10 Surprising Facts about Cabo Verde

Tap to Read ➤ Cabo Verde, a.k.a., Cape Verde and the Republic of Cabo Verde is an African island country located in the central Atlantic Ocean. Much more than its magical white-sand beaches, it is the perfect place for a laid-back vacation. Sucheta Pradhan

#1 - The entire Cape Verde archipelago is volcanic in nature. Its ten islands and five islets have many volcanos, the highest of which is Pico do Fogo.

#2 - Cape Verde was completely unpopulated till 15th century. In 1456, some Portuguese explorers arrived on the archipelago, establishing the first ever European colony there. Even today, Portuguese is the official language.

#3 - Out of all islands in Cape Verde archipelago, Santa Luzia is the only uninhabited island. It can be reached from Calhau on the east coast of São Vicente by a fishing boat.

#4 - More Cape Verdeans live outside the country than on the archipelago itself. The islands are inhabited by only about five million people.

#5 - The island of Sal in Cape Verde gets its name from its salt mines, which have been out of use since 1990s. The village of Pedra de Lume on Sal Island is particularly famous for its salt mines, which attracts lots of tourists.

#6 - The politics and economy of Cape Verde are most stable among all West African countries. Thus, Cape Verdeans’ standard of living is also the highest in all of West Africa.

#7 - Cape Verde is the country with few natural resources. Only five out of ten islands in the archipelago support agriculture, and 75% of the food consumed by Cape Verdeans is actually imported.

#8 - The island of Maio in Cape Verde is known for its beautiful beaches. However, it also has a dense forest, a topographical feature that is quite unusual in Cape Verde.

#9 - Cabo Verde is the third-largest nesting site in the world for loggerhead turtles, one of the most endangered of marine species.

#10 - The waters of Boa Vista island are a breeding ground for humpback whales. If you take a catamaran tour on the island, you can have some amazing humpback whale sightings in the Atlantic Ocean.