Cabo Verde in a Nutshell: History, Culture, Politics & Art

Cape Verde comprises ten islands, of which nine are inhabited, and is located 375 miles (600 kilometres) off the coast of Senegal. The combined area of all the islands is 1,557 square miles (4,033 square kilometres), roughly the size of Rhode Island. The islands vary in geographical characteristics. Sal, Boavista, Maio, and São Vicente are flat and desert-like, with stretches of dunes. Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and São Nicolau are more mountainous and arable, although all the islands have a long history of drought. They are all of volcanic origin; Fogo, the only active volcano, last erupted in 1995. The capital, Praia, is located on the island of Santiago, which is the largest in terms of both area and population, and the first to be settled.

1. Orientation

Identification

Islands’ name comes from the nearest land formation, the Cap Vert peninsula in West Africa. Cape Verdeans identify strongly with the culture of their islands.

Location and Geography

Cape Verde comprises ten islands, of which nine are inhabited, and is located 375 miles (600 kilometres) off the coast of Senegal. The combined area of all the islands is 1,557 square miles (4,033 square kilometres), roughly the size of Rhode Island. The islands vary in geographical characteristics. Sal, Boavista, Maio, and São Vicente are flat and desert-like, with stretches of dunes. Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and São Nicolau are more mountainous and arable, although all the islands have a long history of drought. They are all of volcanic origin; Fogo, the only volcano that is still active, last erupted in 1995. The capital, Praia, is on the island of Santiago, which is the largest in terms of area and population and the first settled.

Demography

The population of Cape Verde is 430,000. Of these, 85,000 live in the capital. Because of the country’s long history of emigration, an additional estimated one million Cape Verdeans are living abroad, mainly in the United States, Western Europe, and Africa. The United States Cape Verdean population, concentrated in the New England states, is estimated to be as large as the population in Cape Verde itself.

Linguistic Affiliation

The official language is Portuguese, used for official functions and written communication. The spoken language is Cape Verdean Creole, an essentially fifteenth-century Portuguese with a simplified vocabulary and influences from Mandingo and several Senegambian languages. Each island has its own distinctive Creole in which its inhabitants take pride.

2. History and Ethnic Relations

Emergence of the Nation

The Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited until the Portuguese first landed in 1460. They settled in an area of Santiago, which they called Ribeira Grande, and used it as a slave-trade post between Africa and the New World. Some Africans stayed on the island and worked as enslaved people on the large plantations, or latifundias, there. Ribeira Grande experienced several pirate attacks and was abandoned after a French assault in 1712. After 1876, with the decline of the slave trade, the islands lost much of their economic value to the Portuguese. The effects of drought and famine were compounded by poor administration and government corruption. Cape Verde regained some wealth in the late nineteenth century due to its convenient location on major trade routes between Europe, South America, and Africa, as well as the opening of a coal and submarine cable station in the port city of Mindelo. However, this prosperity again declined after World War I, and the country experienced several devastating famines. It was not until after World War II that relative prosperity began to return.

In 1951, the Portuguese changed Cape Verde’s status from a colony to an overseas province and granted full Portuguese citizenship to all Cape Verdeans in 1961. There was a war of independence from 1974 to 1975 in Guinea-Bissau, another Portuguese colony on the mainland, seeking autonomy as Cape Verde. The islands gained independence as a republic in 1975.

National Identity

Cape Verdean culture is a unique mixture of European and African elements. National identity is quite fragmented, primarily due to the geographical division of the islands. The northern barlavento islands tend to identify more with the Portuguese colonisers, whereas the southern sotavento islands (Santiago in particular) have a closer cultural affinity with Africa.

Cape Verdeans take great pride in their island’s unique culture.

Ethnic Relations

Cape Verde is a mestizo society. 78% of the population is Creole, of mixed African and European descent. Of the remainder, 28% is black African, and 1% is white.

3. Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, is a rapidly growing urban centre. Its growth has been unimpeded by zoning laws or organisations, which has allowed it to spread out into nearby land in a haphazard way. Mindelo, the second largest city with a population of 47,000, is located on the northern island of São Vicente and provides a marked contrast as a clean, orderly city with a European feel. Many islands combine old colonial architecture with the new cinderblock structures sprouting up to house the burgeoning population. The traditional houses in the countryside are stone structures with thatched or tiled roofs.

4. Food and Economy

Food in Daily Life

Corn is the staple food of Cape Verde. The national dish, cachupa, is a stew made from hominy, beans, and whatever meat or vegetables are available. Other common foods include rice, beans, fish, potatoes, and cassava (also known as manioc). A traditional breakfast is cuscus, a steamed cornbread sweetened with honey and served with milk or coffee. Cape Verdeans generally eat a large lunch in the mid-afternoon and a small, late dinner. Grog, or sugar cane liquor, is manufactured on the islands and is a popular drink, particularly among men.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions

Many Catholic saints’ feast days occur throughout the year. Food and its preparation play a large part in these celebrations (as well as during weddings and funerals). Women usually spend the few days before the feast pounding corn for the cachupa, cleaning and cutting vegetables, and preparing meat. Xerem, a cachupa form in which the corn is more finely ground, is often served.

Basic Economy

The economy is primarily based on agriculture, although only 10% of the land is suitable for cultivation. Roughly one-third of the population is farmers. The islands produce bananas, corn, beans, sugarcane, coffee, and some fruits and vegetables, but supply less than one-fifth of the country’s needs. Much of the rest is imported or comes as aid from the United States, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Western European countries. Remittances from Cape Verdeans living abroad also contribute significantly to the economy and GDP.

Land Tenure and Property

Cape Verdeans have a communal attitude towards property, freely borrowing and lending possessions. Farmland is generally privately owned, but many farming communities form organisations to oversee its use and distribute pooled funds to the development of corrals or plant nurseries.

Commercial Activities

The majority of goods produced in Cape Verde are agricultural. Most towns have a small market selling fruits, vegetables, meat and fish.

Major Industries

Agriculture accounts for one-third of the GNP, and services and transportation for one-half. Partially, this is due to the growth of tourism, which is enhanced by the luxury hotels and resorts on several islands. The construction sector comprises nearly one-fourth of the country’s GDP as it continues to urbanise and the population expands.

Trade

Cape Verde’s main trade partners are countries within the European Union, including Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Italy. The archipelago exports small amounts of fish, salt, lobster, bananas, shoes, and pharmaceutical products and imports large quantities of food, construction and building materials, machinery, and textiles.

Division of Labour

Labour is not strictly divided along gender lines. Women and men do heavy physical labour. However, domestic work is an exclusively female domain. Children often follow in their parents’ footsteps and begin working at a very young age, especially if they come from farming or fishing families. Older people continue to work as long as they can, sometimes modifying strenuous tasks. It is not unusual to see men and women in their seventies harvesting beans or hauling rocks at a construction site.

5. Social Stratification

Classes and Castes

There is little class distinction in Cape Verde because the vast majority of the population is poor. There is a small but growing middle class in the towns and cities, and virtually no upper class. Those of higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to identify culturally with Europe and to think of themselves as more “European,” often because they have spent time abroad.

Symbols of Social Stratification

Cape Verdeans take pride in their dress and personal appearance. The most highly valued attire is American brand names popular among African Americans. These clothes are often an indicator of class. However, the poorest Cape Verdeans sometimes have relatives in the United States who send them clothing.

6. Political life

Government

Since Cape Verde won independence from Portugal in 1975, it has had a democratic multi-party system of government with proportional representation through electoral districts. The unicameral national assembly has seventy-two elected deputies, including six chosen by the Cape Verdean population abroad.

Leadership and Political Officials

The president is elected for a five-year term and appoints a prime minister. There are two main political parties in Cape Verde: the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICY) and the Movement for Democracy (MPD). Identification with one party or the other is strong and highly personal in the general population. Local elections are occasions for rallies with music and dancing, parades, and public shouting matches.

