoted just 0.07% of its GDP to research and development, among the lowest rates in West Africa. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture plan to strengthen the research and academic sectors by emphasising greater mobility, through exchange programmes and international cooperation agreements. As part of this strategy, Cape Verde is participating in the Ibero-American academic mobility programme that expects to mobilise 200,000 academics between 2015 and 2020.[91] Cape Verde was ranked 90th in theGlobal Innovation Index in 2024.[92]
Cape Verde counted 25 researchers in 2011, a researcher density of 51 per million inhabitants. The world average was 1,083 per million in 2013. All 25 researchers were working in the government sector in 2011 and one in three were women (36%). There was no research being conducted in either medical or agricultural sciences. Of the eight engineers involved in research and development, one was a woman. Three of the five researchers working in natural sciences were women, as were three of the six social scientists and two of the five researchers from the humanities.[91]
In 2015, the government announced a project to build a technology park for business, research, and development. As of late 2020, the project, now named TechPark Cabo Verde, is slated for completion in June 2022.[needs update] The project is funded by both theAfrican Development Bank and the government of Cape Verde. The goal of the endeavour, according to Minister of FinanceOlavo Correia, is "to attract large international companies to set up shop [in order] to help local companies and start-ups become more competitive".[93]
Cape Verde has a high rate of Internet penetration and a growing mobile phone market. The government has invested in improving ICT infrastructure and has created a number of initiatives to promote the development of the digital economy. The digital economy has the potential to create jobs, boost economic growth, and improve the quality of life.[94]
Theft and burglary are common, especially in crowded environments such as marketplaces, festivals, and celebrations.[95] Often the perpetrators of these crimes are gangs of street children.[95] Murders are concentrated in the major population centres of Praia and Mindelo.[95]
Cape Verdeans are a very musical people; TheChã das Caldeiras group is an example.
Theculture of Cape Verde is characterised by a mixture of African and European elements, while the language and religion are of European origin, several other aspects as dance and music are a unique blend of the cultural heritage of the two different continents.
Football games and church activities are typical sources of social interaction and entertainment.[39] The traditional walk around thepraça (town square) to meet friends is practised regularly in Cape Verdean towns.[39]
Newspapers of Cape Verde includingExpresso das Ilhas,A Nação andJá
In towns with electricity, television is available on three channels; one state-owned (RTC – TCV) and three foreign-owned: RTI Cabo Verde launched by the Portuguese-based RTI in 2005;Record Cabo Verde, launched by the Brazilian-basedRede Record on 31 March 2007; and as of 2016, TV CPLP.[citation needed] Premium channels available include the Cape Verdean versions of Boom TV and Zap Cabo Verde, two channels owned by Brazil's Record.[96] Other premium channels are available in Cape Verde, especially satellite network channels which are common in hotels and villas, though availability is otherwise limited. One such channel isRDP África, the African version of the Portuguese radio stationRDP.
As of early 2023, about 99% of the population own an active cellular phone, 70% have access to the Internet, 11% own a landline telephone, and 2% subscribe to local cable TV.[citation needed]
In 2004, there were seven radio stations: six independent and one state-owned. The media is operated by the Cape-Verdean News Agency (secondarily asInforpress). Nationwide radio stations include RCV, RCV+, Radio Kriola, and the religious station Radio Nova. Local radio stations include Rádio Praia, the first radio station in Cape Verde; Praia FM, the first FM station in the nation;Rádio Barlavento,Rádio Clube do Mindelo and Radio Morabeza in Mindelo.[citation needed]
The Cape Verdean people are known for their musicality, well expressed by popular manifestations such as the Carnaval of Mindelo.Cape Verdean music incorporates "African, Portuguese and Brazilian influences."[97] The national music is themorna, a melancholy and lyrical song form typically sung in Cape Verdean Creole. The most popular music genre aftermorna is thecoladeira, followed byfunaná andbatuque music.Cesária Évora was the best-known Cape Verdean singer in the world, known as the "barefoot diva", because she liked to perform barefooted on stage. She was also referred to as "The Queen of Morna"[98] as opposed to her uncleBana, who was referred to as "King of Morna". The Cape Verdean diaspora experience is reflected in many artistic and cultural expressions, such as Évora's songSodade.[99] Other singers includeSara Tavares,Lura andMayra Andrade.
Another great exponent of traditional music from Cape Verde wasAntonio Vicente Lopes, better known as Travadinha, andIldo Lobo, who died in 2004. The House of Culture in the center of the city of Praia is called Ildo Lobo House of Culture, in his honour.
Traditional dance is a mix of West and Central African influences. The most popular dance style is calledfunaná which originated on Santiago and is danced solo or in pairs with fast hip movements and a lively rhythm. Another popular dance style is “Coladeira” which is a slower dance style that originated on Sao Vicente.Batuque originated on Santiago and involves a lot of hip movement and percussion.Zouk andKizomba are newer popular dance styles that originated in other countries.
