Mindelo is a port cityCabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015
Instituto Nacional de Estatística, p. 32-33 in the northern part of the island of São Vicente in

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

. Mindelo is also the seat of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, and the municipality of São Vicente. The city is home to 93% of the entire island's population. Mindelo is known for its colourful and animated

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

celebrations, with roots in

Portuguese traditions Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

later influenced by the Brazilian culture.

History

A settlement at Mindelo was founded in 1793 by the Portuguese.Génese e desenvolvimento da cidade do Mindelo: a preservação de uma identidade
Fred Yanick Fonseca Delgado, 2016 It was initially named ''Nossa Senhora da Luz'', renamed ''Leopoldina'' around 1820 after the Queen consort. In 1838 it was renamed ''Mindelo'' after the 1832

Landing at Mindelo 270px, Landing of the liberal forces in Oporto on 8 July 1832 The landing at Mindelo was a landing of Portuguese Liberal forces near Mindelo (Vila do Conde) North of Porto on 8 July 1832, and turning point in the Liberal Wars (1828 - 1834). T ...

, north of

Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropol ...

. It became a coal deposit for ships of the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

in 1838, followed by the

Royal Mail Steam Packet Company The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by a Scot, James MacQueen. The line's motto was ''Per Mare Ubique'' (everywhere by sea). After a troubled start, it became the largest shipping group ...

in 1850. The settlement became a town (''vila'') in 1858, and had 1,400 inhabitants then. It became a city (''cidade'') in 1879, and had 3,717 inhabitants then. In 1884 a

submarine communications cable A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried tel ...

was laid between Europe, Africa, India and North America, making Mindelo an important communications centre for the British Empire. From the beginning of the 20th century the port of Mindelo lost its importance for transatlantic navigation. Causes for this were the shift from coal to oil as fuel for ships, the rise of competing ports like Dakar and the Canary Islands and the lack of investment in port infrastructure. Between 1910 and 1940 there were several strikes in Mindelo, and on 7 June 1934 there were riots in the streets of Mindelo, caused by unemployment and poverty. One man was killed; several were injured. Between 1940 and 1958 three prolonged periods of severe drought, combined with soil erosion and

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature res ...

, brought

famine in Cape Verde The archipelago of Cape Verde has been struck by a series of drought-related famines between the 1580s and the 1950s. During these periods of drought and famine, tens of thousands of inhabitants died from starvation and diseases. Background The C ...

. In the whole archipelago, about 45,000 people died and 20,000 people emigrated. Mindelo attracted immigrants, notably from nearby Santo Antão, and continued to grow. Mindelo was the cultural capital of the Portuguese-speaking world from November 2002 until November 2003. Mindelo is also considered the cultural capital of Cape Verde.

Geography

Mindelo is situated at the

Porto Grande Bay Porto Grande Bay ( pt, Baía do Porto Grande), also Mindelo Bay, is a bay on the north coast of the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. The main city of São Vicente, Mindelo, is situated at the bay. The Porto Grande Bay is a natural harbour. It ...

, a large natural harbour. The town is surrounded by low mountains: the

Monte Cara Monte Cara is a mountain in western part of the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. Its elevation is 490 m.Morro Branco headland to the west, and the

Monte Verde Monte Verde is an archaeological site in the Llanquihue Province in southern Chile, located near Puerto Montt, Southern Chile, which has been dated to as early as 18,500 cal BP (16,500 BC). Previously, the widely accepted date for early occup ...

to the east. The town is crossed by the river

Ribeira de Julião Ribeira de Julião is a seasonal stream in the central part of the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde.Cesária Évora Airport Cesária Évora Airport (Portuguese ''Aeroporto Internacional Cesária Évora'') is Cape Verde's fourth-busiest airport (after Sal, Praia, and Boa Vista), located on the island of São Vicente, nearly from the centre of Mindelo. It is locat ...

lies southwest of Mindelo, near the village São Pedro. Ferries for Santo Antão leave from the port.

