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The name of this island nation translates to "Green Cape," but if you're expecting the landscape to be green on all of the Cape Verde islands, you'll be disappointed. If you're looking for a cool, tranquil refuge from the heat, crowds and chaos of the African continent, you'll get what you're looking for in this windswept archipelago.

Cape Verde's mild weather, friendly people, clean ocean air, mountainous landscapes and tidy towns more than compensate for its lack of lush foliage—droughts have plagued these islands off the coast of West Africa.

Still, it's an attractive destination. Its beautiful beaches and intriguing mix of cultures and people are reminiscent of Brazil or the Caribbean. And what's more, every year it sponsors one of the most spontaneous, joyous Carnival celebrations in the world.

Geography

This archipelago, about 400 mi/645 km west of Senegal, contains 10 islands (one uninhabited) and eight islets (none inhabited) in two different chains, the northern Ilhas do Barlavento (Windward Islands) and the southern Ilhas do Sotavento (Leeward Islands). They range from flat and sandy to mountainous and volcanic (reaching 10,000 ft/3,050 m above sea level).

Less humid than many tropical islands, they're somewhat stark and barren—droughts there can last for decades, but there are green islands, most notably Santo Antao, which has spectacular mountain scenery, and Sao Nicalau. Brava, the smallest and wettest of the islands, is known for its rich vegetation and is often called the Island of Flowers. Santiago is the largest island, hosting the capital city, Praia.

History

Cape Verde was uninhabited when the Portuguese first came upon the islands in 1455; in later years it became an important transshipment point for the Portuguese slave trade to the Americas.

After relatively dry conditions were found to make sugar growing impractical, Cape Verde became an important supply station, restocking passing ships with food and fresh water. A North American connection was established in the 1800s, when New England whalers visited and took aboard supplies and additional crewmen.

Portugal, the last European country to give up its African colonies, held on to Cape Verde until 1975. That year, Cape Verde won its independence and attempted a union with Guinea-Bissau, another ex-colony of Portugal. The plan fell through, but the two countries still share similar flags.

Today Cape Verde steers an independent course, although its leading political party has strong ties to Cape Verdean emigres in America: It's said that there are as many Cape Verdeans in the northeastern U.S. as there are in Cape Verde. Cape Verde also maintains close relations with Europe.

Poverty, unemployment and the state of the economy were key issues in February 2006, when incumbent leader Pedro Pires of the ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) again won presidential elections. Cape Verde's poverty has been declining since 2009, the minimum wage increased in 2018, and the country has become one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the world.

In 2011, Jorge Carlos Fonseca became president. In 2016, Movement for Democracy won parliamentary elections and its leader Ulisses Correia e Silva became prime minister.

Snapshot

Black- and white-sand beaches, deep-sea fishing, volcanoes, hiking, mountain climbing, scuba diving the wrecks off Boa Vista and Sal, windsurfing at Santa Maria on Sal, surfing, island-hopping, local food and culture, and relaxation are among the islands' chief attractions.

Cape Verde is for adventurous, experienced travelers who want to get away from it all and enjoy water-related activities in unusual settings, island-hopping and exploring, or who want to expand their experience of Carnival.

Praia and Mindelo have a vibrant nightlife. On Sal, there's live music most nights in the tourist restaurants and in the upscale hotels that line the beachfront, and there are bars, discos and live-music clubs in all the tourist areas of the most popular islands.

Although some local crafts are available to buy (there's a colorful, African-style market on Sao Tiago), the Cape Verde Islands are not the best place for people who like to shop.

Potpourri

Many species of birds and plants on Cape Verde exist nowhere else in the world, such as the bridled dolphin and the Cape Verde Barn Owl. The closest relatives of some of the plants are in East Africa, not West Africa as you might expect.

Marine turtles are among the most important species on the islands. The turtles breed between July and October.

Mountain paths are steep, but locals, forced by the topography to take roads over mountains rather than between them, have made cobbled paths in some surprising places.

Music that blends African, Latin and European rhythms is everywhere on the islands and, increasingly, local bands are appearing on the international world-music scene. The rich-voiced singer Cesaria Evora, known as "the barefoot diva," is the biggest international star.

There's often a shortage of change on Cape Verde, so it's best not to have high-value banknotes.

The Cape Verde Islands were an important stop on slave routes to the new world. Slaves were brought to Sao Tiago and taught Latin and Catholicism—and encouraged to eliminate any fantasies of freedom. Upon reaching the New World, these "trained" slaves were worth much more than the other, "undoctrinated" survivors of trans-Atlantic sailings.

During Carnival parades in Mindelo, streets are cleared by "mud boys"—young boys daubed in mud who keep the crowds back from the floats.

Charles Darwin was impressed by the bleak beauty of the Cape Verdes, noting that "the novel aspect of an utterly sterile land possesses a grandeur which more vegetation might spoil."

The Cape Verde Islands (Cabo Verde in Portuguese) get their name from their geographical location off the coast of Cap Vert, Senegal.

More than 250,000 Cape Verdeans—called Americanos on the islands—live in the northeastern U.S. (Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, primarily). They are descended from Cape Verdeans who began fleeing the islands in the early 1800s on whaling ships and found work as seamen in the U.S. Many in Cape Verde depend on their overseas relatives for financial support.