{"id":285,"date":"2021-08-17T01:04:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T01:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/?page_id=285"},"modified":"2023-04-13T19:19:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-13T19:19:37","slug":"historia-de-cabo-verde","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/history-of-cape-verde\/","title":{"rendered":"History of Cape Verde"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"285\" class=\"elementor elementor-285\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5828926 e-container--column e-container\" data-id=\"5828926\" data-element_type=\"container\">\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-507114b elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"507114b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.7.1 - 14-08-2022 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-xl\">Cape Verde's historical landmarks <\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb008b8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cb008b8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.7.1 - 14-08-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<h3>Cape Verde from discovery to independence<\/h3><ul><li><strong>1460<\/strong>: the Cape Verde islands were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.governo.cv\/o-arquipelago\/historia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">discoveries<\/a> by Portuguese navigators.<\/li><li><strong>1462<\/strong>The settlement of Cape Verde began, with <a href=\"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/old-town\/\">Santiago<\/a> the first island to be populated.<\/li><li><strong>1869<\/strong>abolition of slavery in all Portuguese territories, including Cape Verde.<\/li><li><strong>1956, September 19th<\/strong>: Am\u00edlcar Cabral co-founded the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tchiweka.org\/documento-textual\/0016000054\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">African Independence Party<\/a> (PAI), later called the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), fighting against colonialism and beginning the road to independence.<\/li><li><strong>1962, March<\/strong>: start of <a href=\"https:\/\/paigc.gw\/historia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">armed struggle in Guinea Bissau<\/a> against the Portuguese occupation, with Cape Verdeans joining the fight.<\/li><li><strong>1973, January 20th<\/strong>: Am\u00edlcar Cabral assassinated in Conakry <a href=\"https:\/\/muse.jhu.edu\/article\/17219\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">by members of the PAIGC<\/a> in an alleged conspiracy set up by the Portuguese secret services.<\/li><li><strong>1974, December 19th<\/strong>An agreement was signed between the PAIGC and Portugal, establishing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.governo.cv\/o-arquipelago\/historia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">government<\/a> of transition in Cape Verde.<\/li><li><b>1975, June 30th<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/portais.parlamento.cv\/historia-an\/1974-VIIILegislatura.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People's National Assembly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (ANP), made up of 56 deputies. <\/span><\/li><\/ul><h3>\u00a0<\/h3><h3>Post-independence Cape Verde<\/h3><ul><li><strong>1975, July 5th<\/strong>: Cape Verde becomes an independent state. A <a href=\"https:\/\/portais.parlamento.cv\/constituicao\/historia.php\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">solemn proclamation of independence<\/a> of Cape Verde took place on 5\/07\/1975.<\/li><li><strong>1975, July 5th<\/strong>Aristides Pereira was elected as the first President of the Republic and Pedro Pires as the country's first head of government, under the then one-party regime. Aristides Pereira was re-elected president in 1981 and 1986.<\/li><li><strong>1977, March 16th<\/strong>: Cape Verde joins the Economic Community of West African States (<a href=\"https:\/\/ecowas.int\/sobre-a-cedeao\/?lang=pt-pt#:~:text=Cabo%20Verde%20aderiu%20%C3%A0%20uni%C3%A3o,ades%C3%A3o%20em%20agosto%20de%202017.\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ECOWAS<\/a>).<\/li><li><strong>1980, September 5th<\/strong>approval of <a href=\"https:\/\/portais.parlamento.cv\/constituicao\/arquivos\/CRCVConstitui%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20da%20Rep%C3%BAblica%20de%20Cabo%20Verde.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first Constitution of the Republic of Cape Verde<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li><li><p><b>1980, November 14th:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> military coup in Guinea-Bissau, led by then Prime Minister Jo\u00e3o Bernardo Vieira. Cape Verde abandons plans for unity with Guinea-Bissau.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><p><b style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif;\">1981<\/b><span style=\"background-color: transparent; color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif;\">PAIGC is replaced by the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), which becomes the only party in the country.<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><strong>1981<\/strong>PAIGC is replaced by the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), which becomes the only party in the country.<\/li><li><b>1990, January 25th<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pope John Paul II visited Cape Verde, starting on the island of Sal and moving on to the islands of Santiago and S\u00e3o Vicente, for the first time in the country's history. <\/span><\/li><li><strong>1990, September 28th<\/strong>the revision of the Constitution and the enshrinement of the constitutional transition, determining the end of the one-party regime and establishing the principle of separation and interdependence of powers.<\/li><li><strong>1991, January 13th<\/strong>The first free multi-party elections in Cape Verde have been held and the MpD led by Carlos Veiga won with around <a href=\"https:\/\/expressodasilhas.cv\/politica\/2021\/10\/09\/as-sete-eleicoes-presidenciais-de-cabo-verde\/76944\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">70% of the votes<\/a>.