Subdivisions

The city is divided into the following localities for statistical reasons: *

Alto Miramar Alto Miramar is a subdivision of the city of Mindelo Mindelo is a port city Chã de Alecrim Chã de Alecrim is a subdivision of the city of Mindelo Mindelo is a port cityCity center/Morada *Cruz João Evora *Dji d'Sal *Fernando Pó *

Fonte Cónego Fonte Cónego is a subdivision of the city of Mindelo in the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. Its population was 236 at the 2010 census. It is situated directly east of the city centre. Adjacent neighborhoods include Alto Miramar to the nort ...

*Fonte Filipe *Fonte Françês *Fonte Inês/Espia *Fonte Meio/Madeiralzinho * Fortinho/Escola Técnica *Horta Seca *Lazareto *

Matiota MatiotaCódigo Geográfico Nacional
Ribeira Bote Ribeira Bote is a subdivision of the city of Mindelo Mindelo is a port city desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''BWh''). The average annual temperature is . It is very dry with only around annual precipitation.

Economy

Its economy consists mainly of business, fishing, shipping, boating and more commonly tourism which developed more recently. Mindelo has several hotels, restaurants and tourist agencies.

Cityscape

The main streets of Mindelo are Avenida Marginal along the waterfront, and the perpendicular

Rua Libertadores de África Rua Libertadores de África (Portuguese for "street of the Liberators of Africa") is one of the main streets in the city centre of Mindelo, Cape Verde It was formerly called Rua Lisboa ("Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and large ...

(former ''Rua Lisboa''). Many colonial buildings from the 19th and early 20th century have been preserved in the city centre. Sites of interest include: *

Paços do Concelho The Paços do Concelho is a public building in the city centre of Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde. Built between 1860 and 1873, it houses the administration of the municipality of São Vicente.Palácio do Povo The Palácio do Povo (People's Palace), formerly the Palácio do Governo (Government Palace), is a public building in the city centre of Mindelo in Cape Verde. It is situated at the eastern end of Rua Libertadores de África (formerly Rua Lisboa).< ...

(People's Palace), the former ''Palácio do Governo'' (Government Palace), built in 1874, expanded in 1928-34 * Our Lady of the Light Cathedral, Catholic church built in 1862, seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Mindelo The Diocese of Mindelo ( la, Dioecesis Mindelensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Cabo Verde. Its cathedral is Catedral Nossa Senhora da Luz in the episcopal see of Mindelo. The diocese is immedi ...

Centro Nacional de Artesanato e Design Centro Nacional de Arte, Artesanato e Design (CNAD) (English: "National Centre for Art, Crafts and Design") is a cultural centre in the city of Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, in Cape Verde. It is the first cultural institution built from ...

, built as the house of Senator Vera Cruz at the end of the 19th century, now houses exhibitions from Cape Verdean craftsmen * Fortim d'El Rei, a former fortress built in 1852 *Torre de Belém, on the waterfront, a 1918-1937 replica of the

Belém Tower Belém Tower ( pt, Torre de Belém, links=no, ), officially the Tower of Vincent of Saragossa, Saint Vincent ( pt, Torre de São Vicente, links=no) is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and dis ...

in Lisbon * Farol do Ilhéu dos Pássaros, lighthouse on

Ilhéu dos Pássaros Ilhéu dos Pássaros is an uninhabited rocky islet in the bay of Mindelo, São Vicente Island, Cape Verde. It lies about west of the headland Ponta João Ribeiro, and northwest of Mindelo city centre. It lies between the Porto Grande Bay an ...

*Municipal market, built in 1878 *the former Customs House, now the Cultural Centre of Mindelo, built 1858-1860 *Former British Consulate, built in the 1870s Fortim (S Vicente, Cabo Verde)

Statues

*Statue of

Diogo Afonso Diogo Afonso ( fl. 15th century) was a Portuguese explorer. Biography He took part in several explorations in the northwest and west coast of Africa which were made by Prince Henry. In 1444, he commanded a ship which had other explorers includi ...

on Mindelo Beach - after the explorer of the island *Statue of

Baltasar Lopes da Silva Baltasar Lopes da Silva ( Caleijão, São Nicolau, 23 April 1907 - Lisbon, Portugal, 28 May 1989) was a writer, poet and linguist from Cape Verde, who wrote in both Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. With Manuel Lopes and Jorge Barbosa, he w ...

- after one of the most famous writers of Cape Verde

International relations

Mindelo has been twinned with the following cities:

Twin towns – sister cities

, Norte, Portugal *

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...

