Geography and Climate of the Cape Verde Islands

The Cape Verde archipelago is situated 450km from the West coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. Its closest neighbour is Senegal. Cape Verde is two hours flight south of the Canary Islands. A direct flight from the UK takes about five and a half hours.

To the West of Cape Verde are miles and miles of Atlantic Ocean, separating the islands from the Americas. Please see below a World map with the location of the Cape Verde islands:

The official name for Cape Verde is República de Cabo Verde (Republic of Cape Verde). The capital of Cape Verde is Praia, which is situated on the southern end of Santiago island.

The Population of Cape Verde is approximately 450,000. The main religions are Roman Catholic and Protestant.

The official language is Portuguese, but most of the Cape Verdeans speak Criuolo, an Afro- Portuguese dialect. Many of the locals speak good Italian due to historic tourism from Italy. Recently due to British and Irish interest in the islands, many Cape Verdeans have learned to communicate in English, although this is limited to the main tourist areas.

The currency in Cape Verde is the Cape Verde Escudo which is linked to the Euro at a fixed rate of 1 Euro equals 110.265 Escudos.

The economy in Cape Verde is based on fishing, tourism, agriculture, salt mining and more recently the property industry.

There are 10 islands and 5 islets. Three of the islands in the Cape Verde archipelago are uninhabited. The main islands are Sal, Boa Vista, Sao Vicente, Santiago, Maio, Santo Antao, Sao Nicolao, Fogo and Brava.

Please see below a map of the Cape Verde islands:

The weather is very consistent all year round. The climate in Cape Verde is typically hot, dry and fairly windy. Individual islands do have variations to this standard climate.

The islands of Sal, Boa Vista and Maio on the eastern edge of Cape Verde are mainly dry, flat and have spectacular beaches. As you go further West, the islands become greener and much more mountainous. The islands of Santo Antao, Fogo and Brava are very tall and have a significantly more humid climate.

There is an average of 10-12 hours of sunshine per day, except in the humid season, where the average is 6-7 hours. The ‘dry season’ officially runs from November through to July and the ‘humid season’ from August to October, though little rain may fall during this period.

Total rainfall per year is approximately 10 inches, 90% of which falls in the humid season (August-October). The wind speeds vary from an average of 9 knots in the summer, to a 13 knot average in winter. This provides a welcome breeze.

Salt plains are a feature of many of the islands, as are small random oases. Many of the islands are dry and rocky, with little vegetation except for the staple crops.

Due to the hot windy climate, the conditions are perfect for water sports such as surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing and sailing. Sheltered coves or beaches on the southern parts of the islands offer calmer waters for swimmers.

The islands of Cape Verde are divided into two groups. The ‘Barlavento’ or Windward group of islands, and the ‘Sotavento’ or Leeward group of islands. The prevailing wind is from the North to North-East.

The Barlavento Islands in the North of Cape Verde

Sal Island

Sal measures 216 square km and is around 30km long and 12km wide. The highest peak of the island of Sal is Monte Grande (The Big Mountain), at just 406m above sea level.

It has a population of about 15-20,000. The capital of the island is Espargos.

Boa Vista

Boa Vista measures 620 square km, 30km from North to South and 29km from East to West. The highest peak on the island is Monte Estância, at 387 meters.

It has a population of about 4,000. The capital of the island is Sal Rei.

Sao Vicente

Sao Vicente measures 227 square km and is approximately 16 km long and 24 km wide. Its highest peak Monte Verde (or Green Mountain) is 774 meters.

It has a population of about 70,000. The capital is Mindelo.

Santo Antao

Santo Antao measures 779 square km and is approximately 40km long and 20km wide. The highest peak is Topa de Coro at 1,979 meters.

It has a population of about 50,000 inhabitants. The capital of the island is Ribeira Grande.

Sao Nicolao (or Sao Nicolau)

Sao Nicolao measures 346 square km and is approximately 45 km long and 20km wide. The highest peak is Monte Gordo at 1,312 meters.

It has a population of about 13,000. The capital is Vila de Ribeira Brava.

The Sotavento Islands in the South of Cape Verde

Santiago (or São Tiago)

Santiago measures 991 square km and is approximately 55km long and 28km wide. The highest peak is Pico Da Antonia at 1394 meters.

It has a population of about 240,000. The capital is Praia.

Maio Island

The island of Maio measures 268 square km, 16km long and 24 km wide. The highest peak is Monte Penoso at 437 meters.

It has a population of about 5,500. The capital is Vila do Maio.

Brava Island

Brava measures just 64 square km, 24km long and 16 km wide. The highest peak is Monte Fontainhas at 976 meters.

It has a population of approximately 7,000 inhabitants. The capital of the island is Vila Nova Sintra.

Island Guide and Map of Brava

Fogo Island

Fogo measures 476 square km. The highest peak is Pico de Fogo at 2,829 meters.

The population of the island is approximately 38,000. The capital of the island is the town of São Filipe.

Island Guide and Map of Fogo

Geography and Climate of the Cape Verde Islands -- last updated June 2008