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Cape Verde Facts & Worksheets

Cape Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an African island country located in the central Atlantic Ocean.

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Cape Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an African island country located in the central Atlantic Ocean. The country comprises a group of islands that lie 385 miles off the west coast of Africa. It is known for its warm tropical climate, volcanic islands, wonderful musicians, and delicious cuisine.

See the fact file below for more information on the Cape Verde or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Cape Verde worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GENERAL FACTS

  • Cabo Verde means “green cape” in Portuguese.
  • It is named for the westernmost cape of Africa, which is located in Senegal and is the nearest point on the continent.
  • The English translation Cape Verde was officially changed back to Cabo Verde in 2013.
  • Praia is the capital of Cape Verde.
  • It is located on Santiago, the largest and most populous island of Cabo Verde.
  • It is also the port city where agricultural products such as bananas, coffee, sugarcane, and castor beans are shipped.
  • The country is made up of ten islands and five islets.
  • The islands, in order of size, are Santiago, Santo Antāo, Boa Vista, Fogo, Sāo Nicolau, Maio, Sāo Vicente, Sal, Brava, and Santa Luiza.
  • Sal is the most popular for tourists for its beaches.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

  • Cape Verde is an archipelago divided into two island groups.
  • The Barlavento (Windward) group to the north include Santo Antāo, Sāo Vicente, Santa Luzia (uninhabited), Sāo Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista.
  • The Sotavento (Leeward) group to the south include Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava.
  • The terrain of Cabo Verde consists of the flatter islands in the west and the more mountainous islands in the east.
  • The country experiences a two-season climate caused by the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), which is a belt of converging winds and rising air circling Earth near the Equator.
  • February is the coolest month, while August and September are the hottest and wettest months.
  • Cape Verde, specifically Ervatāo Beach on the southeast coast of Boa Vista, is the third largest nesting site for loggerhead turtles.
  • It also has many volcanoes, the highest of which can be found on the island of Fogo, Pico do Fogo at 2,829 meters.

HISTORY

  • It is believed that the islands of Cape Verde were uninhabited until they were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century.
  • It became a source of slaves, ivory, and gold in exchange for cheap manufactures of firearms, rum, and cloth.
  • In 1960, many Cape Verdeans joined the liberation war against Portuguese rule in Guinea-Bissau, led by the African Party for Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
  • Full independence was achieved on July 5, 1975, with PAIGC secretary-general, Aristides Pereira, and military commander, Pedro Pires, as first president and prime minister, respectively.
  • In 1992, a new constitution brought in a multi-party system with the establishment of a second party, the Movement for Democracy.
  • In the last decade of the 20th century, the island country experienced poverty and high rates of unemployment despite the government reaching its economic goals.
  • At the beginning of the 21st century, Cape Verde continued to pursue political and economic relationships around the globe, maintaining diplomatic ties in the international community.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

  • The combined land area of the 10 islands is 4,033km2, with only more than half a million of population as of 2015, the majority of which is in Santiago.
  • The population is of mixed European and African descent, which is referred to as mestizo or Crioulo.
  • An African minority includes the Fulani, Balante, and Mandyako peoples.
  • A small population of European origin consists of those of Portuguese, Italian, French, and English descent.
  • A substantial number of Sephardic Jews are also included.
  • Portuguese is the official language in Cape Verde; however, more widely spoken is Crioulo, which is one of the oldest Portuguese creole languages.
  • Most people practice Roman Catholicism enriched with African elements.
  • Five centuries of Portuguese colonial culture and traditions from Africa are blended in the country’s cultural life.
  • Oral narratives known as Nho Lobo tales have their counterparts in western African folklore.
  • Batuko is an African musical tradition revived as a genre that features polyrhythm and call and response, performed by a group of women.
  • Between 1936 and 1960, Claridade (Clarity) was a cultural magazine that became the hallmark of Cabo Verdean identity from the Portuguese literary traditions.
  • Some of the key literary figures at this time were Baltasar Lopes da Silva and Eugenio Tavares.

LANDMARKS

  • Natural landmarks in Cape Verde include:
    • Rodela dragon tree in Brava with old, large dragon trees in the center of the picturesque village with cobblestone streets.
    • Neve Canyon and Neve Falls in Sāo Vicente, a 260-m tall waterfall with a narrow sliding down vertical cliff.
    • Pedra de Lume saltworks in Sal, an evaporated lake at the bottom of a volcanic crater.
  • Man-made landmarks in Cape Verde are:
    • Cidade Velha in Santiago, the oldest settlement in Cabo Verde.
    • Nova Sintra in Brava, a town with well-preserved historical architecture and cobblestone streets.
    • Plateau of Praia in Santiago, the old city of Praia with old building tracing back from the first half of the 19th century.
    • Sāo Filipe in Fogo, a historical town with beautiful colonial architecture and gardens.
  • Historic churches include:
    • Nossa Senhora da Luz church in Vila do Maio, built in 1872.
    • Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church in Santiago, the world’s oldest colonial church constructed in 1495 in Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) style.
  • Other architectural monuments worth visiting are:
    • Palácio do Povo in Sāo Vicente, a gorgeous administrative building constructed in colonial style.
    • Royal Fortress of Sāo Filipe in Santiago, the oldest and most important fort in Cabo Verde, built from 1587 to 1593.

Cape Verde Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Cape Verde across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Cape Verde worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Cape Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, which is an African island country located in the central Atlantic Ocean. The country comprises a group of islands that lie 385 miles off the west coast of Africa. It is known for its warm tropical climate, volcanic islands, wonderful musicians, and delicious cuisine.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Cape Verde Facts
  • Geography Keywords
  • Natural or Man-made?
  • Island Names
  • Major Events
  • Culture Truths
  • Structure Match
  • Curious About Cape Verde
  • Fill in the Blanks
  • Dream Vacation
  • New Flag Design

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Link will appear as Cape Verde Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 17, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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