Background

Cape Verde is an island off the coast of northern Africa. The island is actually made up of nine separate islands. Santo Antão and Santiago (being the biggest Islands,) are Brava, Fogo, Maio, Sal, Boa Vista, São Vicente, and São Nicolau. In 1456, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Cape Verde, which was a key island in the slave trade. These islands became a Portuguese colony in 1495. Because the Portuguese founded the island, the people there are African and Portuguese. Now in modern day Cape Verde, people speak Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole.