Happy Independence Day Cape Verde

“Whoever tells the truth is chased out of nine villages” - Cape Verdean Proverb

(Cape Verde flag (1992-Present))

Cape Verde is a group of 10 islands off the west coast of Africa.

(Map of where Cape Verde is located)

Its capital is Praia. Praia is also its largest city. The official language is Portuguese. The country is 1,557 square miles. Cape Verde is 54% African and 44% European. 95% of Cape Verde practice Christianity, 2% practice Islam, 2% practice Judaism, and 1% are atheist. The total population is 525,000. The climate is tropical. Cape Verde is a unitary semi presidential republic.

(Praia, capital of Cape Verde)

Cape Verdean cuisine consists of fish, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, manioc, cabbage, kale, dried beans and cachupa.

(Cape Verdean cuisine)

The major style of music is morna.

(Cape Verdeans performing during a celebration)

Cape Verde’s most popular sport is soccer.

(Cape Verde’s soccer team)

The Cape Verde islands were originally uninhabited. In 1456 the Portuguese came to the islands.

(A drawing of the Portuguese colonizing Cape Verde)

In the 1500s the Portuguese used the islands as a slave port.

(A painting of the slave trade in Cape Verde)

Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. In 1712 the French attacked the islands’ capital of Ribeira Grande. In 1770 the capital was changed to Praia. In 1951 Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism.

(Cape Verde flag (1456-1975))

In 1956 Amílcar Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organised the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). It demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed the basis of the two nations' independence movement.

(Amilcar Cabral)

In 1961 the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10,000 Soviet Bloc-supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and African troops. The organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. In 1974 the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde. On July 5th, 1975 Cape Verde gained its independence.

(Cape Verde flag (1975-1992))

In the 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau, relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau became strained. In 1990 Cape Verde’s 1 party system was abolished. In 1992 Cape Verde changed its flag.

(Cape Verde flag (1992-Present))

In 1996 António Mascarenhas Monteiro was elected president.

(António Mascarenhas Monteiro)

In 2001 Pedro Pires became president. In 2014 a volcano erupted causing 1000 people to spend the night outside their homes due to the strong earthquakes caused by the eruption. The eruption destroyed the housing stock of the village of Portela in the Chã das Caldeiras.

(Destruction caused by the volcano)

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of Cape Verde’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Cape Verde.

Videos of Cape Verde Independence

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIvqwk94iYY  “Cabo Verde - 5 Julho 1975”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjQjp-SWkbw  “Cape Verdeans Celebrate at 38th annual Independence Day Festival”

Anniversary of Amilcar Cabral's Death

“Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories…” - Amilcar Cabral

(Amilcar Cabral)

Amilcar Cabral was born on September 12th, 1924 in Bafata, Guinea.

(Cabral as a child)

Cabral went to high school in Cape Verde. Then he moved to another high school in Portugal. He founded student movements dedicated to opposing the ruling dictatorship of Portugal and promoting the cause of independence for the Portuguese colonies in Africa.

(Cabral in 1923)

In the 1950’s he returned to Africa. In 1956 he founded the PAIGC (Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde)).

(Cabral in 1956)

In 1963 Cabral led guerrilla movements against the Portuguese in Guinea and Cape Verde. Cabral set up camps in Ghana with permission from Kwame Nkrumah to train his troops in Ghana.

(Cabral (Center) with his soldiers)

During the war with the Portuguese he set up roving hospitals in Guinea.

(Cabral in 1963)

In 1965 he met Fidel Castro.

(Cabral (Right) with Fidel Castro (Left))

On January 20th, 1973 Amilcar Cabral was shot and killed by disgruntled former PAIGC rivals in Conakry, Guinea. He was 48 years old.

(Cabral’s Funeral)

Today is the 44th anniversary of his death. Take time to remember this great revolutionary today.

Videos of Amilcar Cabral

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O-obP3r6Hw  “Amilcar Cabral Guinee Bissau Cap-Vert”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLo3Y2IG-iY  “Amilcar Cabral: (The Cancer of Betrayal -english subtitles) Discours sur Le Cancer de la Trahison”

(P.S. sorry for the late post)

Happy Birthday Amilcar Cabral

“Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories…” - Amilcar Cabral

(Amilcar Cabral)

Amilcar Cabral was born on September 12th, 1924 in Bafata, Guinea.

