History of Cape Verde
Discovery and Settlement (1456–1600)
Cape Verde was uninhabited when Portuguese sailors discovered it in 1456 — or rediscovered it, as Arab and West African sailors might have already known the islands. The Portuguese crown quickly recognized their strategic value: The islands were perfectly situated on the trade route between Europe, Africa, and America.
Santiago was settled from 1462 onwards — initially with Portuguese settlers and convicts, soon with abducted people from West Africa. Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha) became the hub of the transatlantic slave trade: Here, abducted Africans were "acclimatized," forcibly baptized, and resold — to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the American colonies. The town became prosperous and even received a bishopric in 1533.
Creolization and Colonial Era (1600–1975)
From the forced coexistence of Portuguese and Africans, something new emerged: the Creole culture of Cape Verde. The Portuguese language mixed with West African languages to form Kriolu, African rhythms fused with Portuguese melodies to create Morna, and the cuisine combined European and African elements. The Mestiço population (mixed African-European) soon became the majority.
The colonial era was marked by droughts, famines, and neglect. Portugal invested little in the islands, and regular drought disasters claimed tens of thousands of lives. The worst famines: 1773–1776 (over 40% of the population died), 1830–1833, and 1941–1943 (an estimated 30,000 dead, while Portugal looked on). These traumas drove waves of emigration — primarily to the USA, Portugal, and West Africa. To this day, more Cape Verdeans live in the diaspora than on the islands themselves.
Independence and Democracy (1975–present)
Resistance against Portuguese colonial rule was organized under Amílcar Cabral (1924–1973), one of Africa's most brilliant independence fighters. Cabral, born in Guinea-Bissau and raised in Cape Verde, founded the PAIGC (African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde) and led the liberation war in Guinea-Bissau. He was assassinated in 1973, not living to see independence.
On July 5, 1975, Cape Verde became independent — following the Carnation Revolution in Portugal a year earlier. The first years under the one-party rule of the PAICV were marked by reconstruction and stabilization. In 1991, the first free elections took place — a milestone for all of Africa. Since then, the country has been considered Africa's most stable democracy, with regular peaceful transitions of power, press freedom, and a functioning rule of law.