<\/li><li><strong>1991, February 17th<\/strong>Ant\u00f3nio Mascarenhas Monteiro, supported by the MpD, wins and becomes the first President of the Republic of Cape Verde elected in multi-party elections.<\/li><li><strong>1992, September 4th<\/strong>: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new Constitution of the Republic was promulgated, with significant changes such as the replacement of <a href=\"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/national-symbols-of-cape-verde\/\">national symbols<\/a>the reduction of the powers of the President of the Republic, and the principle of separation and interdependence of the legislative, executive and judicial powers. The new Constitution of the Republic came into force on September 25th of the same year.<\/span><\/li><li><strong>1995, April 2nd<\/strong>eruption of the Fogo volcano, lasting about a month, destroying hundreds of houses and crops.<\/li><li><strong>1996, February 18th<\/strong>Ant\u00f3nio Mascarenhas Monteiro is the only candidate and is re-elected President of the Republic in a non-competitive vote: only the \"For\" and \"Against\" options. In the parliamentary elections of the same year, the Movement for Democracy (MPD) wins the majority of seats.<\/li><li><strong>1996, July 17th<\/strong>: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cplp.org\/Default.aspx?ID=3869\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries<\/a> (CPLP), of which Cape Verde is a member.<\/li><\/ul><h3>\u00a0<\/h3><h3>Cape Verde in the New Millennium<\/h3><ul><li><strong>2001, February 25th<\/strong>: Pedro Pires is elected President of the Republic by the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), paving the way for the party's return to power.<\/li><li><strong>2006, January 22nd<\/strong>PAICV, led by Prime Minister Jos\u00e9 Maria das Neves, won the legislative elections.<\/li><li><b>2006, February 12th<\/b>: Pedro Pires is re-elected President of the Republic in a race against Carlos Veiga of the MPD.<\/li><li><strong>2007,December 18th<\/strong>: o <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wto.org\/english\/thewto_e\/acc_e\/a1_capvert_e.htm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">General Council<\/a> of the World Trade Organization (WTO) approves Cape Verde's accession to the organization.<\/li><li><strong>2007, December 21st<\/strong>Cape Verde leaves the list of Least Developed Countries after meeting the three criteria for elevation to the category of Medium Development Country: GDP per capita; human development index (HDI) and Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI).<\/li><li><strong>2008, January 1st<\/strong>Cape Verde officially joins the list of Medium Developed Countries, becoming only the second country in history to graduate from the Least Developed Country category, after Botswana in 1994.<\/li><li><strong>2008, July 23rd<\/strong>: Cape Verde has become the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wto.org\/english\/thewto_e\/countries_e\/cape_verde_e.htm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">153rd State<\/a> member of the World Trade Organization.<\/li><li>2011, February 6: PAICV wins the parliamentary elections and party leader Jos\u00e9 Maria Neves becomes the country's Prime Minister.<\/li><li><strong>2009<\/strong>: the Old City, formerly Ribeira Grande de Santiago and the first in Cape Verde, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/li><li><b>2011, February 6th<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: PAICV wins the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pt.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elei%C3%A7%C3%B5es_parlamentares_de_Cabo_Verde_de_2011\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">parliamentary elections<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the party's leader, Jos\u00e9 Maria Neves, became the country's Prime Minister.<\/span><\/li><li><strong style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: 1rem;\">2011, August 22nd<\/strong><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); font-size: 1rem;\">: MpD's Jorge Carlos Fonseca elected President of the Republic<\/span><\/li><li><strong>2011, December 17th<\/strong>: Ces\u00e1ria \u00c9vora, Cape Verdean singer of great renown, dies. Two days of mourning have been declared in honor of the queen of Cape Verdean morna.<\/li><li><b>2013, October 24th<\/b><b>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cape Verde asks <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/en\/about-us\/member-states\/cabo-verde\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United Nations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that its name not be translated into \"Cape Verde\", keeping the official name in Portuguese.<\/span><\/li><li><strong>2014, November 23rd<\/strong>The Fogo volcano erupted after 19 years of lying dormant, causing a great deal of material destruction. Volcanic activity ceased on February 8th, after <a href=\"https:\/\/periodicoseletronicos.ufma.br\/index.php\/rpcsoc\/article\/view\/5140\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">77 days of eruption<\/a>with the destruction of the towns of Portela, Bangaeira and Ilh\u00e9u de Losna.<\/li><li><strong>2016, October 2nd<\/strong>: MPD's Jorge Carlos Fonseca re-elected President of the Republic<\/li><li><strong>2016, March 20th<\/strong>Movement for Democracy (MpD) wins the parliamentary elections, and leader Ulisses Correia e Silva becomes Prime Minister of Cape Verde.<\/li><li><p><b>2020, March 28th<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: President of the Republic Jorge Carlos Fonseca declared a state of emergency in Cape Verde due to the coronavirus epidemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/li><li><strong>2021, April 18th<\/strong>The MpD, led by Ulisses Correia e Silva, wins the parliamentary elections and he remains Prime Minister.<\/li><li><strong>2021, October 17th<\/strong>: Jos\u00e9 Maria Neves of the PAICV is President of the Republic in the first round, with 51% of the votes.