Praia (Concelho da Praia)
Praia is one of the oldest municipalities in Cape Verde. It was created in the 18th century, when the then town of Praia de Santa Maria received town status and became the new capital of the Portuguese dominion of Cape Verde. Throughout history, its municipal territory has been successively reduced due to demographic increases.
By the end of the 19th century, the Municipality of Praia occupied the southern half of the island, while the northern half was the (larger than present) Municipality of Santa Catarina. In 1971, the two northernmost parishes of the Municipality were split off to become the Municipality of Santa Cruz, and the parish of São Salvador do Mundo became part of the municipality of Santa Catarina. In 1994, two more northern parishes of the Municipality were split off to become the Municipality of São Domingos. In 2005, two western parishes of the Municipality were split off to become the Municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago.
Map - Praia (Concelho da Praia)
Map
Country - Cape_Verde
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.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
CVE | Cape Verde escudo | Esc or $ | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
PT | Portuguese language |