Every Day Is Special: July 5 - Independence Day in Cape Verde

July 5 - Independence Day in Cape Verde

Posted on July 5, 2019

10 volcanic islands.

350 miles off the coast of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean.

(That translates to roughly 570 km.)

0 population until 1456, when Portuguese navigators first discovered the islands.

#1 permanent settlement by Europeans within the tropics.

1000s and 1000s of enslaved people passing through from Africa to the Americas.

7 different times Cidade Velho (then called Ribiera Grande) was destroyed by pirates - including twice by Sir Francis Drake. (Yes, Drake was a pirate. We usually call him a privateer, but basically privateering is the same thing as piracy, except with governmental backing.)

24 years of increasing pressure for independence from Portugal before achieving it.

1 year between the April 1974 Revolution in Portugal and Cape Verde achieving independence!

Here are some photos of the islands of Cape Verde:

Sal