, Centro, Portugal *

Kronach Kronach (East Franconian: ''Gronich'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, located in the Frankenwald area. It is the capital of the district Kronach. Kronach is the birthplace of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Maximilian von Welsch, as well as ...

, Bavaria, Germany *

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

, United States *

St Helena Bay Saint Helena Bay ( af, St. Helenabaai) is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Nicknamed by locals as ''Agterbaai'',''St Helena Bay.'' CapeWestCoast.org. http://www.capewestcoast.org/regi ...

, Western Cape, South Africa

Education

University of Cape Verde The University of Cape Verde ( pt, Universidade de Cabo Verde, abbreviated "Uni-CVV") is the only public university of Cape Verde. The main campus is in Palmarejo, Praia, but there are also institutes in Mindelo, Assomada and São Jorge dos Órg ...

, Faculty of Engineering and Maritime Sciences and School of Business and Governance *

Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde The Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde ( pt, Universidade Jean Piaget de Cabo Verde) is a private university in Cape Verde. The university is named after the famous Swiss child psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget. The university was establi ...

- Mindelo campus *

University of Mindelo University of Mindelo ( pt, Universidade do Mindelo) is an institute of higher education in the city of Mindelo, island of São Vicente, Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_langua ...

- Cape Verde's third university *

Escola Jorge Barbosa Liceu Velho is a building in the eastern part of the city center of Mindelo, city centre of Mindelo, Cape Verde. It is situated on Praça Dr. Duarte Silva,Liceu Ludgero Lima Liceu Ludgero Lima is a secondary school in Mindelo, Cape Verde. The school is named after Ludgero Lima, a former employee and fighter for Cape Verdean independence, who died in an aviation accident in March 1975. * Abílio Duarte, independence a ...

- A high school

Demography

At the 2010 census, Mindelo had 70,468 inhabitants. It is the second largest city in Cape Verde after

Praia Praia (, Portuguese language, Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.

Sporting teams

Mindelo has several sports teams that includes the city, Académica, Corinthians and Derby are clubs that includes the entire island. *

Académica do Mindelo Associação Académica do Mindelo (Capeverdean Crioulo, ALUPEC or ALUPEK: ''Akadémika'', São Vicente Crioulo: ''Académica'' or ''Akadémika'') is a football club that had played in the Premier division and the São Vicente Island League in C ...

– football, basketball, athletics *

Batuque FC Batuque Futebol Clube (Capeverdean Crioulo, ALUPEC: ''Batuki Futibol Klubi'', São Vicente: ''Batúque Futebol Klube'') is a football club that plays in the São Vicente Premier Division in Cape Verde. It is based in the city of Mindelo on the i ...

- football *GS Castilho – football, cricket *

FC Derby Futebol Clube Derby (short form: FC Derby, second name: Derby São Vicente) is a football club that had played in the Premier division and the São Vicente Island League in Cape Verde and is Cape Verde's only affiliate of FC Porto and the oldest ...

– football *

CS Mindelense Clube Sportivo Mindelense (Capeverdean Crioulo, ALUPEC or ALUPEK: ''KS Mindelensi'' (''KS'' – ''Klubi Sporting''), São Vicente Crioulo: ''KS Mindelense'' (''KS'' – ''Klube or Clube (CS)'') is a football club that plays in the Prem ...

– football, the oldest club in Cape Verde The main football stadium is

Estádio Municipal Adérito Sena Estádio Municipal Adérito Sena is a multi-use stadium in Mindelo, Cape Verde. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Derby as well as CS Mindelense, Académica, GD Amarantes and Batuque FC and the lesse ...

. Basketball, volleyball and futsal are played at Polivalente de Amarante in the southwest.

Notable people

* Bana – singer * Bau – guitar and cavaquinho player *

Yorgan de Castro Yorgan De Castro (born December 19, 1987) is a Cape Verdean professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is most notable for fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (U ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competes in the Heavyweight division of the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

* B. Leza (1905-1958) – writer, composer and singer * Josimar Dias (born 1986) – footballer, also called Vozinha *

Bela Duarte Bela Duarte is an artist from Cape Verde, Born in the island of São Vicente and was studied decorative arts in Lisbon, Portugal. During the Portuguese Carnation Revolution in 1974, she returned to Cape Verde in Mindelo, together with Manu ...