<\/li><\/ul><div>\u00a0<\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e703389 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"e703389\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">History of Cape Verde through the Ages<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b02be05 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b02be05\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>The Discovery of Cape Verde<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The discovery of Cape Verde is the subject of debate among authors. For a long time it was believed that the archipelago had been discovered by the Genoese merchant Lu\u00eds Cadamosto. However, research carried out in the 19th century showed that Cadamosto did not discover any of the islands in the archipelago.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conclusion that Cadamosto did not discover Cape Verde came from the contradictions and inconsistencies in his accounts. For example, the Genoese reported that on the island of Santiago he \"found a river of fresh water - a large river into which a seventy-five ton ship could enter at will; along this river his men found small lagoons of very white and beautiful salt (...)\". However, neither on the island of Santiago nor on any other island in Cape Verde is there a collection of water with these characteristics.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other contradictions in Cadamosto's narrative can be read in the work <a href=\"http:\/\/www.portaldoconhecimento.gov.cv\/bitstream\/10961\/2252\/1\/Cadernos%20Coloniais%20-%20Origens%20da%20Coloniza%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20de%20Cabo%20Verde%20por%20Sim%C3%A3o%20Barros.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Origins of the Cape Verde Colony<\/a>by Sim\u00e3o Barros.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cape Verde was discovered in 1460 by the Portuguese navigator Diogo Gomes and the Genoese Ant\u00f3nio da Noli, while in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prince Henry, the navigator<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Sotavento islands were probably the first islands in the archipelago to be discovered. Santiago, Maio and Fogo were discovered on May 1, 1460. Boavista was discovered on May 3rd of the same year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exact date of the discovery of the other islands is not known for sure, but it is believed to have been between May 1460 and 1462, since the letter of donation issued by Dom Afonso V on September 19, 1462, in Portugal, already mentions all the islands.<\/span><\/p><h3>\u00a0<\/h3><h3>Cape Verde and pre-discovery issues<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another question of historical debate is whether the islands were already inhabited when the navigators discovered them.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some historians argue that Cape Verde was occupied by Mauritanian Berbers before the Portuguese arrived. This theory is based on the fact that drawings and rock inscriptions have been found on the islands of Santo Ant\u00e3o and S\u00e3o Nicolau that represent characters from runic or Phoenician writing, for some, and Berber for others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those who claim that the Portuguese were the first to set foot on Cape Verde argue that the animal and plant poverty of the archipelago would not allow man to survive, which only became possible after the introduction of plants and animals to the islands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From the above, it can be concluded that the Cape Verde islands were uninhabited when they were discovered, but had at least been visited before by the Mauritanian Berbers. However, they did not settle there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3>The settlement of Cape Verde<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the islands of Cape Verde were not inhabited when they were discovered by Portuguese navigators, it was necessary to settle them. The settlement of Cape Verde can be characterized, according to pace and importance, as follows <\/span><b>five distinct periods<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><h4>Cape Verde's first settlement period<\/h4><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It lasted from 1461, when the first settlers arrived, until 1495, when the islands were returned to the crown.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the discovery, Dom Afonso V donated the islands to Infante Dom Fernando, who soon began the process of colonization. Dom Fernando sent the Genoese Ant\u00f3nio da Noli, one of the discoverers, as captain-donee to the island of Santiago. He had in his company some of Dom Fernando's servants and some Algarvian couples, who would have been the first settlers of Cape Verde.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the aridity of the soil and climate, Ant\u00f3nio da Noli decided to bring enslaved blacks from the African continent to work in agriculture. From Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, couples of jalofos, felupes, papeles and balantas were brought, which gave rise to the first black Cape Verdeans.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the characteristics of the islands were not very attractive to Portuguese settlers, which made Ant\u00f3nio da Noli's task more difficult. In order to attract settlers to the archipelago, King Afonso V, in 1466, granted all those who settled in Cape Verde the exclusive trade and ransom of slaves from Guinea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">King Afonso V's strategy had an effect. A stream of migrants in search of fortune headed for Cape Verde. As a result, the transportation of goods and enslaved blacks was established between the port of Ribeira Grande and Africa. Thus came the first stable settlement in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/old-town\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ribeira Grande<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Dom Fernando died, the islands passed to his brother D. Manuel. He divided the island of Santiago into two captaincies. The northern captaincy was given to Diogo Afonso and began to develop around the settlement of Alcatraz (Praia Baixo). The southern one, where Ribeira Grande is located, was given to Jorge Correia. Colonization continued apace, with the introduction of domestic animals, sugar cane, cotton and fruit trees.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the 15th century, the settlement of the island of Fogo began, with servants of Infante D. Fernando and blacks from Santiago. The population of the islands began to increase rapidly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The islands of Maio and Boavista were not granted to grantees for settlement during this period. Instead, they were set aside for the breeding of domestic animals. This activity would become one of the colony's biggest sources of income.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the first period, the Portuguese crown intervened little in the colonization process.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><h4>Second period of the settlement of Cape Verde<\/h4><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It lasted from 1495, when the islands were returned to the crown, until the Philippine usurpation in 1580.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the second period, as the islands returned to the Portuguese crown, the system of leasing the rights to the archipelago began, with great powers being granted to the lessees.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A new phase in the economic, social and population development of the islands began.  There was a considerable increase in population. The tenants attracted foreign trade. Ribeira Grande became an important and populous commercial center. The prosperity and wealth of Ribeira Grande began to attract the greed of foreigners, which would later result in the town being plundered.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, the northern captaincy - the settlement of Alcatraz - began to decline and was suppressed in 1505. This resulted in the rapid development of the port settlement of Praia de Santa Maria, the current capital.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the arrival of the 15th century, the crown began to worry about the settlement of the other islands. In order to attract settlers to the then uninhabited islands, the monarchs granted the same privileges as the inhabitants of Santiago and Fogo. In other words, they enjoyed the same commercial benefits in Guinea.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The island of S\u00e3o Nicolau was donated to the counts of Portalegre, who introduced many slaves there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The islands of Maio and Boavista, important for their role in cattle breeding, began to require people to look after the animals. At that time, the production of butter and salted meat (chacina) and leather production developed greatly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first mestizos appeared during this period, as a result of the settlers and the black women brought from Africa.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As in the previous period, settlement during the second period was limited to the coastal areas. There was, however, an attempt at centralization. Until then, each island represented a captaincy. From 1530 onwards, the archipelago was governed by captains-general residing in Santiago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><h4>Third period of the settlement of Cape Verde<\/h4><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It lasted from 1580 to the Restoration.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The colony lived in a constant state of unrest due to the lack of security. Ribeira Grande suffered several pillages, the most important of which were those of the English in 1582 and 1595.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The attacks also took place on the high seas, which greatly damaged trade in the territories of Guinea, which were the main attraction for the colonists. To protect their property, many returned to Portugal. White colonization decreased considerably.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the other hand, the pirate attacks contributed to the settlement of the interior of the island of Santiago. The blacks who still lived on the coast, under the threat of pirate attacks, fled inland, hiding in the mountains until it was safe to return to their old homes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the pirate looting, Ribeira Grande continued to grow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1596 the island of Santo Ant\u00e3o was donated to the Count of Santa Cruz. The regular settlement of Santo Ant\u00e3o began, with the introduction of a large number of slaves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To the islands of Maio and Boavista, which were not seen as agricultural islands, shepherds and hunters were sent to work with the cattle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1592, the archipelago of Cape Verde became a general government.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><h4>Fourth period of the settlement of Cape Verde<\/h4><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It took place from 1640 until the archipelago's capital moved to the city of Praia in 1769.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The islands are experiencing a period of peace. Dom Jo\u00e3o IV orders forts to be built and armed to prevent further pirate attacks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further attempts by the crown to recapture emigration to the islands failed. The settlers preferred Brazil. As an alternative, they sent \"convicts\" to supply white colonization. The importation of black slaves continued, but with less intensity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ribeira Grande began to fall into decay. Many inhabitants had abandoned the town. Trade moved to the town of Praia. The idea of moving the capital to Praia, which had emerged at the end of the 16th century, began to materialize.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On February 6, 1652, King Jo\u00e3o IV decreed a series of measures to speed up the process of changing the capital. These included: fortifying the town; having the bishop and governor live there; rebuilding the decayed houses; centralizing the dispatch of cargo at the port of Praia, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exodus from Ribeira Grande accentuated its decline. In 1712, French privateers under the command of Jacques Cassard plundered much of its wealth.  