Cape Verde - Burnet Middle School

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Republic of
2014
Cape Verde
República de Cabo Verde
The island of Fogo was the only Portuguese territory never controlled by the Spanish.
At one point, about 40 percent of New England whale hunters were Caboverdianos (Cape Verdeans).
Charles Darwin, on his famous voyage aboard the Beagle, stopped in Cape Verde.
For a few months each year, great clouds of dust visible from space are blown hundreds of miles from the Sahara
Desert across the ocean onto Cape Verde.
Cape Verde sent its first-ever Olympic team to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Near the town of Tarrafal, a prison built by the Portuguese dictator Salazar to jail independence leaders is now a
large museum.
Nearly 35 percent of the population is under the age of 15.
Cape Verde legend tells of a lone herdsman who lives on the uninhabited island of Santa Luzia with his herd of
goats.
The national music of Cape Verde is morna, a form of blues music and dance native to the land.
Cape Verde has one of the highest standards of living and one of the most stable governments in West Africa.
The average Cape Verdean family has four or five kids.
Flag
On Cape Verde’s flag, the blue stands for the sea and sky, the white for peace, and the
red for effort. The circle of 10 stars represents the unity of the 10 islands, one of which
is uninhabited. The stripes represent the road to the formation of the country.
National Image
An unofficial national symbol for Cape Verde is the dragoeiro, or “dragon tree.” Found
in Cape Verde, the Canary Islands, and Madeira, it is becoming more and more rare.
Dragon trees can grow to be many hundreds of years old.
Land and Climate
Area (sq. mi.): 1,557
Area (sq. km.): 4,033
Cape Verde is a small chain of mountainous volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, a
few hundred miles from Africa. There are ten islands and eight islets (tiny islands).
Altogether, their area totals 1,557 square miles (4,033 sq km), just a bit smaller than
French Polynesia and slightly bigger than the state of Rhode Island. The northern
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islands are known as the Barlavento (Wayward) islands, while the southern group is
called the Sotavento (Leeward) islands. The capital city of Praia is located on the island
of Santiago.
Though the country’s name means “Green Cape,” the islands are usually only green
between August and October, when the rainy season occurs and it is hot and humid.
During the rest of the year, the islands are warm, dry, and rocky like the coast of
northwest Africa. However, every island receives different amounts of rainfall. The
islands in the east barely see any rain all year, but the islands farther west do get rain in
the mountains outside of the rainy season. Some years it doesn’t rain at all! Dry, dusty
harmattan winds blow in from the deserts of Africa, causing dust to fill the air between
January and March.
Population
Population: 531,046
Although more than 531,000 people live in Cape Verde, an even larger number of
Caboverdianos (people from Cape Verde) live in other countries, such as the United
States, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Because Cape Verde lacks sufficient
natural resources and jobs, many Cape Verdean men emigrate (move to another
country) to Europe in search of higher-paying work. They send money home each
month to support their families. Around 71 percent of the people descend from a mix of
early Portuguese settlers and Africans who were brought in as slaves; another 28
percent are African alone. Around 125,000 people live in the capital, Praia. Most of the
rest live in small villages or towns. Morabeza is a word frequently used to describe the
openness and giving nature of Caboverdianos. Caboverdianos make strangers feel
immediately at home and often put others' needs before their own.
Language
Portuguese is the country’s official language. It’s used primarily in business and
government, on television, and for formal writing. But Kriolu is what people speak to
each other, especially in smaller towns and villages. Kriolu uses Portuguese words and
words from mainland Africa. It evolved as a language spoken between the Portuguese
explorers, the original inhabitants of Cape Verde, and the West Africans who passed
through the islands as slaves on their way to Brazil and the Caribbean. Because these
three groups did not share a common language, they had to learn to communicate
through Kriolu. Today, all Cape Verdean children learn Kriolu as their first language at
home and later learn Portuguese when they go to school. Cape Verde has a rich
tradition of Kriolu literature, poetry, and music.
Can You Say It in Kriolu (cree-OH-loo)?
Hello
Bom dia
(bom-DEE-ah)
Good-bye
Te logu
(TEE-loh-goo)
Please
Favor
(fah-VORE)
Thank you
Obrigadu
(oh-bree-GAH-doo)
Yes
Aiam
(EYE-un)
No
Não
(now)
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Religion
Nearly all Caboverdianos are Christian. The majority of them belong to the Roman Catholic Church, while a smaller
percentage are Protestant. The rest belong to other groups. People are very religious in Cape Verde, as shown by the
large attendance at Mass and by the many religious sayings used in everyday conversation, such as Deus ta
companhóp (May the Lord be with you) and Deus defendê (God forbid). Freedom of worship is allowed, and religious
differences are tolerated.
