Geography · map of the islands
Where is Cape Verde?
Cape Verde is an archipelago of ten volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean, off West Africa, about 570 km from the coast of Senegal. It lies at the same latitude as the Caribbean. Boa Vista is the island closest to Africa.
- Where
- Atlantic Ocean, West Africa
- Islands
- 10, 9 of them inhabited
- Capital
- Praia, on Santiago
- Population
- about 490,000
- Area
- 4,033 km²
- Language
- Portuguese and Creole
- Currency
- escudo (€1 = 110.265)
- Time zone
- UTC−1, all year round
The islands
The islands of Cape Verde
The ten islands are split into two groups, depending on how the north-east trade wind hits them.
Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia (uninhabited), São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista.
Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava. Santiago is home to the capital, Praia; Fogo has the highest volcano, Pico do Fogo, 2,829 metres.
Sal, Boa Vista and Maio are flat, with long white sandy beaches and dunes. The others are mountainous and greener, loved by hikers.
Boa Vista, the island of beaches
Boa Vista is the third-largest island and the most easterly, so the closest to Africa. It has more than 50 km of beaches, dunes that look like the Sahara, an international airport and a small main town, Sal Rei.
Why it is called Cape Verde
The name comes from Cap-Vert, the peninsula in Senegal where Dakar stands, the westernmost point of mainland Africa: the islands lie “off Cape Verde”. In Portuguese the country is called Cabo Verde. It has been independent from Portugal since 5 July 1975.
A little geology
Islands of very different ages
The islands lie between 14° and 18° north. The flat islands such as Boa Vista and Sal are the oldest: they formed millions of years ago and wind and sea have levelled them. Fogo and Brava are the youngest, and the Fogo volcano is still active: its last eruption was in 2014–2015.
Questions about where Cape Verde is
Where is Cape Verde located?
In the Atlantic Ocean, off West Africa: about 570 km west of Senegal, between 14° and 18° north, at the same latitude as the Caribbean.
Is Cape Verde in Africa?
Yes: it is an African state, an independent archipelago off Senegal. In climate and landscape, though, it feels more like the Atlantic islands than mainland Africa.
How many islands does Cape Verde have?
Ten main islands, nine of them inhabited (Santa Luzia is uninhabited), plus a few islets.
What is the capital of Cape Verde?
Praia, on the island of Santiago. The main town of Boa Vista is Sal Rei.
What language is spoken in Cape Verde?
The official language is Portuguese, but in everyday life people speak Cape Verdean Creole (Kriolu).
What time zone is Cape Verde in?
UTC−1, the same on all islands and all year round: there is no daylight saving time.