Maio, Cape Verde (municipality)
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Maio is the easternmost of the Sotavento islands of
Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...
. Maio is located south of the island of Boa Vista and east of Santiago. Administratively, the island forms one '' concelho'' (municipality): Maio.


History

The island was discovered in 1460. It was first settled at the end of the 16th century, when the land was used to raise livestock, especially goats. Salt was first exploited in the 17th century which caused the population to grow. The English exported salt to Europe from
Porto Inglês Porto Inglês (Portuguese for "English port", also: ''Cidade do Maio'', ''Vila do Maio'') is a city
, hence the name of that city.História
Municipio do Maio The inconclusive Battle of Maio was fought between British and French
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
squadrons off the island's southern coast on 23 January 1814 in the last stages of the Napoleonic Wars. Due to persisting drought many inhabitants emigrated from Maio in the 20th century.


Geography

The island has an area of 274.5 km2.2010 Census Summary
/ref> It is 24.1 km long and 16.3 km wide.Cabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015
Instituto Nacional de Estatística
The tallest mountain on the island (436 m) is near the east coast, in a mountain range named
Monte Penoso Monte Penoso is a mountain on the island of Maio, Cape Verde. At 436 m elevation, it is the island highest point. It is situated in the eastern part of the island, 3 km southwest of Pedro Vaz and 13 km northeast of the island capital P ...
.
Terras Salgadas Terras Salgadas (Portuguese meaning "salty lands") is a vast natural area covering the northwestern part of the island of Maio, Cape Verde. It is part of the protected area ''Parque Natural do Norte da Ilha do Maio''.Ponta Cais Ponta Cais is a headland and the northernmost point of the island of Maio, Cape Verde, Maio, Cape Verde.
. 20% of the island area (54.5 km2) is forested and 28% of the island area (76.0 km2) is a protected area.Estatísticas do Ambiente - 2016
Instituto Nacional de Estatística, p. 24-25
Bays includes
Baía do Galeão Baía do Galeão is a bay on the north coast of the island of Maio in Cape Verde. The nearest village is Cascabulho, to the south. The bay was mentioned as "Ghelloons" in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703 – ...
and
Baía da Santana Baía da Santana (Portuguese meaning Saint Anne's bay) is a bay on the northwest coast of the island of Maio in Cape Verde. The nearest village is Morrinho, about 2 km to the south. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Santana Baia Bays of Cape Verde ...
to the north and in the southeast is a lagoon named Lagoa Cimidor. The uninhabited islet
Ilhéu Laje Branca Ilhéu Laje Branca is an uninhabited islet near the north coast of Maio Island, Cape Verde. It lies about from the coast. It is part of the protected area ''Parque Natural do Norte da Ilha do Maio'', and hosts a colony of white-faced storm petr ...
lies near its north coast. The island's main town is
Porto Inglês Porto Inglês (Portuguese for "English port", also: ''Cidade do Maio'', ''Vila do Maio'') is a city
, near which its airport,
Maio Airport The Maio Airport (Portuguese ''Aeródromo do Maio'') is an airport in Cape Verde located in the island of Maio, about 3 km north of the island capital Porto Inglês. Its runway measures by wide.


Municipality

Administratively, the island of Maio is covered by one municipality, ''
Concelho do Maio''. This municipality consists of one '' freguesia'' (civil parish), ''Nossa Senhora da Luz'', which also covers the whole island. The ''freguesia'' is subdivided into the following settlements: * Alcatraz *
Barreiro Barreiro may refer to: People * Bruno Barreiro (born 1965), American politician * Gustavo Barreiro (1959–2019), American politician * Manu Barreiro (born 1986), Spanish footballer Places * Barreiro, Portugal ** Barreiro Municipality, a munic ...
(town) * Calheta (town) *
Cascabulho Cascabulho is a village in the northern part of the island of Maio, Cape Verde, Maio in Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 204. It is located 15 km northeast of the island capital Porto Inglês. Further north is the nature reserve Terras Salga ...
* Figueira * Morro *
Morrinho Morrinho is a settlement in the northwest of the island of Maio in Cape Verde. It is 14 km north of the island capital Porto Inglês and 4 km north of Calheta. As of the 2010 census, its population was 444. To its north are the nature reserve ...
* Pedro Vaz *
Pilão Cão Pilão Cão is a settlement in the eastern part of the island of Maio in Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 102. It is located 1 km south of Alcatraz and 14 km northeast of the island capital Porto Inglês. See also *List of villages and sett ...
*
Porto Inglês Porto Inglês (Portuguese for "English port", also: ''Cidade do Maio'', ''Vila do Maio'') is a city
(city) *
Praia Gonçalo Praia Gonçalo is a settlement in the northeast of the island of Maio in Cape Verde. In 2010 population was 67. It is located 2 km north of Pedro Vaz and 18 km northeast of the island capital Porto Inglês. See also *List of villages and settle ...
*
Ribeira Dom João Ribeira Dom João is a settlement in the southeast of the island of Maio in Cape Verde. It lies near the coast, 4 km east of Barreiro and 10 km east of Porto Inglês. As of the 2010 census, its population was 203. See also *List of villages an ...
*
Santo António Santo António (Portuguese for Saint Anthony), also known as Santo António do Príncipe, is the main settlement of the island of Príncipe in São Tomé and Príncipe. It lies on the north east coast. It is the capital of the Autonomous Regio ...


Politics

Since 2004, the Movement for Democracy (MpD) is the ruling party of the municipality. The results of the latest elections, in 2016:Official results local elections 2016
''Boletim Oficial I Série, Número 53'', 23 September 2016


Population

In the 1830s, the population was estimated at 2,500. Most people in Maio are Roman Catholic.


Economy

The island prospered around salt collecting in its early days of colonialism, with a little agriculture and grazing. There are two types of agriculture practiced in Maio, rain fed and irrigated. During the raining season products as corn, beans, pumpkins and melons are being cultivated. Products that farmers cultivate year round are sweet potato, cassava, papaya, fig, coconut and tamarind. Goats, cows, pigs, chickens and donkeys are common on the island. Few people own a horse. Scarcity of water is the biggest problem for the locals. Fishery is important and abundant available. Tuna, sailfish and different coral fishes such as the coral hind are caught. The economy is heavily supported by migrants who send money to their family on the island.


Sports

Football is by far the most popular sport, but basketball and futsal along with water sports as surfing, diving and swimming are becoming more popular.


Notable people

*
Maria Helena da Costa Dias Maria Helena Ferreira Chaves da Costa Dias (1917-1994) was a Portuguese writer Biography She was born in Porto Inglěs (now Cidade do Maio) on the island of Maio to architect Raul Pires Ferreira Chaves. She was also sister of the architect Jorge ...
, Cape Verdean born Portuguese writer and translator * Edy Tavares, basketball player * Horace Silver, jazz pianist, composer, and arranger


References


External links


Official website



maiocapeverde.com
{{Authority control Municipalities of Cape Verde Islands of Cape Verde