''Plateau'' is the historic centre of the capital city of Praia in the island of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

, Cape Verde. It gets its name (from French “plateau”) because it is situated on a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

overlooking the port of Praia. Its average elevation is 37 meters above sea level. The population of ''Plateau'' was 1,019 at the 2010 census. Many public buildings are situated in ''Plateau'', notably the Presidential Palace, the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

, the city hall and the

Ethnographic Museum Ethnographic museums conserve, display and contextualize items relevant to the field of ethnography, the systematic study of people and cultures. Such museums include: List by country/region Albania * Ethnographic Museum of Kavajë, * Gjirokast� ...

BARROW(1806) p098 PORTO PRAYA, ISLAND OF ST

Adjacent neighbourhoods are Gamboa/Chã de Areia to the south, Várzea to the southwest and west,

Achadinha Achadinha (from Achada + diminutive ''-inha'', meaning ''Little Achada'') is a civil parish in the municipality of Nordeste on São Miguel Island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 535, in an area of 12.41&n ...

to the northwest,

Fazenda A ''fazenda'' () is a plantation found throughout Brazil during the colonial period (16th - 18th centuries). They were concentrated primarily in the northeastern region, where sugar was produced in the ''engenhos'', expanding during the 19th ...

to the north and Praia Negra to the east.

History

Praia was founded as a small village near the natural harbour in the early 16th century. Due to its strategic position on a plateau it was easily defended against pirate attacks, which gave it a large advantage over the older city of Ribeira Grande (

Cidade Velha Cidade Velha (Portuguese for "old city", also: ''Santiago de Cabo Verde'') is a citygrid plan, lined with grand colonial buildings and mansions.Antigas residências senhoriais do Centro Histórico da Praia
Domingas Andrade Silva Barbosa de Pina, Universidade de Cabo Verde, 2009 Since 2016, the historic centre of Praia is on the tentative list of

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s.Centre historique de Praia
UNESCO Praia-Nossa Senhora da Graça (1)

Cityscape

The streets of ''Plateau'' are laid out according to a grid plan. The main square is

Praça Alexandre Albuquerque Praça Alexandre Albuquerque is the main square of the capital city of Praia, Cape Verde. It is located in the southwestern part of the Plateau, the historical city centre of Praia. Formerly known as ''Praça do Pelourinho'', it received its curre ...

, lined by the city hall and the cathedral. The main streets are Avenida Andrade Corvo, Rua Serpa Pinto and Avenida Amílcar Cabral.

Landmarks and points of interest

* City Hall of Praia * Museu Etnográfico da Praia * National Justice Palace * Presidential Palace of Cape Verde * Palácio da Cultura

Ildo Lobo Ildo Lobo (November 25, 1953 – October 20, 2004) was a Cape Verdean singer. His versatile and melodic voice, commanding stage presence and trademark berets made him one of the most recognizable performers in Cape Verde.Agostinho Neto António Agostinho da Silva Neto (17 September 1922 – 10 September 1979) was an Angolan politician and poet. He served as the first president of Angola from 1975 to 1979, having led the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) ...

, the island's main hospital * International Portuguese Language Institute ('' Instituto Internacional de Língua Portuguesa'') * The Post Office building of Praia, headquarters of Correios de Cabo Verde * Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace *

Quartel Jaime Mota Quartel Jaime Mota is a historical building in the historic city centre (Plateau) of Praia, Cape Verde. It is situated at the southern end of Avenida Andrade Corvo, near the Presidential Palace of Cape Verde. It was built between 1823 and 1826 a ...

, former military barracks *

Quintal da Música Quintal da Música, abbreviation: 5tal da Música is a music pub located in the downtown area of Praia, the Plateau and is located at 70A Avenida Amílcar Cabral in the northern part of the center, across Rua António Pusich and south of Rua Ant� ...

, music club *

Liceu Domingos Ramos Liceu Domingos Ramos is a public secondary school in the northern part of the city centre (Plateau) of Praia, Cape Verde. , it has 2,300 students, 63 classes and 110 teachers. It was established as ''Liceu Adriano Moreira'' in 1960. In 1975, at the ...

, Praia's secondary school * National Supreme Court Building Praia-Plage de Gamboa (1)

References

External links

Gallery

File:Praia-Musée ethnographique (1).jpg, Praia's Ethnographic Museum File:Vue de Praia.jpg, View of Praia and its plateau around 1896 File:Praia plaza.jpg, António Loreno Square File:Praia CV Praca Domingos Ramos.jpg, Liceu Domingos Ramos, Praia's chief secondary school File:Praia-Palácio da Cultura Ildo Lobo.jpg, Palácio da Cultura Ildo Lobo File:Praia agostinhonetohospital.jpg, Agostinho Neto Hospital {{DEFAULTSORT:Praia