Social Problems and Control

Crimes in Cape Verde consist mainly of petty theft and robbery. It’s more common in the cities, particularly in Praia. The social pressure implicitly enforces the code of conduct. Personal reputation is of paramount importance. For this reason, slander cases overrun the court system.

Military Activity

Cape Verde has a small military of 1,100 active-duty personnel. Of these, 91% are in the Army, and 9% are in the Air Force. Cape Verde spends roughly 1% of its GNP on its military.

7. Social Welfare and Change Programs

Social security programs have been introduced, but their scope is limited. The government provides free health care and some assistance for the poor and elderly. However, individual families and communities are the primary providers of social welfare.

8. Nongovernmental Organisations (NGOs) and Other Associations

Several foreign nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) are present; among these, the German organisation Dywidag has played a significant role in developing the ports. The U.S. Peace Corps sends volunteers to work in the education system and local government. Portuguese aid groups are also present in Cape Verde.

9. Gender Roles and Statuses

Division of Labour by Gender

Women take care of all domestic tasks, including cooking, cleaning, and child-rearing. At the same time, they also make substantial contributions to other sectors of the workforce, including farming, construction, and commerce. Women are often the sole economic supporters of their families. However, they are proportionally under-represented in the white-collar professions and the political system.

The Relative Status of Women and Men

While the genders are legally recognised as equal, there are broad de facto disparities in rights and power. Women, mothers in particular, are respected for their immense workload; yet, they are often expected to defer to men.

10. Marriage, Family and Kinship

Marriage

Legal and church weddings are uncommon in Cape Verde. More often, a woman simply “sai di casa”, leaves her family’s house and moves in with her boyfriend. It’s frequently occasioned by the woman becoming pregnant. After four years of cohabitation, a relationship can acquire the status of common-law marriage. While polygamy is not legal, it is customary for men (married or not) to be with several women at the same time.

Domestic Unit

Traditionally, several generations of a family live together in the same house. Childrearing is communal, and living situations are fluid. Children often stay with aunts, uncles or other relatives, especially during school years. Single mothers head many households due to emigration and polygamy.

11. Socialisation

Infant Care

Seven days after a baby is born, the parents throw a big party called asete. Like any other party, it is an occasion for dancing and socialising over drinks. At midnight, the guests file into the baby’s room and sing to it as a protection against evil spirits. Mothers often coddle infants. They tie babies to their backs and carry them along to work.

Child Rearing and Education

Children are treated with affection but are reprimanded strictly for misbehaviour. Corporal punishment is not uncommon. Children are expected to work in their family’s trade, and even if the parents are professionals, children often do a significant amount of household work. Obedience and deference to elders are inculcated early. It’s common for an adult to grab any child on the street and ask him to run an errand.

Education is mandatory and free between the ages of seven and fourteen. About 90% of children attend school. Each island has a high school that goes through at least eleventh grade. High school students pay an education tax on a sliding scale based on their parents’ income.

Higher Education

Cape Verde is still in the process of establishing an institution of higher learning.

Old colonial-style architecture is reminiscent of the past European influence in Cape Verde.

There are teacher certification schools in Praia and one in Mindelo. It’s necessary to go abroad to obtain a degree beyond high school. A higher degree is of little use in the Cape Verdean job market. Therefore, the majority of those who leave to study don’t return.

12. Etiquette

Cape Verdeans are known for being highly generous and hospitable people. Even the poorest take pride in presenting guests with a meal. It’s considered rude to eat in front of others without sharing, so one typically refrains from eating in public settings, such as on the street or a bus.

Cape Verdeans stand close together when talking and are physically demonstrative, often touching and holding hands (both men and women). Greetings are lengthy and include shaking hands (or kissing for women) and inquiring about each other’s health and family. It’s usually done each time two people meet, even if it is more than once on the same day.

13. Religion

Religious Beliefs

Approximately 98% of Cape Verdeans identify as Roman Catholic. Seventh-day Adventists, Mormons, and Evangelical Christians also represent the Nazarene Church. There is a history of several Jewish settlements that date back to the Inquisition, but they are now extinct.

