Cape Verde/ˌkeɪpˈvɜːrd/ or Cabo Verde/kɑːboʊˈvɜːrdeɪ/, /kæ-/ (Portuguese:Cabo Verde, pronounced:[ˈkabu ˈveɾdɨ]), officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country spanning an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean. Located 570 kilometres (350mi) off the coast of Western Africa, the islands cover a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500sqmi).
The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the 15th century, when Portuguese explorers discovered and colonized the islands, establishing the first European settlement in the tropics. Ideally located for the Atlantic slave trade, the islands grew prosperous throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, attracting merchants, privateers, and pirates. The end of slavery in the 19th century led to economic decline and emigration, although Cape Verde gradually recovered as an important commercial center and stopover for shipping routes. Incorporated as an overseas department of Portugal in 1951, the islands continued to agitate for independence, which was peacefully achieved in 1975.
Cape Verde was a colony of the Portuguese Empire from the initial settlement of the Cape Verde Islands in 1462 until the independence of Cape Verde in 1975.
Prior to its settlement by the Portuguese, Cape Verde was uninhabited.
Cape Verde can be seen jutting out from the walls of Victoria Crater in this false-color image taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.
Cape Verde can be seen jutting out from the walls of Victoria Crater in this false-color image taken by the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity.
Brits can also take advantage of new direct flights to Djerba, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Tunisia... Cape Verde has also become easier to reach with both TUI and easyJet launching new flights to the African hotspot.