Source: World Wide Web
(Author: West Africa Research Center Team, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Author: Priscilla Owusu-Ansah (Assistant to West Africa Research Center) [West Africa Talk] 2022, No. 11, 60th issue. Translator: Chen Siyu (School of Foreign Chinese); Finishing: Zhao Yunhan (School of Foreign Chinese), Meng Yaqi (School of Public Administration); Contributed by: West Africa Research Center Team, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China)
First, the basic introduction
Cape Verde is a West African country. During the Eocene period, about 40-50 million years ago, the present Cape Verde Islands began to take shape. In 1456, Genoese and Portuguese navigators discovered the Cape Verde Islands, which remained uninhabited until then. Official Portuguese records show that António de Noli, the earliest discoverer of the Cape Verde Islands, was born in Genoa and was later appointed Governor of Cape Verde by King Afonso V. In addition, navigators who discovered the Cape Verde Islands included Diogo Dias, Diogo Afons, Venetian Alvise Cadamosto and Diogo Gomes. Among them, Diogo Gomez accompanied Antonio Noli on a discovery tour and claimed to be one of the first to arrive at Santiago and name it. In 1462, Portuguese immigrants landed in Santiago and established the town of Ribeira Grande. Today, it has been renamed Cidade Velha to distinguish it from the town of the same name on another independent island in Cape Verde, Ribeira Grande on Santo Antão. Ribeira Grande was Europe's first permanent colony in the tropics. Since the early 1990s, Cape Verde has been a politically stable representative democracy and one of the most developed and democratic in Africa. Due to the scarcity of natural resources, Cabo Verde's economic growth depends mainly on the service sector, so Cape Verde is paying increasing attention to the development of tourism and international investment. As of the 2021 census, Cape Verde has about 483,628 inhabitants, most of whom are of mixed African and European descent, predominantly Roman Catholic, heavily influenced by Portuguese colonization. There are diaspora groups in Cape Verde all over the world, especially in the United States and Portugal, far exceeding the population of the Cape Verde Islands. Cape Verde is also a member of the African Union.
2. People and culture
The vast majority of Cape Verde's population is of mixed European and African descent, also known as Mestiço or Crioulo. It also includes an African minority, made up of Fulani, Balante and Mandyako. Cape Verde also has a small population of European origin, including Portuguese, Italian, French and British descendants, most of whom are from the historic Algarve province and the Azores. A significant number of people are also descendants of Hispanic Jews or other Jewish communities. Hispanic Jews, expelled from the Iberian Peninsula during the Inquisition in the 15th and 16th centuries, were among the earliest settlers of the islands of Cape Verde; The descendants of other Jewish groups, mainly merchants, came here from Morocco in the 19th century. The culture of Cape Verde is heavily influenced by African and European cultures, but not the sum of the two cultures, but a new culture born from trade in the 15th century. Cape Verde is unique in society and culture, with typical forms of social connection and entertainment including football matches and religious events. In the towns of Cape Verde, people walk in the town squares and greet acquaintances, which is their habitual way of life. Cape Verdean people mainly eat seafood and staple foods such as corn and rice. For most of the year, you can eat vegetables such as potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cassava, cabbage, kale and dried beans. Although mangoes and avocados are seasonal, bananas and papayas can be eaten all year round. In Cape Verde, the dish cachupa is popular as a slow stew made with corn, beans, fish or meat. Also popular is the appetizer pastel cake, a deep-fried puff pastry cake filled with fish or meat.
economic development
Other countries and international organizations, which regularly provide development assistance to Cape Verde, appreciate that, despite the scarcity of natural resources, it has achieved significant economic growth and improved living conditions for its citizens. Since 2007, the United Nations has classified Cape Verde as a developing country, not a least developed country. Cape Verde has limited natural resources, with only five of the ten main islands maintaining considerable agricultural output: Santiago, San Antonio, São Nicolau, Fogo and Brava. More than 90 per cent of the food in Cape Verde is imported. Mineral resources include salt, volcanic ash (volcanic rock used in cement manufacturing) and limestone. One of the few wineries in Cape Verde produces Portuguese-style wines that have long served the domestic market but have recently gained worldwide recognition. In the spring of 2010, a variety of wine excursions for Cape Verde's various microclimates were introduced. Cape Verde's economy is based on services, with commerce, transport and public services contributing more than 70 per cent of GDP. Although nearly 35 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, Agriculture and fisheries in Cape Verde account for only about 9 per cent of GDP. In other industries, light manufacturing accounts for the majority. Cape Verde is rich in fish and shellfish, but exports are limited. Mindelo, Praia and Sal are home to refrigeration and freezing facilities and the seafood processing industry. Despite its lack of natural resources and semi-desert terrain, Cape Verde remains the country with the highest standard of living in West Africa, attracting tens of thousands of migrants from many countries to Cape Verde.
Agriculture
Years of raging drought on the island have limited the development of agriculture in Cape Verde. Extreme environments have traditionally been a huge obstacle to agricultural development, leading to unstable crop yields and even outbreaks of large-scale famines. During the centuries of Portuguese colonial rule, backward grazing practices and neglect of afforestation and water conservation exacerbated the deterioration of the ecological environment. In order to reduce severe soil erosion, improve the water retention of subsoil, and improve and increase the land available for self-sufficiency and small-scale commercial agriculture, the post-colonial government has made great efforts to plant drought-resistant acacia trees, build levees, retain dams and terraces. Crops for local consumption include corn, sugar cane, castor beans, broad beans, potatoes and peanuts. However, Cape Verde's dependence on imported products is quite high, and food imports have long been an unavoidable need. Fish is an important product for domestic consumption and export. Although fishing techniques are not fully utilized in Cape Verde, locals can still catch tuna and lobsters.