Republic of Cabo Verde
Western Africa
Creole · Breezy · Musical
Cabo Verde (officially Republic of Cabo Verde) is a country located in Western Africa. Its capital city is Praia, with other major cities including Mindelo and Santa Maria. With a population of approximately 560,000, the main languages spoken are Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole. The country covers an area of 4,033 km². The official currency is the Cape Verdean escudo (Esc). Traffic drives on the right side.
Cabo Verde produces the genre of music called morna — a melancholic, soulful style popularised internationally by singer Cesária Évora, who performed barefoot as a symbol of solidarity with the poor.
Praia serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Cabo Verde, positioned in Western Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Mindelo, Santa Maria — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Praia on Santiago Island is Cabo Verde's capital and largest city, a compact Atlantic city where the plateau (Plateau neighbourhood) preserves Portuguese colonial architecture above the market town below — a small capital in one of Africa's most stable democracies, regularly ranking at the top of African governance indices despite having no natural resources beyond wind and sea.
With a population of approximately 560,000, Cabo Verde is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Cabo Verde is reached via the dialling code +238. Cabo Verdeans developed a Creole culture from the forced mixing of Portuguese colonisers and enslaved Africans from across West Africa — producing a Kriolu language, the morna music tradition (a melancholic genre Cesária Évora brought to global audiences), and a diasporic consciousness that sees more Cabo Verdeans living abroad in Portugal, the US, and the Netherlands than on the islands themselves.
Cabo Verde spans 4,033 km², in the Western Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 16.5°N, 23.0°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.
The official currency is the Cape Verdean escudo (Esc), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Cabo Verde's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC-01:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Cabo Verde's national identity. Football is the dominant sporting passion, with Cabo Verde's national team qualifying for multiple Africa Cup of Nations competitions despite the country's tiny population — a success achieved partly through the dual citizenship rules that allow Cabo Verdean diaspora players born in Europe to represent the islands, effectively giving a country of 560,000 access to a talent pool of millions.
The highest point in Cabo Verde is Pico do Fogo, rising to 2,829 metres above sea level. Pico do Fogo on Fogo Island is one of the Atlantic's most active volcanoes, erupting as recently as 2014 when lava flows destroyed two villages on the crater's inner slopes — a 2,829-metre peak visible from 100 kilometres at sea, surrounded by vineyards producing unique wines from vines planted in volcanic ash that have survived multiple eruption cycles.