Cidade do Maio
| Cidade do Maio Cidade do Maio |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 15 ° 8 ′ N , 23 ° 13 ′ W | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Cape Verde | ||
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Archipelago |
Ilhas de Sotavento | ||
| District | Maio | ||
| ISO 3166-2 | CV-MA | ||
| Residents | 3009 (January 2005) | ||
Cidade do Maio (until 1975 Porto Inglês "English port", until 2015 Vila do Maio ) is the capital of the island of Maio , one of the nine inhabited islands of the Republic of Cape Verde .
geography
The town of Cidade do Maio is located on the southwest coast of Maio. It is the largest and most important city on the island, partly because of its port, through which most of the trade in goods is carried out. Maios Airport is also close to the city, but it is only used for domestic traffic. Compared to other Cape Verdean cities, life in Cidade do Maio takes place on a very tranquil and cozy level.
The immediate vicinity of the city is primarily characterized by desert and semi-desert landscapes , only in the north there are smaller forest areas. From Cidade do Maio, two roads lead to the other settlements on the island. The first route leads north along the west coast to the Morro holiday resort and on to Calheta , while the other route leads to the east side of the island, where it again continues north to Pedro Paz . The coastline around the capital has fine sandy beaches that are well suited for bathing and swimming. However, tourism is not yet very pronounced.
Population development
| year | Residents |
|---|---|
| June 1990, census | 1573 |
| June 2000, census | 2673 |
| January 2005, calculation | 3009 |
history
The island was discovered in 1460, but was initially of little interest to the colonial power Portugal . However, slaves were settled here who, as shepherds, had the task of producing meat and hides to supply the city of Cidade Velha and the slave ships that operated there. During the 15th century, however, the cultivation of cotton also began on Maio , whereby the first voluntary settlers came to the island and settled there. To protect the small settlement against pirates, the Portuguese built a small fort at the southwest end, which was equipped with cannons, which is still there today, but can only be viewed from the outside by visitors.
At first, today's capital was known as Porto Inglês . The name goes back to the colonial days, as up to eighty English ships called at Maio Island every year from the 17th to the 19th centuries to load salt . England had a great influence on the world salt trade at that time. The goods came from the salt pans , which are located northwest of the city. Even today they still produce small quantities of salt, which is exported to Guinea-Bissau .
The church in today's city center was built in 1872. The financing was carried out through a salt tax introduced especially for this purpose. Not far from the church square is the Praça Évora , on which, among other things, the house of the former builder António Évora is located. In earlier times it is said to have been the most magnificent house on the whole island. Until the 20th century, Évora actually held the salt monopoly of Maios.
The name change from Porto Inglês to Vila do Maio happened in 1975 after Cape Verde became independent as a result of the Carnation Revolution . The city's embankment was also renamed at that time and is now called Avenida Amílcar Cabral after the politician and national hero Amílcar Cabral , who campaigned strongly for the country's independence and was shot during an attempted arrest during the revolution. Recently, Vila do Maio was promoted to "Cidade" (city). The officially valid name is now "Cidade do Maio".
tourism
There are currently a few hotels and a few apartment complexes. However, a larger hotel complex is already under construction in the north of Cidade do Maio. There are no holiday clubs yet and you only see a few tourists. TACV flies to the island from Praia three times a week. There is also a ferry that comes from Praia. The travel time is almost 4 hours. The crossing is adventurous. Cidade do Maio offers a picture-book beach. Two beach cafes take care of your physical well-being.
Sports
The Académico 83 football club is based in the city.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Susanne Lipps, Oliver Breda: Cape Verde Islands. Cabo Verde with travel atlas (Dumont travel paperback). 3rd edition. DuMont-Reiseverlag, Ostfildern 2007, ISBN 978-3-7701-5968-0 (EA Ostfildern 2004).