Portuguese 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 ...

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

Barlavento Islands The Barlavento Islands ( Portuguese: ''Ilhas de Barlavento'', literally, the ''Windward Islands'') is the northern group of the Cape Verde archipelago.Cabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015
Instituto Nacional de Estatística The nearest island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by the sea channel Canal de São Vicente. Its population was 38,200 in mid 2019,Instituto Nacional de Estatística, Cabo Verde (web). making it the fourth most populous island of Cape Verde after

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, whose ...

, São Vicente and Sal. Its largest city is

Porto Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of G ...

located on the southern coast (population 9,310 in 2010).

Geography

Santo Antão is long (east-west) and wide (north-south). The island is of volcanic origin and very mountainous, characterized by two high plateaus and several steep river valleys. The southern part of the island has a

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 ...

, while the northeast and the higher elevations are

semi-arid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

.

Rivers

The main rivers of Santo Antão are: *

Ribeira de Alto Mira Ribeira de Alto Mira is a stream in the northwestern part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. Its source is west of the mountain Gudo de Cavaleiro. It flows towards the northwest, entirely within the parish of Santo André, Porto Novo ...

*

Ribeira da Cruz Ribeira da Cruz is a settlement in the northwestern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. Situated 22 km northwest of the island capital Porto Novo, it is part of the parish of Santo André, in the municipality of Porto Novo. It had 42 ...

*

Ribeira da Garça Ribeira da Garça is a river in the northern part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. Its source is on the north side of the eastern plateau of the island, northeast of Pico Moroços.Ribeira Grande *

Ribeira da Janela Ribeira da Janela is a civil parish ( pt, freguesia) in the municipality of Porto Moniz in the Portuguese islands of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 228, in an area of 18.48 km2.Ribeira do Paul Ribeira do Paul is a seasonal stream that flows in the northeastern part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. The stream flows from southwest to northeast. The upper part of the valley belongs to Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park.

*

Ribeira das Patas Ribeira, Portuguese and Galician for ''stream'' or ''riverside'', may refer to the following places: Brazil *Ribeira, São Paulo, a city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil * Ribeira, Rio de Janeiro, a neighborhood in the municipality of Rio de ...

*

Ribeira da Torre Ribeira da Torre is a torrential stream in the northeastern part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. Its source is in the mountains north of the Cova crater, near the locality Rabo Curto. It flows to the north through the settlements X ...

Mountains

The tallest mountain is

Tope de Coroa Tope de Coroa is a mountain on the island of Santo Antão's, Cape Verde. At 1,979 m elevation, it is the highest point of the island. It is in the western part of the island, 25 km west of the island capital Porto Novo. The mountain is enti ...

, reaching an elevation of 1,979 m. Other high mountains on the island are Monte Tomé (1,863 m),

Gudo de Cavaleiro Gudo de Cavaleiro is a mountain in the middle of the island Santo Antão in Cape Verde. Its elevation is 1,810 meters. Part of the eastern plateau of Santo Antão, it lies directly south of the Moroços natural park. Nearby places are the villag ...

(1,810 m), Monte

Moroços Moroços Natural Park (''Parque Natural de Moroços''), in the middle of the island of Santo Antão, is one of ten "natural parks" in Cape Verde.

(1,767 m) and

Pico da Cruz Pico da Cruz (Portuguese meaning "peak of the cross") is a mountain in the eastern part of the island of Santo Antão. Its elevation is 1585 m. It is 5 km southwest of the town Pombas (Paul). It gives its name to the nearby village of Pico ...

(1,584 m).

Climate

Santo Antão island has a

hot 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 climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: BWh) in Sinagoga and Porto Novo and a

cold semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

: BSk) in Espongeiro. The island features very balanced temperatures year round higher on the slopes (~ 800 metres ASL) to cool highland subtropical steppe climate ''BskL'' above 1,000 metres ASL. The average annual temperature on the coast is about , decreasing to some on the highest grounds. There can be remarkably cool weather in the interior with warmer wet season starting in July and ending in December–January with colder dry season starting in December–January and ending in June. The major

climate risk Climate risk refers to risk assessments based on formal analysis of the consequences, likelihoods and responses to the impacts of climate change and how societal constraints shape adaptation options. Common approaches to risk assessment and risk ...