(Cabral as a child)

Cabral went to high school in Cape Verde. Then he moved to another high school in Portugal. He founded student movements dedicated to opposing the ruling dictatorship of Portugal and promoting the cause of independence for the Portuguese colonies in Africa.

(Cabral in 1923)

In the 1950’s he returned to Africa. In 1956 he founded the PAIGC (Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde)).

(Cabral in 1956)

In 1963 Cabral led guerrilla movements against the Portuguese in Guinea and Cape Verde. Cabral set up camps in Ghana with permission from Kwame Nkrumah to train his troops in Ghana.

(Cabral (Center) with his soldiers)

During the war with the Portuguese he set up roving hospitals in Guinea.

(Cabral in 1963)

In 1965 he met Fidel Castro.

(Cabral (Right) with Fidel Castro (Left))

On January 20th, 1973 Amilcar Cabral was shot and killed by disgruntled former PAIGC rivals in Conakry, Guinea. He was 48 years old.

(Cabral’s Funeral)

Today is his 92nd birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday and rest in peace Amilcar Cabral.

Videos of Amilcar Cabral

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O-obP3r6Hw  “Amilcar Cabral Guinee Bissau Cap-Vert”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLo3Y2IG-iY  “Amilcar Cabral: (The Cancer of Betrayal -english subtitles) Discours sur Le Cancer de la Trahison”

Happy Independence Day Cape Verde

“Whoever tells the truth is chased out of nine villages” - Cape Verdean Proverb

(Cape Verde flag (1992-Present))

Cape Verde is a group of 10 islands off the west coast of Africa.

(Map of where Cape Verde is located)

Its capital is Praia. Praia is also its largest city. The official language is Portuguese. The country is 1,557 square miles. Cape Verde is 54% African and 44% European. 95% of Cape Verde practice Christianity, 2% practice Islam, 2% practice Judaism, and 1% are atheist. The total population is 525,000. The climate is tropical. Cape Verde is a unitary semi presidential republic.

(Praia, capital of Cape Verde)

Cape Verdean cuisine consists of fish, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, manioc, cabbage, kale, dried beans and cachupa.

(Cape Verdean cuisine)

The major style of music is morna.

(Cape Verdeans performing during a celebration)

Cape Verde’s most popular sport is soccer.

(Cape Verde’s soccer team)

The Cape Verde islands were originally uninhabited. In 1456 the Portuguese came to the islands.

(A drawing of the Portuguese colonizing Cape Verde)

In the 1500s the Portuguese used the islands as a slave port.

(A painting of the slave trade in Cape Verde)

Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. In 1712 the French attacked the islands’ capital of Ribeira Grande. In 1770 the capital was changed to Praia. In 1951 Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism.

(Cape Verde flag (1456-1975))

In 1956 Amílcar Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organised the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). It demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed the basis of the two nations' independence movement.

(Amilcar Cabral)

In 1961 the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10,000 Soviet Bloc-supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and African troops. The organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. In 1974 the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde. On July 5th, 1975 Cape Verde gained its independence.

(Cape Verde flag (1975-1992))

In the 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau, relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau became strained. In 1990 Cape Verde’s 1 party system was abolished. In 1992 Cape Verde changed its flag.

(Cape Verde flag (1992-Present))

In 1996 António Mascarenhas Monteiro was elected president.

(António Mascarenhas Monteiro)

In 2001 Pedro Pires became president. In 2014 a volcano erupted causing 1000 people to spend the night outside their homes due to the strong earthquakes caused by the eruption. The eruption destroyed the housing stock of the village of Portela in the Chã das Caldeiras.

(Destruction caused by the volcano)

Today marks the 41st anniversary of Cape Verde’s independence and we would like to say happy independence day Cape Verde.

Videos of Cape Verde Independence

•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIvqwk94iYY  “Cabo Verde - 5 Julho 1975”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjQjp-SWkbw  “Cape Verdeans Celebrate at 38th annual Independence Day Festival”

(P.S. sorry for the late post)