Rituals and Holy Places

Each town has a church, but most Cape Verdeans are non-practising Catholics. However, saints’ days are often the basis for community-wide parties that involve dancing, drinking, and food. One family, neighbourhood, or town usually takes charge of the celebration for a given saint.

Death and the Afterlife

Despite its relatively secular atmosphere, rituals surrounding death are strictly observed. Funerals are significant events attended by a large portion of the community. The procession is accompanied by mourners who perform a highly stylised, musical wailing. Family members of the deceased dress in black for a year after the death and are forbidden to dance or play music.

14. Medicine and Healthcare

Cape Verde provides its citizens with free healthcare through small hospitals located on each island. Facilities and resources are limited, but they are more advanced than those in many parts of West Africa. The best hospitals are in Praia and Mindelo, and people are often sent there for treatment. The head health concerns are infectious and parasitic diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, and gastrointestinal ailments. These are primarily caused by malnutrition and inadequate sanitation. The average life expectancy is 62 years, and the infant mortality rate is the lowest in West Africa.

15. Secular Celebration

New Year’s Day is celebrated on 1 January. Amilcar Cabral Day (24 January) recognises the birthday of the liberator of Cape Verde, one of the leaders in the war of independence. Independence Day is celebrated on 5 July.

16. Arts and Humanities

Support for the Arts

The Cape Verdean Cultural Centre, located in Praia, stages performances and exhibitions, and sells books, music, and artefacts.

Literature

A small but growing body of Cape Verdean literature is mainly written in Portuguese. However, a movement to develop a standardised written form of Creole has led to several books being published in this language as well. Written literature is influenced by the tradition of storytelling, which finds its roots in Africa and Europe. A predominant theme in literature and music is saudade, a sense of longing or homesickness, usually the result of emigration and the ensuing separation of families.

Graphic Arts

Graphic art production is limited. Crocheting is popular among women. Textiles were traditionally produced on large looms in a time-consuming process; however, this is now a rare occurrence. The island of Boavista is renowned for its clay pottery, while Fogo is recognised for its small carvings crafted from hardened lava. There is also some basket weaving, embroidery, woodworking, and other craft production, but the preponderance of artefacts sold at the markets is imported from Africa.

Performance Arts

Music and dance are central to Cape Verdean culture. Traditional forms of music include funana, played on an accordion and an iron bar that serves as a rhythm instrument. Batuqueis are performed by a circle of women who beat out rhythms on plastic sacks held between their legs. Both types of music are heavily influenced by African music and are particularly associated with the island of Santiago. Another traditional form of music is the morna, a slower, more Portuguese-influenced ballad. Each type of music has a corresponding dance style. Popular music has a largely synthesised feel.

17. The state of the physical and social sciences

There are no research facilities or laboratories for physical sciences in Cape Verde.

Source / Bibliography

• Source: Cape Verde on EveryCulture.com, The World Culture Encyclopedia.
• Deciphering Africa’s Divergent Transitions by Michael Bratton in Political Science Quarterly, Spring 1997.
• People of the Cape Verde Islands: Exploitation and Emigration by Antonio Carriera, 1982.
• Fortunate Isles: A Study in African Transformation, by Basil Davidson, 1989.
• No Fist Is Big Enough to Hide the Sky: The Liberation of Guinea and Cape Verde by Basil Davidson, 1981.
• Portugal and Her Empire, 1497-1997 by C.A.R. Hills in Contemporary Review, July 1997.
• Cape Verde Islands: TheBradt Travel Guide by Aisling Irvin and Wilson Column, 1998.
• Teachers Under Pressure by Nadia Khouri-Dagher, UNESCO Sources, April 1998.
• Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation by Richard A Lobban, 1998.
• Race, Culture and Portuguese Colonialism in Cabo Verde by Deidre Meintel, 1984.
• Neglected or Forgotten Authors of Lusophone Africa by Gerald M. Mozer in World Literature Today, 1999.
• Cape Verde ed. by Caroline S. Shaw, 1991.
• Exploring a Racial Riddle in Cape Verde by Erin Teixeira in the Los Angeles Times, 18 December 2000.