In 1763, a great flood killed many people and destroyed much of the housing and buildings. The ships that used to dock there stopped coming to the port.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the capital was only transferred from Ribeira Grande to Santiago in 1770, after the Marquis of Pombal decreed the move. In that year, the population of Cape Verde was estimated at 80,000.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1732, the villages of Ribeira da Brava, in S\u00e3o Nicolau, and Ribeira Grande, in Santo Ant\u00e3o, were elevated to the category of towns, with the establishment of town halls and other authorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><ul><li><h4>Fifth period of the settlement of Cape Verde<\/h4><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It took place from 1769.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The move of the capital instilled a new dynamic in the archipelago. The other islands were also taken care of.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1781, orders were given to populate the uninhabited islands with inhabitants from the other islands. In an attempt to populate S\u00e3o Vicente, in 1795 the government ordered 20 couples from Fogo to move to S\u00e3o Vicente in order to start settling the island. A small settlement was formed on the west coast of the island, which would later become the city of Mindelo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The settlement of Santa Luzia began in 1801, when settlers and a priest were sent to the island. However, the island's adverse weather conditions were not conducive to settlement and the settlers ended up abandoning the island.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the island of Sal, settlement began around Portinho, now the port of Santa Maria. Other settlements sprang up in the interior of the island, giving rise to Pedra de Lume and Palmeira.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1858, the town of Praia was elevated to city status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">White colonization continued to be based on \"convicts\" who were sent to the islands to serve time. Black emigration continued at a slower pace, and only came to a halt after the slave trade ended.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3>Cape Verde under Portuguese colonial rule<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The archipelago of Cape Verde remained under Portuguese colonial rule for around 500 years, from 1462 when settlement of the islands began until independence in 1975.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Economic exploitation was one of the pillars of Portuguese colonial rule in Cape Verde. The islands were used as a trading post for African slaves, who were transported to the Americas to work on the sugar cane plantations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The archipelago faced many challenges under colonial rule. Among them were several droughts, which caused deaths of tens of thousands of inhabitants. The drought of 1770, which wiped out around 32,000 inhabitants, and the drought of 1831, which killed around 30,000 inhabitants, stand out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, epidemics did not spare the population, including cholera in 1856, which decimated entire villages on S\u00e3o Nicolau and did not spare other islands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second half of the 19th century was particularly challenging. The 1840s saw the sharp decline of the transatlantic slave trade. The end of the slave trade meant that the archipelago lost its strategic importance for the metropolis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portugal failed to provide sufficient supplies and materials to the inhabitants of Cape Verde. The islands' inability to produce enough food for their population, coupled with the lack of sanitary infrastructure and access to adequate medical care, contributed to the high mortality rates due to infectious diseases and droughts.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The colonial yoke and the consequent social inequalities gave rise to several <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teses.usp.br\/teses\/disponiveis\/8\/8138\/tde-04022011-093931\/publico\/2010_EduardoAdilsonCamiloPereira.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">revolts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These include the Revolt of the Sugar Mills (1822), the Revolt of Achada Falc\u00e3o (1841) and the Revolt of Ribeir\u00e3o Manuel (1910).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the difficulties, the archipelago's population continued to grow, to the point where demographic growth no longer required the introduction of immigrants. The migratory movement reversed the flow. In other words, Cape Verdeans began to emigrate elsewhere in search of better conditions. Emigration by American whalers in the 19th century is one of the main migratory movements in the history of the islands.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The adventurous nature of Cape Verdeans is still latent in the population today, partly due to the limitations of the archipelago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3>Cape Verde in the struggle for independence\u00a0<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the colonial period, Cape Verdeans faced various difficulties, including the enslavement of many of their citizens and political and economic oppression by the Portuguese authorities. The difficulties of settlement, revolts against colonial rule and the strengthening of a Cape Verdean identity led to the emergence of the nationalist liberation movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cape Verde's independence, however, was not to come immediately. Rather, it was a gradual process that involved the struggle for political liberation and the affirmation of national identity.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An important milestone in Cape Verde's independence process was the creation of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) in 1956 by Am\u00edlcar Cabral, the son of Cape Verdeans living in Guinea Bissau. The party's aim was to unify the Portuguese colonies of Guinea and Cape Verde and fight for their independence. Cabral argued that this would allow Cape Verde to fight for its own independence and prevent the colony from remaining under Portuguese control.