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Cape Verde

General Information about Cape Verde

Cape Verde is an archipelago off the West coast of Africa consisting of 10 main islands and 5 islets, some of which are uninhabited. Its capital is Praia and the population is 421 000. Its closest continental neighbour is Senegal. Each of the islands are from volcanoes origins although only one remains active today. Cape Verde enjoys a tropical climate with September its wettest month when most of the annual rain falls.

Cape Verde was a major staging post for the Portuguese slave trade and was a Portuguese colony until its independence in 1975. The Portuguese influence is evident in the major towns where architectural evidence of the their settlement is worth seeing. The Old Colonial Prison where Portuguese dictators held dissidents is currently being restored in Tarrafal. Accommodation is available but limited and most islands have hotels or guest houses.

Climate

Find Out About The Climate In Cape Verde

Cape Verde has tropical climate with two main seasons of with a cool dry season starting in December and a mild, warm season beginning in July. September is the warmest month to visit with averages of 27 degrees while February is the coolest with lows of 22 degrees. Rainfall only occurs during August and October with an average of 1.6 inches of rain each month.

Geography

Geographical Information On Cape Verde

Cape Verde was originally discovered by the Portuguese back in the 15th century but announced its independence back in 1975. Cape Verde can be found 620 kilometres off the west coast of Africa in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Verde has a coastline of over 965 kilometres and a total landmass of 4,033 square metres. Most of the islands are steep, rugged, rocky as well as being mountainous. Cape Verde's six main islands in the Barlavento group are Santo Antae, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Sao Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista. The Sotavento group has four islands consiting of Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava. The highest peak of Cape Verde is set on the island of Fogo and is known as Mount Fogo which rises for over 2,829 metres.

Economy

Learn About The Economy Of Cape Verde

The agricultural industry of Cape Verde is not very strong due to water shortages and long term drought. The agricultural industry only provides 12 percent of the economy resulting in over 82 percent of Cape Verde's food supplies being imported. The service industry in Cape Verde is strong and provides over 66 percent of the economy and is closely followed by the industry sector. The main exports of Cape Verde are fuel, shoes, fish and garments mainly to Portugal. Cape Verde is 58.4 percent free financially and came in 10th place out of 40 in the sub-Saharan African region since 2007. The official currency of Cape Verde is the Cape Verdean Escudo.

Guesthouses in Cape Verde

Hostels in Cape Verde

Must Explore would like to wish you an enjoyable stay in Cape Verde.

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