, similarly to other Cape Verdean islands, yet much less pronounced in the higher altitudes due to better ability in gaining moisture from clouds, is drought.

History

The island was discovered in 1461 or 1462 by

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 includ ...

, together with the islands of São Vicente and São Nicolau.Valor simbólico do centro histórico da Praia
Lourenço Conceição Gomes, Universidade Portucalense, 2008 Settlement of the island started in the first half of the 16th century. The main settlement was Ribeira Grande. Other settlements such as

Ponta do Sol Ponta do Sol (; en, "Cape of the Sun") is a municipality in the southwestern coast of the island of Madeira, in the archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 8,862, in an area of . History The settlement of Ponta do Sol began shortly af ...

, Pombas and

Porto Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of G ...

developed in the 19th century. In 1732 the Municipality of Santo Antão was created, with its seat in the town Ribeira Grande. In 1867 this was divided into the municipality of Paul (covering the area of current Paul and Porto Novo) and the municipality of Ribeira Grande. These were merged in 1895 into one municipality. The municipalities of Paul and Ribeira Grande were recreated in 1917.Inventário dos recursos turísticos do município do Paúl
Direcção Geral do Turismo, p. 16 The municipality of Porto Novo was created in 1962 when the parishes of São João Baptista and

Santo André Santo ('saint' in various languages) may refer to: People * Santo (given name) * Santo (surname) * El Santo, Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (1917–1984), Mexican wrestler and actor * Bob Santo or Santo, stage name of Ghanaian comedian John Evans Kwadwo ...

were separated from the older Municipality of Paul.

Population

In the 1830s, the estimated population of Santo Antão was 24,000.

Economy

Fishing and agriculture are the main industries on the island.

Agriculture

The island's agriculture products include

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

, yams,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

, bananas,

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

es, and

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

. The main product on the island is a kind of

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

known as ''

grogue Grogue, also known as grogu or grogo (derived from English ''grog''), is a Cape Verdean alcoholic beverage, an aguardente made from sugarcane. Its production is fundamentally artisanal, and nearly all the sugarcane is used in the production of ...

''. Mills continue to distill grogue in the Paul Valley. Due to its mountainous nature, most of the island's plantations are done in terraces, obviating the use of machinery and requiring immense manual labor. Recently, some experiences using

drip irrigation Drip irrigation or trickle irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. ...

have been taking place in order to mitigate the drought conditions. The exportation of many of the island's agriculture products to other islands has been prohibited for nearly two decades because of the millipede ( Spinotarsus caboverdus)

blight Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. Description Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral org ...

, but the

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

was lifted in 2008.

Tourism

Tourism is becoming one of the most dominant industries on the island. There has been some investment in

Rural tourism Rural tourism is a tourism that focuses on actively participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism. Many villages can facilitate tourism because many villagers are hospitable and eager to welcome or host visitors. Agriculture ...

infrastructures.

Hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

,

Trekking Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back, while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey, and may involve camping outdoors. In North America tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain h ...

and Cultural tourism account for most of the touristic offer of this island.

Administrative divisions

The island is divided in three municipalities, which are subdivided into civil parishes: *

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

CV-PA ** Santo António das Pombas *

Porto Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of G ...

CV-PN ** São João Baptista **

Santo André Santo ('saint' in various languages) may refer to: People * Santo (given name) * Santo (surname) * El Santo, Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta (1917–1984), Mexican wrestler and actor * Bob Santo or Santo, stage name of Ghanaian comedian John Evans Kwadwo ...

* Ribeira Grande CV-RG **

Nossa Senhora do Rosário Nossa Senhora do Rosário is a civil parish and most populated area in the municipality of Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. With a population of 5396 inhabitants in 2011, the parish covers an area ...

** Nossa Senhora do Livramento ** Santo Crucifixo ** São Pedro Apóstolo

Nature

Santo Antão has 50 endangered species of flora which has the most number in the nation. Several flora found in the island that are also found in some parts of the archipelago includes '' Aeonium gorgoneum'', ''

Artemisia gorgonum ''Artemisia gorgonum'' is a species of flowering plants of the family Asteraceae, endemic to Cape Verde. Its local name is ''losna'' or ''lasna''. The plant plays a role in traditional medicine. Description ''Artemisia gorgonum'' is an aromatic ...

