The Republic of Cape Verde is an archipelago of volcanic
islands located west of Africa’s coast at Mauritania and
Senegal in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Travel Insurance for Cape Verde :
Area: Worldwide exc. USA / Canada
Know Before You Go:
FCO Country Advice for Cape Verde
It is one of the five archipelagos
in the Atlantic, known as Macronesia, along with the Canary
Isles, Savage Islands, Azores and Madeira. The archipelago
consists of ten major islands (9 inhabited) and five smaller
islets. Six of the islands to the west side are inhabited and
have a mountainous terrain whereas three of the islands have
beautiful long sandy beaches. The islands are steep, rocky and
rugged. The highest point is Mt.Fogo on Fogo Island, at 2, 800
m. The islands were uninhabited when the Portuguese discovered
them in 1456. They brought slaves from Africa to work on the
plantations. Therefore, most Cape Verdeans are a mix of European
and African origins. Cape Verde gained its independence from
Portugal in 1975.
The islands are known by two groups as the Leeward (Sotavento)
isles and Windward (Barlavento) isles. The Windward group, to
the north, consists of the islands: Santo Antão, São
Vicente , Santa Luzia (uninhabited), São Nicolau, Sal,
Ilheu Branco, Ilheu Raso, and Boa Vista. The Leeward group of
islands located to the south of the archipelago are Maio, São
Tiago , Fogo
Most of the inhabitants of Cape Verde are Creole and about
twenty-five percent are of African descent. Portuguese is the
official language although some people also speak Crioulo - which
is an African version of Creole Portuguese. The inhabitants mainly
are descendants of the Africans and white Portuguese settlers.
The Cape Verdeans are notorious for their hospitality and friendly
nature. The country is mainly Catholic with also some Protestants
and indigenous religions. With its sunny climate and beautiful
scenery, the islands are a great tourist destination.
Some of the main attractions of the Cape Verde Islands are
the beautiful beaches which give visitors access to all types
of water sports, including fishing, diving, snorkelling, sailing,
windsurfing, to name a few. The volcano on Fogo is popular for
hikers. Tennis, golf, horseback riding, walking, trekking, mountain
biking, bird-watching and canyoning are also available.
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