The Republic of Cape Verde is a group of 14 volcanic islands in the Atlanticocean. It has a total area of 4,030 km2. The climate is temperate; warm and dry with summerrain very erratic. The terrain is steep, rugged, rocky and volcanic. Natural resources are salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin and fish. The religion is Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs. The official language is Portuguese and Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African also spoken. Cape Verde was first settled during the 15th century by the Portugese who trasnported in black slaves from West Africa. In 1975 Cape Verde achieved independence from Portugal and planned a union with Guinea-Bissau. That union was abandoned in 1981 and in 1992 a new constitution was adopted in Cape Verde. Research Cape Verde
Abbreviations
Gazetteer
Research Cape Verde