Time Line
AD 1400
AD 1460
Antonio da Noli claims the Cape Verde islands for Portugal
1462
The first settlement is built on Santiago at Ribeira Grande and is later
renamed Cidade Velha
1466
Portugal’s king gives permission for slavery
1495
Cape Verde becomes a Portuguese crown colony
1498
Columbus stops in Cape Verde on his third trip to America
1582
Seven in eight people on the islands are slaves
1600
1605
A plague of blood-sucking flies attacks the islands
1620
English cod fishermen load salt from mines in Cape Verde to take to
the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland
1652
Praia becomes the new main city and capital
1740
American ships begin frequent docking at the islands
1750–70
Tens of thousands die from drought and famine
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1800
1830
Drought and famine kill almost half the population
1850
The discovery of oil in the United States means a loss of jobs for
sailors in Cape Verde because they aren't needed to hunt whales for
whale oil any longer
1856
One-quarter of the population dies of hunger
1864
Large-scale emigration (moving to another country) to America and
other countries takes place
1869
Portugal ends slavery
1900
1955
Amílcar Cabral and others form an anticolonial party
1975
Cape Verde declares its independence on 5 July and adopts a
constitution
1991
The first democratic elections are held
1992
A new constitution brings in a multiparty government system
1995
Mount Fogo erupts, forcing many to flee from towns near the volcano
2000
2006
Pedro Pires is reelected as Cape Verde’s president after first being
elected in 2001
2007
Cape Verde becomes a member of the World Trade Organization, a
group that helps establish the rules of trade between nations
2009
A national emergency is declared after an outbreak of dengue fever
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Portuguese Settlement
Genovese sailor Antonio da Noli claimed the Cape Verde islands for Portugal in 1460.
A settlement called Ribeira Grande (big stream), later renamed Cidade Velha, grew in a
sheltered port with fresh water. The Portuguese brought in West Africans as slaves to
plant sugarcane. However, droughts plagued the islands, and the climate was too harsh
for the plantations to really thrive. Children of African and Portuguese descent, called
mulatos, often became free citizens. Because of the islands' location as a crossroads
on the great trade routes between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, their population
quickly grew, making them a target for frequent pirate attacks, as everything from gold
and spices to slaves passed through.
A Strategic Location
Even though the sugarcane didn’t do well, Cape Verde became a popular stopover on
journeys between Africa, America, and Europe. Christopher Columbus, Vasco de
Gama, Charles Darwin, and other explorers stopped at the islands for water, food, and
other supplies on their journeys. English cod fishermen loaded up on salt for curing
Atlantic cod. Whalers found catches near the islands, and whaling ships came from as
far away as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The British used Cape Verdean ports as
storage holds for coal on its way to the Americas. Above all, ships came to buy, sell,
and trade slaves. In 1869, after more than three hundred years, Portugal ended all
slavery.
Hard Times
Famine killed tens of thousands of islanders during the 1800s, and the Portuguese
government was slow to respond. Poverty and unemployment increased. Thousands
emigrated (left their country to settle in another) to America to find a better life. Oil
discovered in America meant the end of whaling for whale oil and fewer jobs for Cape
Verde’s sailors. In the 1900s, America closed down immigration from Cape Verde.
More famine and hunger, a dictatorship in Portugal, and hard times during the World
Wars made Caboverdianos want control over their own land.
Independence and Democracy
In 1955, Amílcar Cabral and others from the African country of Guinea-Bissau (another
Portuguese colony) formed a political party whose goal was independence. They
organized themselves in spite of the threat of jail or capture by the secret police. Close
to 20 years of rebel warfare followed. Many Caboverdianos fought for independence in
Guinea-Bissau. In 1974, Portugal overthrew its dictator. This led to Cape Verde’s
independence on 5 July 1975. For many years, just one political party ran the
government. Fair elections were held in 1991, and Cape Verde has had a strong
democracy (government by the people) ever since.
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Games and Sports
Many kids from Cape Verde make their own toys. For example, boys might make toy
cars using scraps of metal and the rubber sole of a sandal. Boys also play with marbles
and action figures. Girls like dolls and games such as hopscotch and saltar ao eixo
(leapfrog). Boys play sports more often than girls, and usually they play futebol
(soccer), the national favorite. Basketball and windsurfing are also big. Playing and
swimming at the beach are popular. Few families can afford video and computer
games, so most kids use their imaginations while playing.
Holidays
Carnaval is one of the national holidays that children enjoy most in Cape Verde
because they get to wear costumes in local parades. Some communities spend weeks
preparing for Carnaval, whereas others make masks or simple costumes the day before
festivities begin. Young men traditionally play live music in the streets to Cape Verdean
and Brazilian samba beats while children and adults sing and dance through the night.
Besides national holidays, each island and town has its own festivals and celebrations.
For example, São Vicente has a music festival at the Bay of Cats every August at the
full moon.
The Festa de São João (Festival of St. John) is a favorite holiday in the Cape Verdean
countryside. On the eve of the festival, people set off fireworks. The next day, families
get together for a meal and spend the rest of the day at the beach, singing, storytelling,
and dancing. Fortunetelling is also common. Some fortunetellers crack an egg into a
glass of water and tell the fortune based on the shape and color of the egg. Others read
playing cards. Children enjoy snacks of popcorn, peanuts, and kanja (a thick chicken
soup). At night, people light bonfires, and young men and women hold hands and jump
over them for good luck.
