| GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary) The Republic of Cabo Verde or Cape Verde is found in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast, west of the African mainland. The country is named after the Cap-Vert peninsula; 'green cape', on the Senegalese coast. The islands of Sal, Boa Vista and Maio are flat, dry and sandy deserts, but with great beaches. Santo Antáo, Sáo Vicente, Sáo Nicolau, Brava and 
Santiago, are rockier and have much more vegetation. Fogo quite the same,
only
with an active volcano. The total land area is around 4,033 square kilometres, the
population is around 500.000, and they speak mainly Cape Verdean Creole,
while the official languish is Portuguese. The vast majority of Cape
Verdeans are Christian, far the most Catholic.The Cape Verde islands were uninhabited until 1456, when discovered by the Portuguese, who claimed the islands as their first west African settlement in 1460. In the 1540s, the islands were then populated one by one, and Cape Verde were declared a Portuguese colony. Positioned between Africa, Europe, and the New World, the islands became centre for the slave trade, and later a shipping port. In 1772 and 1902, a series of droughts hits Cape Verde islands, leading to significant emigration and death. 1956 is the starting point for Cape Verde independence through PAIGC, which leads to war against Portugal. In 1974 the Portuguese regime falls and Cape Verde independence is declared in 1975. Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland, because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures on the islands, and cold Atlantic currents produce an arid atmosphere around the archipelago.
For once, I'll just intend to enjoy the views, and can't be really be bothered with names. That said, I am looking forward to see the awesome Cape Verde Dragon Tree; Dracaena caboverdeana (above), described by Águedo Marrero Rodriguez and Rafael S. Almeida in 2017. To me, it seems to be way more D. cinnabari-like in its appearance than Dracaena draco, although with a significantly shorter stem. It differs from the type species from the Canary islands by very showy bluish-green leaves and a more compact habit with a much shorter trunk, larger top, wider leaves and greater fruits and seeds. Especially Sáo Nicolau has its share of them, in areas above 500 meters to 900 metres on north-facing slopes. Other caudiciforms which I would like photos of are Atriplex halimus (to the left) and Ficus thonningii.
DIARY
Santiago is the largest islands of Cape Verde, it
is the
most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation's population.
It covers 990 square kilometres, measuring 55 times 29 kilometres, but the
terrain make it feel significantly bigger. In 1460, António de Noli became the first
to visit the island, and he settled here in 1462.
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Animals:
Cape Verde's isolation has resulted in the islands having several endemic
species, particularly among the 150 species of birds and 22 species of
reptiles, many of which are endangered by human development. 
The Flora of Cape Verde includes about 664
species of plants. Vegetation on the islands is basically of the savannah or
steppe type. There are trees, typical of both temperate and tropical
climates, depending on elevation. The flatter parts of the islands sustain
semi-desert plants,
while the higher lands have arid scrubland. The leeward slopes tend to
contain desert, with a very sparse shrub cover, mostly thorny or toxic.
Tamarix
senegalensis and tamateira; Phoenix atlantica.