'', ''

Campanula jacobaea ''Campanula jacobaea'' is a species of flowering plants of the Campanulaceae family. The species is endemic to Cape Verde and is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Its local name is ''contra-bruxas-azul'' ("blue against witches"). The plant is use ...

'', the ''Conyza'' species of '' feae'', '' pannosa'' and '' varia'', '' Echium stenosiphon'', '' Kickxia webbiana'', ''

Lavandula rotundifolia ''Lavandula rotundifolia'' is a species of flowering plants of the family Lamiaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde.Oromí, Martín, Zurita & Cabrera, 2005 : Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: Hongos, Plantas y Animales ...

'', '' Limonium braunii'', '' Micromeria forbesii'', '' Sonchus daltonii'', Capeverdean navelwort (''

Umbilicus schmidtii ''Umbilicus schmidtii'' is a flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde.Oromí, Martín, Zurita & Cabrera, 2005 : Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: Hongos, Plantas y Animales Terrestres. ...

'') and '' Verbascum capitis-viridis''. Flora found only in the island include ''

Tornabenea insularis ''Daucus insularis'' is a species of flowering plants of the family Apiaceae. The species is endemic to Cape Verde.Oromí, Martín, Zurita & Cabrera, 2005 : Lista preliminar de especies silvestres de Cabo Verde: Hongos, Plantas y Animales Terres ...

'' and '' ribeirensis''. Santo Antão has different species of birds including the Cape Verde (Iago) sparrow, reptiles including the Cape Verde wall gecko and insects including the spider '' Tetragnatha torrensis'', the moth '' Scopula paneliusi'' and the water bear '' Echiniscus clavispinosus''. The island does not have a lot of animal life comparing to other islands. Along its shores, most of the marine life are within Canal de São Vicente.

Culture

Other than

Portuguese 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 ...

(official language), the majority of the population speaks

Cape Verdean Creole Cape Verdean Creole is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken on the islands of Cape Verde. It is also called or by its native speakers. It is the native creole language of virtually all Cape Verdeans and is used as a second language by t ...

.

Notable people

* Jorge Ferreira Chaves (1920–1982), Portuguese architect * Leão Lopes (b. 1948), writer, professor and entertainment director *

Gabriel Mariano José Gabriel Lopes da Silva, also known as Gabriel Mariano (May 18, 1928 in Ribeira Grande – February 18, 2002 in Lisbon, Portugal), was a Cape Verdean poet, novelist, and an essayist. He studied at São Joaquim and graduated as director in Lis ...

, essayist, novelist and poet *

Luís Romano de Madeira Melo Luís Romano de Madeira Melo (10 June 1922 in Ponta do Sol on Santo Antão, Cabo Verde – 22 January 2010 in Brasil) was a bilingual poet, novelist, and folklorist who has written in Portuguese and the Capeverdean Crioulo of Santo Antão. Biogra ...

, composer *

Manuel de Novas Manuel d' Novas (February 24, 1938 — September 28, 2009) was a Cape Verdean poet and composer. Biography Manuel Jesus Lopes was born in Penha da França, one of the neighbourhoods of Ribeira Grande on the island of Santo Antão, he became on ...

, songwriter * Roberto Duarte Silva (1837–1889), chemist *

Antoninho Travadinha António Vicente Lopes (d. 1987), better known as Antoninho Travadinha was one of the major autodidactic musicians of Cape Verde originated from Janela in Paúl the island of Santo Antão. He performed the popular dances when he was only nine ...

,

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist * Dina Salústio, teacher, poet, writer and journalist

External links

University of Massachusetts
- information and images from Santo Antão

* Wikivoyage Santo Antão- travel information for Santo Antão
Wikitravel

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Santo Antao, Cape Verde Islands of Cape Verde

Geography

Rivers

Mountains

Climate

History

Population

Economy

Agriculture

Tourism

Administrative divisions

Nature

Culture

Notable people

See also

External links

References