Food
Most families eat a lot of rice, corn, beans, bananas, papaya, and fish. Everyone makes cachupa, a stew made of corn,
several types of beans, garlic, salt, and meat or fish, with manioc, a kind of root. The closer a family lives to the coast
of an island, the more fish they eat. Those who live inland often eat more chicken, beef, or pork. Couscous is common
in smaller villages. In Cape Verde, couscous is a type of cake made in the form of a half oval using a clay pot with four
holes in the bottom. It is made from corn grain and sugar and is generally served warm with butter spread on top. Kids
love fresquinhas, a kind of popsicle made from fruit juice. A frequent treat for rural (countryside) children is to chew on
fresh sugarcane that has just been cut from the fields.
Txiga is a popular phrase in Santiago inviting someone to enter a family's house to eat, drink, rest, and talk about the
day. It is considered rude to turn this offer down, but it is possible to politely tell them that your family has already made
dinner and they are waiting on you. However, too many refusals will eventually offend them.
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Schools
Adult Literacy: 84.3%
Children are only required by law to attend primary (elementary) school. Only about half go on to high school, and very
few make it to college. Some drop out because Portuguese, which is related to but different from Kriolu, is the
language of school instruction. This makes the lessons hard to understand because many children do not speak
Portuguese fluently. And sometimes parents need their kids’ help at home or don’t see the need for education. Some
schools offer free lunch to encourage kids to come to school. Primary schools as well as high schools usually require a
uniform. Although children generally wear cheap flip-flops to primary school, they usually own a second pair of nice
shoes that are worn to church on Sunday. The introduction of cheap footwear from China has made it possible for most
people to own a pair of shoes, but many still choose to wear the even cheaper flip-flops. Textbooks are provided in
primary school, but students must pay for them once they reach high school.
Life as a Kid
Many families in Cape Verde are poor, and children help their families by farming,
tending animals, and fetching water. Girls, whether in town or in the countryside, often
learn to cook at an early age. Since very few people own washing machines, girls must
also wash all of their family's laundry by hand and with a washboard. If a child's parents
are divorced or do not live together, the child usually lives with his or her mother. Aunts,
grandmothers, and older siblings all help take care of children. Cape Verde is rich with
traditions, and people take pleasure in simple things. When not with their families, boys
and girls like to play in the street and visit with friends. Most people love to dance, play
cards, play futebal (soccer), or just listen to the radio. Because of a lack of electricity in
rural (countryside) areas, battery-operated radios are an important source of
entertainment.
Government
Capital: Praia
Head of State: Pres. Jorge Carlos Fonseca
Head of Government: PM José Maria Pereira Neves
Cape Verde has a president, who deals with Cape Verde’s relationships with other countries, and a prime minister,
who is the head of government. Both serve five-year terms. The prime minister works with the People’s National
Assembly, which makes and passes laws. It has 72 elected members, and 6 of them represent Caboverdianos who
live in other countries. The voting age is 18. Cape Verde’s democracy (government by the people) is considered one of
the strongest in Africa. Personal freedoms are well respected in the country. Because most Caboverdianos are Roman
Catholic, the Catholic Church has a large influence in society.
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Money and Economy
Currency: Cape Verdean escudo
Cape Verde has been a poor country for a long time. Its land and climate don’t produce
much food, and it hasn’t had money to modernize its fishing fleets. Fish, bananas,
animal hides, and salt are the main items Cape Verde produces to sell. More than 20
percent of the people don’t have jobs. Caboverdianos in other countries send money to
help their families back home. The money used in the islands is called the Cape
Verdean escudo.
Getting Around
International airports on the islands of Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago, and São Vicente
connect Cape Verde to the world. To travel between islands, people use a plane or
sometimes a boat. The Fast Ferry connects Brava, Fogo, and Santiago and is fairly
reliable. In towns or cities, Caboverdianos walk or ride a bus. Some don’t like the buses
because they are crowded and the roads are unsafe. Some roads are narrow and go
over rocky mountainsides. In the countryside, most people walk or ride in a passenger
van to get around or transport their crops and goods to market.
Fire Mountain
The island of Fogo (FOH-goo) has a large active volcano, which has erupted more than
30 times since the island was settled. Some sailors thought of it as a kind of natural
lighthouse. It erupted last in 1995, forcing five thousand people out of its way and
destroying valuable land used for farming and grazing cattle. Mount Fogo is a caldera
volcano, which means that the top has been hollowed out into something like a bowl.
Mount Fogo’s caldera is about 5 miles (8 km) across.
Learn More
Contact the Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde, 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007;
phone (202) 965-6820. Or contact the Consulate General of Cape Verde, 607 Boylston Street, Fourth Floor, Boston,
MA 02116; phone (617) 353-0014.
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