7 Photos
A space shuttle photo showing several of the northwestern islands in the Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) chain in the North Atlantic Ocean, some 800 km (500 mi) from the coast of Senegal, Africa. From the upper left to lower right (northwest to southeast) one can see Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Branco, Razo, and Sao Nicolau. Cabo Verde is the westernmost African country. Image courtesy of NASA.
A dust storm off the west coast of Africa sprawls towards the Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) Islands. Six of the ten main islands can be discerned on this image. Image courtesy of NASA.
On a clear day, the towering peaks on Fogo, Santa Antão, and São Nicolau stand out amid the flatter islands of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde). These three volcanic islands, the tallest in the archipelago, stand high enough to generate rain shadow effects that support unique dry forests on some of the islands. The height also helps these islands disturb passing air masses and clouds in a distinctive pattern that can occur when a fluid passes a tall, isolated, stationary object. The pattern is called a Kármán vortex street after the scientist who first described the oscillating flow features. NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the swirling trails of clouds on 20 December 2020. The dry forests appear slightly darker than the rest of the islands. Photo courtesy of NASA.
A panoramic view of Palmarejo, a subdivision of Praia, with Monte Vermelho in the background. The exact date of Praia's founding is unclear, but it was sometime in the 16th century. Praia attained the status of a city, as well as its designation as the capital of Cabo Verde, in 1858; it is the economic, political, and cultural center of Cape Verde.
A view of Praia, the capital of Cabo Verde, from the air. The city is located on the southern coast of Sao Tiago Island, the largest of the Cabo Verde islands, its most important agricultural center, and home to more than half the nation's population.
Taxis line the entrance to the arrival terminal at the Nelson Mandela International Airport (also known as Praia International Airport) on Sao Tiago Island in Cape Verde. The airport opened in October 2005.
One of the most emblematic sites in the historic section of Praia is the National Palace of Culture named in honor of Ildo Lobo. The Cape Verdean Government dedicated the building to the illustrious vocalist-musician - described as "Cape Verde's Greatest Male Singer" - following his death in 2004.