Introduction
The port city of Praia is the capital of Cape Verde, a nation that occupies a group of small islands off the northwest coast of Africa. Praia is situated on the southern coast of São Tiago (also called Santiago), Cape Verde's largest island.
Places of interest
The name Praia means “beach” in the Portuguese language, and the city is known for its fine beaches. Part of the city is on a high plateau overlooking the ocean. In this district is a museum of arts and crafts and a library.
Economy
Praia is an important shipping center. A modern port provides docking space for large ships. Praia's port ships out agricultural products such as bananas, sugar cane, and coffee. Shoes and clothing are also exported. The city also processes fish and is a station for a communication cable running under the Atlantic Ocean.
History
In ancient times, no one lived on the islands that now make up Cape Verde. The Portuguese came upon the islands in about 1460. In 1462 they chose São Tiago Island for a settlement. It is said that this was the first colony ever established by Europeans in a tropical area of the world.
The Portuguese quickly built large farms on the islands and brought over Africans to work as slaves. Slavery thus became important to the economy of Cape Verde. By 1585, Praia was large enough to be looted by the English adventurer Sir Francis Drake. In 1652, the Portuguese moved their capital from Ribeira Grande to Praia largely because it offered a safer harbor for ships involved in the slave trade. In 1712, Praia was heavily damaged by French forces, which were battling Portugal for a share of the African slave trade.
As the slave trade decreased (it did not end until 1876), so did the wealth of Praia. It was not until after World War II that overall trade increased and relative prosperity returned. When the Cape Verde Islands became an independent republic in 1975, Praia remained its capital. Population (2000 estimate), 94,757.
