General information:
Embaixada de Cabo Verde
www.embcv.org.br
embcvbrasil@embcv.org.br
Endereço: SHIS QL 16, Conjunto 5, Casa 10 – Lago Sul
Brasília – DFCEP: 71640-255
Tel.: (61) 3248-0543
Fax: (61) 3364-4059
Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an archipelago
and island country in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with
a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometers. These islands lie between 600
and 850 kilometres (320 and 460 nautical miles) west of Cap-Vert, the westernmost
point of continental Africa. The Cape Verde islands form part of the Macaronesia
ecoregion, along with the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Savage Isles.
The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the 15th century, when Portuguese
explorers discovered and colonized the islands, thus establishing the first European
settlement in the tropics. Because the Cape Verde islands were located in a convenient
location to play a role in the Atlantic slave trade, Cape Verde became economically
prosperous during the 16th and 17th centuries, attracting merchants, privateers, and
pirates. It declined economically in the 19th century after the suppression of the Atlantic
slave trade, and many of its inhabitants emigrated during that period. However, Cape
Verde gradually recovered economically by becoming an important commercial center
and useful stopover point along major shipping routes. In 1951, Cape Verde was
incorporated as an overseas department of Portugal, but its inhabitants continued to
campaign for independence, which they achieved in 1975.
Since the early 1990s, Cape Verde has been a stable representative democracy and
has remained one of the most developed and democratic countries in Africa. Lacking
natural resources, its developing economy is mostly service-oriented, with a growing
focus on tourism and foreign investment. Its population of around 483,628 (as of the
2021 Census) is mostly of mixed African and European heritage, and predominantly
Roman Catholic, reflecting the legacy of Portuguese rule. A sizeable Cape Verdean
diaspora community exists across the world, especially in the United States and
Portugal, considerably outnumbering the inhabitants on the islands. Cape Verde is a
member state of the African Union.
Cape Verde’s official language is Portuguese. It is the language of instruction and
government. It is also used in newspapers, television, and radio. The recognized
national language is Cape Verdean Creole, which is spoken by the vast majority of the population.
