In Cape Verde, only around 10-11% of the island’s land is used for agricultural purposes.Some of Cape Verde’s natural resources are basalt rock, salt, gypsum, limestone, clay, fish, and kaolin. Agricultural products of this archipelago are fruits, livestock, vegetables, coffee, corn, bananas, beans, and sugarcane.Cabo Verde or Cape Verde, formally known as the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and an archipelago located in the central part of the Atlantic Ocean, containing 10 islands and covering an area of 1,557 sq mi (4,033 sq km). The volcanic archipelago lies between 372.8-521.1 mi (600-850 km) west of West African Cap-Vert, located on the western coast of the African continent. These islands are a portion of the Macaronesia ecoregion, along with the Savage Isles, the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores. Portuguese explorers discovered the archipelago in the 15th century, before which it was uninhabited. They colonized these islands, forming the first stable European settlement in the tropics. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Cape Verde became economically strong, attracting privateers, pirates, and merchants, due to the Atlantic slave trade. However, the economy of Cape Verde declined in the 19th century due to the suppression of African slaves, with many inhabitants emigrating.Staple foods in Cape Verde are rice, corn, and fish. Cachupa is a famous dish served in this place, which is a slow-cooked stew of beans, meat or fish, and corn. Pastel is a common appetizer, which is a pastry shell filled up with meat or fish and then fried. Cape Verde has no gas or oil resources. The archipelago has various endemic animals, especially reptiles and birds. Currently, a lot of these species are endangered due to human development. Some of the endemic birds are the Cape Verde warbler (or Acrocephalus brevipennis), Lago sparrow (or Passer iagoensis), Alexander’s swift (or Apus alexandri), Raso lark (or Alauda razae), and Bourne’s heron (or Ardea purpurea bournei).Tourism Facts: Cape Verde IslandThe islands’ names originate from the peninsula called Cap-Vert in West Africa.Cape Verde has a horseshoe shape with eight islets and 10 islands. The archipelago is divided into two groups. The leeward Sotavento Islands include Santiago Island, Fogo Island, Brava Island, and Maio Island. The second group, the Barlavento Islands, include São Vicente, São Nicolau, Santa Luzia, Boa Vista, Sal, and Santo Antão Island. Santiago Island is the largest island in both population and size. Santiago hosts Cape Verde’s capital city, which is also the largest city. It also includes Praia, the main urban cluster in the archipelago. Three of these islands, Boa Vista Island, Sal Island, Maio Island, are quite flat, dry, and sandy, while other islands are typically rocky with vegetation. Until 1952, the archipelago had Portuguese colony status, after which Cape Verde or Cabo Verde received the Overseas Province status, with Portugal providing complete citizenship to all Cape Verdeans.African minorities in these islands are Balante, Mandyako, and Fulani. A small European population is of Portuguese, English, French, and Italian descent. Brava island’s Rodela dragon trees, cobblestone trees and large dragon trees are tourist attractions. Santo Antão Island has the perfect hiking terrain, and hikers can test their skills and endurance on a vertical isle that is ruptured with valleys, gorges, and canyons.Cape Verde Educational FactsEducation in the Cape Verde Islands is free for children who are six to 12 years old.The Portuguese term, Cape Verde, translates to ‘green cape’. Reporters Without Borders listed Cape Verde on the World Press Freedom Index, in 2014, in the second position among all African countries. With help from the EU and the world bank, Cape Verde finds itself among the world’s largest per-capita recipients of aid. The first-ever multi-party elections took place in January 1981 in Cape Verde, which abolished the one-party state in 1990. Cape Verde’s two main political parties are Movement For Democracy and the African Party for Independence of Cape Verde. Cape Verde became a part of the World Trade Organization in late 2007.Education is compulsory for children between six to 14 years old. The primary enrolment rate in 1997 was 148.8%. Although the enrollment rate shows a level of commitment, this does not always reflect the participation of kids in school. The oldest university of Cape Verde is Jean Piaget University. The secondary level of education focuses on the acquisition of technological, cultural, and scientific knowledge, preparing children for the workforce. The first primary school funded by the government was set up in 1847 on Brava island. In 1860, Praia’s first secondary level school was established, which closed after just a year.Safety Measures: Cape Verde IslandThe Cape Verde Islands are a safe and peaceful place with a low crime rate.The population consists of people of both Portuguese and African descent, and most of them speak Cape Verdean Creole. However, the government’s official language is Portuguese. The current Prime Minister of Cape Verde (or Cabo Verde) is Ulisses Corriea e Silva. The current Cape Verdean President is Jose Maria Neves. The Prime Minister acts as the head of the government, and the President acts as head of the state. In the second half of the 20th century, Cape Verde experienced repeated droughts, leading many Cape Verdeans to immigrate to countries like South America, Africa, Europe, and the United States. Santa Luzia is the only uninhabited island.In many public places across all islands, street lights are scarce, with electricity blackouts. Crowded places also attract pickpocketers, so it is always suggested to keep your valuables close to you. Each island has its own natural hazards, like volcanoes and seas. Most volcanoes are found on Fogo Island. Mount Fogo is the highest peak on Cape Verde, and it last erupted between 2014 and early 2015. It is always sunny on these islands, and you must make sure to either use water purifying devices or boiled water. There are no main threats to travelers on the island. However, young street kids have been reported to rob travelers and tourists. Taxis hailed from the hotel are more reliable than bus services due to poor driving. In Praia city, buses and taxis are in good condition.Swimming Precautions: Cape Verde IslandThe Cabo Verde Islands have a wide variety of marine life.Sal and Boa Vista Islands are the main locations for water sports like sailing, windsurfing, and also scuba diving. Neve Falls and Neve Canyon, located in São Vicente, are tall waterfalls. The loggerhead turtles’ largest nesting site is the Ervatao Beach in Boa Vista. Santa Maria Beach on Sal Island is popular and quite busy. Another beach is called Ponta Preta Beach, located close to Santa Maria. Praia de Chaves and Santa Monica are two popular beaches.Santiago and Sal Islands are the best places for swimming. However, there are natural pools or beaches on every island. It is not recommended to swim in the seas of the Brava and Fogo Islands due to rough sea conditions. There are, however, natural pools on these two islands. Other islands where you might like to swim in the sea are Boa Vista, Maio, Santiago, Sal, and São Vicente.
In Cape Verde, only around 10-11% of the island’s land is used for agricultural purposes.
