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Cape Verde People and their Language

Cape Verde was first discovered in 1460 by Antonio Da Noli, a Genoan merchant, working as a Portuguese explorer. At the time it was uninhabited. In 1495 the islands were claimed by the Portuguese empire. It is situated between 4 continents, Africa, Europe, North America and South America, only 3 hours from Brazil and 4 hours from mainland Europe.

In the 19th Century, the islands became a prosperous centre for the slave trade, but suffered a decline when the trade was abolished in 1876. Through the 20th century, Cape Verde was used as a shipping port. The positioning of the islands was central on the great trade routes between Europe, Africa and the New World.

Today the Cape Verde islands are experiencing a growth in tourism which ofers a valued revenue for the local people, and you can expect a warm welcome.

The Cape Verde people are unique, being a cultural mix Senegal, Brazil and Portugal. This combination is most obvious in the ever-present Cape Verde music; a scintillating hip-swinging fusion of Samba and Salsa sprinkled with tribal African.

The official language of the islands is Portuguese, which is widely spoken and used in newspapers and anything that is written. However, the national language used daily by the locals is Creole, based on African languages but with additions from several European languages. Even this can differ from island to island. More recently English has been taught as a foreign language in schools.

The religion of the islands is largely Christian, with most people being Catholic.