Discover CAPE VERDE: An African archipelago known as a dream destination | 10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOU

Discover Cape Verde. Ten interesting facts about Cape Verde. An archipelago known as a dream destination, Cape Verde is formed of ten islands. This small island state is located off the coast of West Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. Discovered in the 1450s, Cape Verde held many mysteries. Since then, this country is populated and has developed a culture that is waiting to be discovered. So, are you ready to go on a journey to Cape Verde in these 10 interesting facts? If yes, feel free to like the video and subscribe if you're new to the channel and let's get into it. Island Categories. Let's start with a little geography to better situate Cape Verde's position. First, and as we said, this small state is an archipelago composed of 10 islands. But, did you know that these islands are divided into two groups? The first group includes the Balavento Islands, also called the Windward Islands. It includes Santo Antao, Santo Vicente, Santo Lucia, Sao Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista. The other group of islands includes the Sotavento Islands, also known as the Leeward Islands. They include Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava. Almost all of these islands are inhabited except for one, Santa Lucia. Indeed, the island of Santa Lucia is devoid of vegetation and water, which makes it rather hostile to live there. It is nevertheless accessible by day for tourists because it presents an interesting geological heritage. Between mountains, hills, and flat areas, Santa Lucia remains a pride of Cape Verde. On the contrary, the most populated island on the country is Santiago, which we will talk about in the second fact. The Island of Santiago. Of all the islands of the archipelago, Santiago is the one with the largest surface and the largest population. If we are really interested in the civilian population of Cape Verde, it is necessary to know that this country is inhabited by 555,000 inhabitants. Among all this population, which is moreover varied between ethnic groups of Africa and Europe, 274,000 populate Santiago. This represents almost half of the population concentrated in one island. After all, the island of Santiago has an area of 991 square kilometers. That's where the capital, the city of Praia is located. This place is a capital worthy of the name since it meets all possible needs. It is both the port for ferry boats arriving on the island as well as the country's international airport. An impressive geology. When talking about Cape Verde, it is imperative to talk about its natural heritage and more specifically its geology. These islands contain pearls of nature. For example, the Pico do Fogo is the highest peak of Cape Verde and culminates at 2,829 meters of altitude. This peak is a stratovolcano, which means that it is a volcano formed from several layers of dried lava, stones, and ashes. As its name indicates, it is located on the island of Fogo and it is still active today. Its last eruption was from November 2014 to February 2015. During these 77 consecutive days, it was more than 100 million tons of lava that flowed, destroying two villages. Other geological events are remarkable in Cape Verde. One thinks in particular of the crater named Pedra do Lume, which measures approximately 1.8 kilometers in diameter. This last one bears its name badly because it is not a crater but an extinct volcano and since it is located near the coast, the water ended up slipping in and forming salt ponds. A past marked by exploitation. Let's talk a little more about the history of Cape Verde and its past. As soon as the islands were discovered by the Portuguese navigators, they served as an important trading place. Cape Verde was a land where slaves circulated and were picked up by boat. It was also a place to get supplies when the sailors needed to make a stopover, for example. Moreover, the archipelago offered important resources at the time, such as coal. Finally, the last center of interest of Cape Verde at the time was the maritime fauna. Whaling was a widespread and often practiced activity around Cape Verde, which represented an economic advantage in the past. The country was thus marked by exploitation and lost this dynamic from the 19th century when slavery was abolished. Despite this, the archipelago remained under the control of the Portuguese nation until 1975 when it gained independence after decolonization. The reefs of Cape Verde. We were just talking about it before, the maritime fauna of Cape Verde is sometimes surprising. If whaling was a harmful activity for the species, we still find specimens of humpback whales moving in in groups. This is the case from winter to spring when they reproduce. Since then, Cape Verde has taken measures to protect these species, such as nature reserves and protected areas. We find much more than whales, the ocean shelters dolphins, which sometimes pass very close. There are also rays, groupers, octopuses, marlins, the latter cohabit with morays, schools of tuna, surgeonfish, and trumpetfish. You can even see some species of sharks by moving away from the coast, like lemon sharks or tiger sharks. The symbolic animal of Cape Verde. Cape Verde is the third country in the world that hosts the mosquerita turtles. The latter come essentially for nesting, that is to say when the turtles build a nest for their future young. If it is the species of turtle that is the most present on the archipelago, there are nevertheless other species like the green turtles or the leatherback turtles. It is between June and October that the coasts welcome these reptiles and no island is an exception. It is for this reason that turtles are an emblematic and symbolic animal for Cape Verde. They can be found on every island. Nesting takes place during the night, the turtles come out of the Atlantic Ocean to the sand, then they dig a nest on the coast. They lay a hundred eggs before feeding the whole. They then return to the water and come back after several weeks when the eggs have hatched. This spectacle of nature delights a lot of tourists who choose to come at this precise time of the year. It is thus with the aim of protecting the turtles and the environment that many precautions are taken like the prohibition to throw waste on the beach. The importance of music. Enough about the fauna, let's get interested in the culture built by man in Cape Verde and for that let's talk first about music. No need for great occasions for Cape Verdeans to dance, sing and play instruments. This cultural aspect is essential for the But unlike other countries, one thing is very particular in the musical culture. Cape Verde being a country with a very diverse population, one can find unique mixes between Portuguese, African, Brazilian and even Caribbean cultures. We can mention for example the most sustained rhythms like Zouk. Some other styles are most destined to be calm, tender and melancholic as it is the case of Domona. One of the most famous singers for her songs is Cezaria Evora. In general, during celebrations, the bomba long or the cymbal resounds in the streets. These two instruments are typical of the country. Lack of natural resources. Cape Verde has a few natural resources. Only five of the ten main islands support significant agricultural production. This means that half of the islands have been depleted of their wealth and this is most likely due to the former exploitation of the land discussed earlier. It is estimated that 75% of the food consumed in Cape Verde is imported which means that the country would have difficulty being self-sufficient in terms of production and agriculture. Between the part of the territory dedicated to housing, the mountains and the tourist areas, there's little land left for agriculture. These conditions are all the more hostile as the country has been experiencing droughts since the 20th century. This has led to the emigration of a larger number of inhabitants to other countries. Local drinks. Sugar cane is one of the most developed crops in the country and the crops are used to create several beverages including spirits. For example, grog is the national drink. It is obtained by fermenting sugar cane and then distilling. It is a strong alcohol as it is found from 40 to 70 percent. Cape Verde has also strela as its national drink. Strela is the only beer brewed in the country and more precisely in the capital. Finally, on the island of Fogo, it is the wines that take over. After the harvest, these grapes are used to produce red or white wines such as Manicom, a Cape Verdean speciality. Typical recipes. Here we are at the last fact and to close the video, let's continue on the theme of specialities by talking about the food specific to Cape Verde. The gastronomy of Cape Verde offers quite consistent dishes which often combine rice, pulses, potatoes and cereals. The kachupa is a good example. This stew is based on beans and simmers for several hours. From this base, many variations are made adding the desired meat and vegetables. Let's not forget that we are in an archipelago and that fish and seafood are the heart of the cuisine. Therefore, tuna, moray eel, octopus or shark are very often served. Finally, Cape Verdeans also have a specialty goat cheese flan made from artisanal cheese. This recipe is ideal to taste hot or cold. That's all for today. So, which fact did you like best? 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