Western Africa · AfricaCape Verde
Discover Cape Verde - ten volcanic islands in the Atlantic where morna music, Creole culture, and dramatic landscapes create an unforgettable archipelago.
Where Is Cape Verde?
Cape Verde is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Praia.
- Capital Praia
- Population 527K
- Area 4,033 km²
Cape Verde is an archipelago of ten volcanic islands floating in the Atlantic Ocean about 570 kilometers off the coast of West Africa, and it feels like nowhere else. The islands are dry, wind-battered, and starkly beautiful - some are flat salt plains, others are craggy volcanic peaks jutting straight from the ocean. Santo Antao has dramatic green valleys slicing through barren mountains. Fogo has an active volcano rising 2,829 meters from the sea. Sal and Boa Vista have Saharan sand dunes that spill onto white beaches.
The soul of Cape Verde is its music. Morna, the melancholic genre made world-famous by Cesaria Evora, the Barefoot Diva, expresses a feeling called sodade - a Creole word for longing, nostalgia, and homesickness that defines the Cape Verdean experience. More Cape Verdeans live abroad than on the islands, scattered across Portugal, the United States, and beyond. This tiny nation of 600,000 people has one of the most stable democracies in Africa, virtually no extreme poverty by regional standards, and a Creole culture that blends African and Portuguese influences into something entirely its own.
At a glance
Largest cities in Cape Verde
Praia
Mindelo
Santa Maria
Espargos
Famous people from Cape Verde
Cesaria Evora
MusicThe Barefoot Diva who brought Cape Verdean morna music to the world, winning a Grammy and selling millions of records while performing shoeless
Amilcar Cabral
PoliticsRevolutionary leader who founded the independence movement against Portuguese colonialism, assassinated in 1973 before seeing freedom
Nana
SportCape Verdean football legend who helped the Blue Sharks qualify for their first Africa Cup of Nations in 2013
Germano Almeida
LiteratureCape Verde's most celebrated novelist, known for satirical works that capture island life with humor and warmth
Traditional cuisine of Cape Verde
- Cachupa
- Cape Verde's national dish - a slow-cooked stew of corn, beans, and whatever meat or fish is available, different on every island
- Buzio
- Sea snail stew cooked in a rich broth with garlic and herbs, a delicacy reflecting the islands' seafaring heritage
- Pastel com Diablo Dentro
- Deep-fried pastry filled with spicy tuna, literally 'pastry with the devil inside,' a beloved street snack
- Grogue
- Strong sugarcane rum distilled on Santo Antao island, the national spirit sipped straight or mixed with honey
Nature and landmarks in Cape Verde
- Pico do FogoMountain
- Active stratovolcano rising 2,829 meters from the sea on Fogo island, last erupted in 2014, with vineyards growing in its caldera
- Santo Antao ValleysMountain
- Dramatic ribeira valleys carved into volcanic mountains, with terraced agriculture clinging to impossibly steep slopes
- Sal Salt FlatsDesert
- Lunar landscape of salt craters in Pedra de Lume, where visitors float in salt pools inside an extinct volcanic crater
- Santa Luzia IslandIsland
- Uninhabited island and nature reserve between Sao Vicente and Santo Antao, one of the last pristine islands in the Atlantic
Sports in Cape Verde
- Football
- Blue Sharks qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and 2015, remarkable for a nation of just 600,000 people
- Windsurfing & Kitesurfing
- Sal and Boa Vista islands are world-class destinations for wind sports, hosting international competitions year-round
Did you know?
More Cape Verdeans live abroad (over 700,000) than on the islands themselves (about 600,000)
Cesaria Evora, the country's most famous musician, always performed barefoot as a symbol of her humble Cape Verdean roots
Pico do Fogo is an active volcano that last erupted in 2014-15, destroying two villages, yet people continue to live in the caldera
Cape Verde has never had a coup since independence in 1975, making it one of Africa's most stable democracies
The archipelago was uninhabited until Portuguese settlers arrived in 1462, making Cape Verdean Creole one of the oldest creole languages in the world
Morna, the iconic music genre of Cape Verde, was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2019
Read more about Cape Verde
Can you find Cape Verde on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Cape Verde and its neighbours without a second thought.
