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 Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about . These islands ...

. 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 and is Cape Verde's second most populous city and largest city in

Barlavento Islands Cape Verde (formally, the Republic of Cabo Verde) is a group of arid Atlantic islands which are home to distinct communities of plants, birds, and reptiles. Location and description The Cape Verde Islands are located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean ...

. Mindelo is also considered the cultural capital of Cape Verde, known for its colourful and animated

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. 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 A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

. 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 north of Porto on 8 July 1832, marking a turning point in the Liberal Wars (1828 - 1834). It took place at the beach ...

, north of

Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

. 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 that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

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 grou ...

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 seabed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables were laid beginning in the 1850s and car ...

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 ...

, 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 Ca ...

. 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.

Geography

Mindelo is situated at the

Porto Grande Bay Porto Grande Bay (), 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 stretches between the head ...

, 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 a Paleolithic archaeological site in the Llanquihue Province in southern Chile, located near Puerto Montt, Los Lagos Region. The site is primarily known for Monte Verde II, dating to approximately 14,550–14,500 calibrated years ...

to the east. The town is crossed by the river

Ribeira de Julião 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 ...

. The

Cesária Évora Airport Cesária Évora Airport (Portuguese language, Portuguese ''Aeroporto Internacional Cesária Évora'') is Cape Verde's fourth-busiest airport (after Amílcar Cabral International Airport, Sal, Nelson Mandela International Airport, Praia, and Aris ...

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 Morabeza *Alto Santo António *Alto São Nicolau *Alto Solarine/Forca *Atrás do Cemitério/Sul do Cemitério *Bela Vista/Pedreira *Campinho *

Chã de Alecrim Chã de Alecrim is a subdivision of the city of Mindelo in the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. Its population was 5,126 at the 2010 census. It is situated 1.5 km north of the city centre. Bordering subdivisions include Matiota Matiota< ...

*Chã de Cemitério *Chã de Marinha *Chã de Monte Sossego *Chê Guevarra * City center/Morada *Cruz João Evora *Dji d'Sal *Fernando Pó * Fonte Cónego *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 in the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. Its population was 3,956 at the 2010 census. It borders the city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, C ...

*Ribeira da Craquinha *Ribeira de Julião *Ribeira de Passarão *Ribeirinha *Tchetchênia *Vila Nova/Lombo Tanque *Zona Industrial Sul *Zona Militar

Climate

Mindelo city 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 ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''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 ( ; ) is the capital and largest c ...

(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 Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central A ...

, built 1860–1873, the city hall 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 () 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 immediately exempt to the Holy ...

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 Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the ...

, 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 (, ; literally: Bethlehem Tower), officially the Tower of Vincent of Saragossa, Saint Vincent () is a 16th-century fortification located in Lisbon that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers a ...

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 and ...

*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

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 (23 April 1907 – 8 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 was the founder of '' Claridade''. In 1947 ...

- 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 ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...

, Centro, Portugal *

Kronach Kronach (; ) is a Town#Germany, town in Upper Franconia, Germany, located in the Franconian Forest area. It is the capital of the Kronach (district), district Kronach. The town is equipped with a nearly complete city wall and Germany's biggest an ...

, Bavaria, Germany *

New Bedford New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, New Bedford had a ...

, United States *

St Helena Bay Saint Helena Bay () 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/regions/town.php?town ...

, Western Cape, South Africa

Education

University of Cape Verde The University of Cape Verde (, abbreviated "Uni-CV") is the only public university of Cape Verde. The main campus is in Palmarejo, Cape Verde, Palmarejo, Praia, but there are also institutes in Mindelo, Assomada and São Jorge dos Órgãos. It ha ...

, 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 () is a private university in Cape Verde. The university is named after the famous Swiss child psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget. The university was established on 7 May 2001, and now has about 2,00 ...

- Mindelo campus *

University of Mindelo University of Mindelo () is an institute of higher education in the city of Mindelo, island of São Vicente, Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West A ...

- 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 - 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 for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.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 ...

– 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 ...

- 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 ...

– 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 (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of FC Derby as well as CS Mindelense, Académica (Mindelo), Académica, G ...

. 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 Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports f ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

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 TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

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

Cesária Évora Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011) was a Cape Verdean singer known for singing morna, a genre of music from Cape Verde, in her native Cape Verdean Creole. Her songs were often devoted to themes of love, homesickness, nos ...

(1941-2011) – folk singer *

Fantcha Fantcha (born Francelina Durão Almeida on October 14, 1956) is a Cape Verdean singer. Biography Fantcha was born as Francelina Durão Almeida in chã De Alecrim on São Vicente, Cape Verde, São Vicente Island, Cape Verde. She grew up singin ...

– 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 (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, the capital of the island of São V ...

(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'' *

João Cleofas Martins João is a given name of Portuguese origin. It is equivalent to 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 s ...

(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, went to pursue studies in PortugalLobba ...

(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 Port ...

– musician *

Tito Paris Tito Paris (born Aristides Paris 30 May 1963) is a Cape Verdean singer and musician (mainly guitar and bass). Aged 19, he moved to Portugal. Lisbon continues to be his home town. Biography He was born in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente to ...

(born 1968) – musician *

Gualberto do Rosário António Gualberto do Rosário () (born October 12, 1950) was Prime Minister of Cape Verde Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic ...

(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 t ...

(1935–2021) – poet, diplomat and a political activist * Jenifer Solidade (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 Veiga was born in 1949 in Mindelo, Sã ...

(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 Cape Verde#Independence (1975), establishment of the office of prime minister in 1975. Pedro Pires was the firs ...

* Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca (born 1950) - former

president of Cape Verde President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsidente ...

Dani Pinto Daniel Augusto Macedo de Melo e Pinto (born 10 May 1958), better known as Dani Pinto, is a football manager who coaches SL Benfica de Macau and a retired footballer who played as a defender. Born in Cape Verde prior to it becoming independent ...

(1958), football manager

References

{{Authority control Cities in Cape Verde