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The Cape Verde constitution adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995, and 1999 forms the basis of government. The president is head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term; the most recent elections were held in February 2001. The prime minister is head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime...
Cape Verde has few natural resources and suffers from poor rainfall and limited fresh water. Only 4 of the 10 main islands (Santiago, Santo Ant
When the islands were visited by the Portuguese between 1456 and 1460, they were uninhabited. In 1460 the Portuguese navigators Diogo Gomes and Ant
In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha)--the first permanent European settlement city in the tropics. In the 16th century, the archipelago prospered from the transatlantic slave trade. Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Sir Francis Drake sacked Ribeira Grande in 1585. After...
The Cape Verde Islands are located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean some 450 kilometers (about 300 mi.) off the west coast of Africa. The archipelago includes 10 islands and 5 islets, divided into the windward (Barlavento) and leeward (Sotavento) groups. The main islands in the Barlavento group are Santo Ant
The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the Portuguese discovered the islands in 1456. African slaves were brought to the islands to work on Portuguese plantations. As a result, Cape Verdeans are of mixed African and European origin. The influence of African culture is most pronounced on the island of Santiago, where half the population resides....
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