Cape Verdean literature is one of the richest of Lusophone Africa. Poets include Paulino Vieira, Manuel de Novas, Sergio Frusoni, Eugénio Tavares, and B. Léza, and authors includeBaltasar Lopes da Silva, António Aurélio Gonçalves,Manuel Lopes,Orlanda Amarílis,Henrique Teixeira de Sousa,Arménio Vieira, Kaoberdiano Dambará, Dr. Azágua, andGermano Almeida.[citation needed] The first novel written by a woman from Cape Verde wasA Louca de Serrano byDina Salústio; its translation, asThe Madwoman of Serrano, was the first translation of any Cape Verdean novel to English.[100][101]
Cape Verdean cuisine is mostly based on fish and staple foods like corn and rice. Vegetables available during most of the year are potatoes, onions, tomatoes,manioc, cabbage, kale, and dried beans. Fruits such asbananas andpapayas are available year-round, while others likemangoes andavocados are seasonal.[39]
A popular dish iscachupa, a slow-cooked stew of corn (hominy), beans, and fish or meat. A common appetiser is thepastel, a pastry shell filled with fish or meat that is then fried.[39]
Cape Verde is famous for wave sailing[103] (a type ofwindsurfing) andkiteboarding.[104] Josh Angulo, a Hawaiian and 2009 PWA Wave World Champion, has done much to promote the archipelago as a windsurfing destination.[103] Mitu Monteiro, a local kite-surfer was the 2008Kite Surfing World Champion in the wave discipline.
There are four international ports:Mindelo, Praia,Palmeira, andSal Rei. Mindelo on São Vicente is the main port for cruise ships and the terminus for the ferry service to Santo Antão. Praia on Santiago is the main hub for local ferry services to other islands. Palmeira on Sal supplies fuel for the main airport on the island, Amílcar Cabral International Airport, and is important for the hotel construction taking place on the island.Porto Novo on Santo Antão is the only source for imports and exports of produce from the island as well as passenger traffic since the closure of the airstrip atPonta do Sol.
There are smaller harbours, essentially single jetties atTarrafal on São Nicolau, Sal Rei on Boa Vista,Vila do Maio (Porto Inglês) on Maio,São Filipe on Fogo andFurna on Brava. These act as terminals for the inter-island ferry services, which carry both freight and passengers. The pier atSanta Maria on Sal used by both fishing and dive boats has been rehabilitated.
There were seven operational airports as of 2014[update] – four international and three domestic. Two others were non-operational, one on Brava and the other on Santo Antão closed for safety reasons.
Due to its geographical location, Cape Verde is often flown over by transatlantic airliners. It is part of the conventional air traffic route from Europe to South America, which goes from southern Portugal via theCanary Islands and Cape Verde to northern Brazil.
Small unmannedflying drones able to carry up to 5 kg were being used experimentally for tasks such as delivering medicines between the islands in 2021.[108]
^abAmorim Neto, Octávio; Costa Lobo, Marina (2010). "Between Constitutional Diffusion and Local Politics: Semi-Presidentialism in Portuguese-Speaking Countries".SSRN1644026.
^"Cabo Verde – Cultural life".Encyclopedia Britannica.Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved17 May 2021.Although there is no conclusive evidence that the islands were inhabited before the arrival of the Portuguese, cases may be made for visits by Phoenicians, Moors, and Africans in previous centuries.
^"Cape Verde, Country on the West Coast of Africa | South African History Online".South Africa History Online.Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved17 May 2021.The early settlement in Cape Verde by Arab and African fishermen has only been related through oral history, and remains a part of the mythological stories of origin of the archipelago. It is generally agreed that the Islands where [sic] uninhabited when the Portuguese first landed in 1456.
^Halter, Marilyn (2013). "Cape Verdeans and Cape Verdean Americans, 1870–1940". In Barkan, Elliott Robert (ed.).Immigrants in American History: Arrival, Adaptation, and Integration, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO Publisher. p. 269.ISBN978-1-59884-219-7.Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved17 May 2021.Although Cape Verdean folklore includes stories of landings by Arab and African fishermen prior to the sighting of the archipelago by Portuguese navigators in the mid-fifteenth century, most historians concur that it was uninhabited when the Portuguese began to settle there.
^Le Bas, T.P. (2007), "Slope Failures on the Flanks of Southern Cape Verde Islands", in Lykousis, Vasilios (ed.),Submarine mass movements and their consequences: 3rd international symposium, Springer,ISBN978-1-4020-6511-8
^Halter, Marilyn (2013). "Cape Verdeans and Cape Verdean Americans, 1870–1940". In Barkan, Elliott Robert (ed.).Immigrants in American History: Arrival, Adaptation, and Integration, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO Publisher. p. 269.ISBN978-1-59884-219-7.Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved17 May 2021.The Cape Verde Islands...chain...was named after the westernmost tip of mainland Africa, the Cape Vert, and[,] while the term "Verde" (green) gives the impression of a lush and verdant landscape, nothing could be further from the truth. The islands are essentially a maritime extension of the dry and dusty Sahel semi-desert region, and the terrain is so arid and mountainous that less than 2 percent of the land is suitable for farming.
^ab2010 Census — source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica.
^ab2021 Census — source: Instituto Nacional de Estatistica.
^See Carlos Ferreira Couto,Incerteza, adaptabilidade e inovação na sociedade rural da Ilha de Santiago de Cabo Verde, Lisbon: Fundação Galouste Gulbenkian, 2010
^See now Brígida Rocha Brito and others,Turismo em Meio Insular Africano: Potencialidades, constrangimentos e impactos, Lisbon: Gerpress, 2010
^"Global Hunger Index Scores by 2024 GHI Rank".Global Hunger Index (GHI) - peer-reviewed annual publication designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. Retrieved13 December 2024.
^AlloCine.àma Gloria (in French). Retrieved19 June 2024 – via www.allocine.fr.
^ab"Cape Verde windsurfing Holidays".www.planetwindsurfholidays.com. Planet Travel Ltd, Brighton (United Kingdom).Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved16 April 2023.
1 1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequentinvasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was fully recognized.
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