– artist *

Cesária Évora Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011), more commonly known as Cize, was a Cape Verdean singer-songwriter. She received a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album '' Voz d'Amor''. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing withou ...

(1941-2011) – folk singer *

Fantcha Fantcha (born Francelina Durão Almeida on October 14, 1965) is a Cape Verdean singer. Biography Fantcha was born as Francelina Durão Almeida in chã De Alecrim on São Vicente Island, Cape Verde. She grew up singing in a musically rich ho ...

– singer * Humberto Duarte Fonseca (1916-1983) – scientist *

Corsino Fortes Corsino António Fortes (14 February 1933 – 24 July 2015) was a Cape Verdean writer, poet and diplomat. He served as the first Ambassador of Cape Verde to Portugal from 1975 until 1981 following his country's independence. Biography Fortes wa ...

(1933-2015) – writer * Fock – footballer *

Sergio Frusoni Sergio Frusoni (August 10, 1901 – May 29, 1975) was a poet and promoter of the Cape Verdean Creole language. Biography Sérgio was born in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, the son of Italian immigrants Giuseppe Frusoni and Erminia Bonucc ...

(1901-1975) – poet *

António Aurélio Gonçalves António Aurélio Gonçalves, better known as Nhô Roque (25 September 1901 – 30 September 1984), was a Cape Verdean writer, critic, historian and professor. Life Gonçalves was born in the city of Mindelo, capital of the island of São Vicen ...

(1901-1984)– writer, critic, historian and professor * Leão Lopes – community developer, documentary-maker, politician * Manuel Lopes (1907–2005) – writer, one of the founders of ''

Claridade ''Claridade'' (Portuguese for "light") was a literary review inaugurated in 1936 in the city of Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. It was part of a movement of cultural, social, and political emancipations of the Cape Verdean soc ...

'' *

João Cleofas Martins João is the Portuguese equivalent of the given name John. The diminutive is Joãozinho and the feminine is Joana. It is widespread in Portuguese-speaking countries. Notable people with the name are enumerated in the sections below. Kings * ...

(born 1901) - photographer and humorist *

Ovídio Martins Ovídio de Sousa Martins (September 17, 1928 in Mindelo, São Vicente – April 29, 1999 in Lisbon, Portugal) was a famous Cape Verdean poet and journalist. He attended high school in his home country, he went to pursue studies in PortugalLo ...

(born 1928) - poet *

Vasco Martins Vasco Martins is a Cape Verdean musician and composer. Born in Queluz, Portugal, in 1956, he lives now in Calhau, Cape Verde. Biography Self-taught, he began his studies in 1974. He was a member of the band Colá in 1976, but then went to Por ...

– musician *

Tito Paris Tito may refer to: People Mononyms *Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman *Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journal ...

(born 1968) – musician *

Gualberto do Rosário António Gualberto do Rosário () (born October 12, 1950) was Prime Minister of Cape Verde from 29 July 2000 to 1 February 2001. He was also the acting Prime Minister from July to October 2000 and Leader of the Movement for Democracy. Political ...

(born 1950) – acting Prime Minister and later Prime Minister of Cape Verde *

Onésimo Silveira Onésimo Silveira (February 10, 1935 – April 29, 2021) was a Cape Verdean politician and writer. Biography As a young poet, Silveira was one of the most prominent critics of the literary elite in Cape Verde. He was associated with the views of ...

(1935–2021) – poet, diplomat and a political activist *

Jenifer Solidade Jenifer Solidade Almeida (born 13 June 1984) is a singer from Cape Verde. Jenifer Solidade Almeida was born on 13 June 1984, in the town of Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. Solidade started her career as a backing singer for oth ...

(born 1984) - singer *

Carlos Veiga Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga (; born October 21, 1949 in Mindelo) is a Cape Verdean politician. He was Prime Minister of Cape Verde from April 4, 1991 to July 29, 2000. Early life and education In 1950, Veiga was born in Mindelo, São ...

(born 1949) – former

Prime Minister of Cape Verde This article lists the prime ministers of Cape Verde, an island country in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa, since the establishment of the office of prime minister in 1975. Pedro Pires was the first person to hold the office, ta ...

References

{{Authority control Cities in Cape Verde