CABO VERDE

Location

Cape Verde is a group of sub-tropical and volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with a beautiful weather all year round. The former Portuguese colony is situated about 460 kilometers off the coast of Senegal (Africa). Fly only 2 more hours to the south from the Canaries and there is the Cape Verde archipelago. It’s about 6 hours flying from London, Paris, or Amsterdam. From Lisbon, it’s roughly 4 hours. .

Climate in the Cape Verde archipelago

The Cape Verde Islands have a dry tropical climate characterized by relatively stable and high temperatures. Ranging between 20 and 30 degrees, they combine with waters of more than 20 degrees, making the atmosphere on the archipelago particularly pleasant. Despite everything, two seasons followed one another in Cape Verde:

A dry season from November to June that is more arid and windy, especially in January and February.

A rainy season between August and October that experiences heavier rainfall and warmer temperatures.

Religion

Christianity is the largest religion in Cape Verde, with Roman Catholics having the most adherents. Different sources give varying estimates on the relative sizes of various Christian denominations. More than 93% of the population of Cape Verde is Christian, with almost 77% being Roman Catholic, according to an informal poll taken by local churches. About 5% of the population is Protestant. The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene. Other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the New Apostolic Church and various other Pentecostal and evangelical groups.

Music at the heart of Cape Verde's culture

In Cape Verde, music is an essential element for the locals. In everyday life, for family events or for the many festivities organized at the national level and in each island, Cape Verdeans dance, sing and play music. Cape Verdean rhythms reflect the diversity of its population. Between the tender and melancholic pieces of the mornas, notably performed by the famous singer Cesária Évora, the coldeiras with a faster tempo, and the zouk with a dancing rhythm, it is a unique mix of Portuguese, African, Brazilian and Caribbean influences. During carnivals, festivals or any other festive event, the sounds of the cavaquinho, the cimboa, the bombolong, and the ferrinho resonate in all the surroundings. An integral part of Cape Verde’s culture, the songs, music and dances of tanbanka, funaná or batuque delight Cape Verdeans and visitors alike.

Cape Verde History

Cape Verde is a group of 10 islands of volcanic origin about 400 miles off the western coast of Africa, divided into the ‘Barlavento’ (Windward) islands and the ‘Sotavento’ (Leeward) islands. These once uninhabited islands were first discovered by the ancient Phoenicians, then in the 15th Century were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese. In the 16th century the islands became a trading centre for African slaves, and in 19th century, an important stopping point for transatlantic sea traffic.  Portugal made Cape Verde an overseas province in 1951, then the islands gained their independence on July 5, 1975, and have remained a stable, safe democracy. Most of the indigenous population of Cape Verde (around 531,000) are descendants of these earlier people’s, and the although the official language is Portuguese, the everyday is ‘Crioulo’, a Creole dialect.