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Historical Timeline for the Cape Verde Islands
By Melody Lassalle
Pre-1400s--The Moors and others may have visited the islands but never inhabited them.
1456--Islands discovered by Luigi de Cadamosto, a navigator for Portugal
1460--Islands scouted by Diogo Gomes and Antonio de Nola, Portuguese explorers
1462--Colonists from Portugal begin settling in Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha), Santiago Island, Cape Verde
1460s--Slaves from West Africa are brought to the islands to work on plantations
1495--Cape Verde becomes part of the Portuguese empire
1500s--A penal colony is established for Portuguese convicts
1585--Sir Francis Drake sacks Ribeira Grande
16th Century--Cape Verde becomes a shipping center for the slave trade in Brasil and America
1747--First of many droughts hits the islands
1832--Charles Darwin visits Cape Verde and notes deforestation and overgrazing
1830s--Immigration to New England and Hawaii mostly by whalers begins
1876--Slavery abolished
1800s to 1900s--Cape Verde becomes a major shipping port in the Atlantic
1951--Status changed from colony to province
1961--Caboverdeans are given full Portuguese citizenship
1960s--Demonstrations and armed struggles against colonial army begin in Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau
Jan 1973--Aristides Pereira becomes the first President and Pedro Pires is named first Prime Minister
1974--The Caetano regime falls in Portugal to Marxists
July 1975--Cape Verde gains independence from Portugal
1991--First multiparty elections are held. Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro is the first freely elected President
1995--Literacy measured at 71.6% (one of the highest among African nations)
1997--Drought wipes out 80% of grain crops
Jan 2001--Disenchantment with unemployment and the economy causes defeat of MPD party. Jose Maria Neves becomes prime minister
Copyright © 2003 Melody Lassalle
Sources:
1. Embassy of Cape Verde. "Republic of Cape Verde". (Republic of Cape Verde")
2. Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 2001. "Cape Verde". (Cape Verde)
3. World Almanac and Book of Facts, 1993. Pharos Books, 1992.
4. New American Desk Encyclopedia, Signet, 1989. "Cape Verde" (page 222).
5. Infoplease.com. "Cape Verde". Family Education Network Inc : 2000-2003. (Cape Verde)
6. Lonely Planet World Guide. "Destination Cape Verde". (Destination Cape Verde)
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