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The party's initial strategy was to call for the peaceful withdrawal of Portuguese troops from the colony of Guinea. As this peaceful route was unsuccessful, the PAIGC changed tactics and began to use more violent measures to achieve independence. The armed struggle against the Portuguese occupation began in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/paigc.gw\/historia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">March 1962<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when the PAIGC launched its first guerrilla campaign in Guinea-Bissau.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the following years, the struggle for independence intensified, with the PAIGC increasing its presence in Cape Verde and mobilizing the people with a view to the ideals of freedom. However, at no time did armed struggle take place in Cape Verde. Some scholars argue that the absence of armed conflict in Cape Verde contributed to the country's later success in establishing a democratic regime.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On January 13, 1973, Am\u00edlcar Cabral was assassinated in Conakry. Despite his death, the ideals of struggle and independence remained. Guinea's independence was declared unilaterally on September 24, 1973.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1974, the Carnation Revolution in Portugal paved the way for independence for the islands. The party's demands for independence and the widespread unrest forced the previously reluctant Portuguese government to negotiate the terms of Cape Verde's independence. On December 19, 1974, an agreement was signed between the PAIGC and Portugal. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.governo.cv\/o-arquipelago\/historia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">government <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of transition in Cape Verde.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The transitional government prepared the elections for a People's National Assembly which in <\/span><b>July 5, 1975 officially proclaimed Cape Verde's independence<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Aristides Pereira is elected as the first President of the Republic and Pedro Pires as the country's first head of government, in the then one-party regime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><h3>Cape Verde after independence\u00a0<\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After independence, Cape Verde held national elections that elected a national assembly on June 30, 1975. Due to its geographical position as an island state in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the national assembly declared the country neutral in the Cold War. Cape Verde maintained good relations with both the US and the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War, avoiding any foreign military presence as an affirmation of its neutrality.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the coup d'\u00e9tat in Guinea Bissau in 1980, Cape Verde abandoned plans for unity with Guinea Bissau. The PAIGC was replaced by the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), which then became Cape Verde's only party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parliamentary elections continued and Aristides Pereira was re-elected President of the Republic in 1981 and 1986. After these last elections, pressure grew for multi-party elections.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In January 1991, the first multi-party parliamentary elections were held in Cape Verde. The Movement for Democracy (MpD), made up partly of dissidents from the PAICV, won the elections and obtained a majority in parliament. Carlos Veiga was elected prime minister by parliament and, later that year, the MpD-backed candidate, Ant\u00f3nio Mascarenhas Monteiro, won the presidential elections. Since then, multiparty elections have been held, with a peaceful transfer of power.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of foreign policy, Cape Verde has maintained friendly relations with a number of countries, including Portugal, Brazil, the United States and several African countries. The country has also been an active advocate of regional integration in West Africa and has worked closely with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independence was not the solution to all of Cape Verde's problems. The country faces many challenges, including a shortage of natural resources, an arid climate and an economy still dependent on foreign aid. However, the country's political stability has helped create an environment conducive to economic development.<\/span><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; text-align: var(--text-align); font-size: 1rem;\">s economic growth. From the 1990s onwards, Cape Verde began to experience steady economic growth, driven by tourism and the service industry.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In short, since its independence in 1975, Cape Verde has come a long way, despite the challenges. From a small archipelago in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the country has become a stable democracy and an example of economic success in Africa. Cape Verde continues to face challenges, it is true, but its success story is a testament to the human potential and resilience of the Cape Verdean people.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cape Verde's milestones Cape Verde from discovery to independence 1460: the Cape Verde islands were discovered by Portuguese navigators. 1462: The settlement of Cape Verde began, with Santiago being the first island to be populated. 1869: Slavery was abolished in all Portuguese territories, including Cape Verde. 1956, September 19: Am\u00edlcar Cabral [...]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-285","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285"}],"version-history":[{"count":97,"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4803,"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/285\/revisions\/4803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/feelcaboverde.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}