Cova-Ribeira da Torre-Paul Natural Park

Last updated
Cova-Ribeira da Torre-Paul Natural Park
ValeRibeiraPaul.JPG
The Paul Valley facing towards the ocean
Area 20.92 km2 (8.08 sq mi)

Cova-Ribeira da Torre-Paul Natural Park, in the east of the island of Santo Antão, is one of nine "natural parks" in the country of Cape Verde. [1] Its area is 20.92 km2 (8.08 sq mi). [2] The area covers the southeastern part of the municipality of Ribeira Grande, all of Paul and a tiny portion of Porto Novo [3]

Santo Antão, Cape Verde Westernmost and largest of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde

Santo Antão is the westernmost island of Cape Verde. At 779 km2 (301 sq mi), it is the largest of the Barlavento Islands group, and the second largest island of Cape Verde. The nearest island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by the sea channel Canal de São Vicente. Its population was 40,547 in 2015, making it the third most populous island of Cape Verde after Santiago and São Vicente. Its largest city is Porto Novo on the south coast.

Cape Verde Country comprising ten islands off the Northwest coast of Africa

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country spanning an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean. It forms part of the Macaronesia ecoregion, along with the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Savage Isles. In ancient times these islands were referred to as "the Islands of the Blessed" or the "Fortunate Isles". Located 570 kilometres (350 mi) west of the Cape Verde Peninsula off the coast of Northwest Africa, the islands cover a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi).

Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde (municipality) Municipality in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Ribeira Grande is a concelho (municipality) of Cape Verde. Situated in the northern part of the island of Santo Antão, it covers one fifth of the island area, and is home to nearly half of its population. Its seat is the city Ponta do Sol.

Contents

About the Natural Park

The area surrounding the Cova Crater Cova Krater.jpg
The area surrounding the Cova Crater
Ribeira da Torre and its valley Ribiera da torre1.JPG
Ribeira da Torre and its valley

The natural park includes several geographical features including the Cova Crater, Ribeira da Torre (except for the vicinity of Ribeira Grande) and the Paul Valley which includes the Janela valleys in the east. The park boundaries are marked except for the eastern part where the actual marking is unknown, parts are marked at the Porto Novo municipal boundary. [3]

Cova (crater)

Cova is a volcanic caldera in the eastcentral part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. It is situated at the southwestern end of the municipality of Paul. Its lowest point is 1,166 meters, and the highest point of the crater rim is about 1,500 m. The diameter of the caldera is about 1.0 km. It forms a part of Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park. The Cova formation dates from between 1.4 million and 700,000 years ago.

Ribeira da Torre river in Cape Verde

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 Xoxo, Fajã Domingas Benta and Lugar de Guene. In the city Ribeira Grande it flows into the river Ribeira Grande, just upstream of its outflow into the Atlantic Ocean. Its upper valley is part of the protected area Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park. There is small-scale agriculture in the valley, producing sugar cane, coffee, yam, banana, papaya and mango.

Paul, Cape Verde Municipality in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Paul is a concelho (municipality) of Cape Verde. Situated in the northeastern part of the island of Santo Antão, it covers 7% of the island area, and is home to 16% of its population. Its seat is the town Pombas.

The natural part also features endangered fauna such as Tornabenea insularis . [3]

Tornabenea insularis is a species of flowering plants of the Apiaceae family. The species is one of six species of the genus Tornabenea that are endemic to Cape Verde. The species was first described by Filippo Parlatore in 1849 as Tetrapleura insularis.

Other geographical features

Other geographical features as well as notable landmarks in the natural park includes: [3]

Pico da Cruz mountain in Cape Verde

Pico da Cruz 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 da Cruz, part of the municipality of Paul. Pico da Cruz is part of the protected area Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park.

Lombo Branco Settlement in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Lombo Branco is a settlement in the northeastern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. It is situated 4 km southeast of Ribeira Grande and 17 km north of the island capital Porto Novo.

Xoxo, Cape Verde Settlement in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Xoxo is a settlement in the northeastern part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. It is situated 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Ribeira Grande and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of the island capital Porto Novo. The settlement lies in Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park. The Ribeira da Torre flows through the settlement. The only road to Xoxo goes from Ribeira Grande through the Ribeira da Torre valley.

World Heritage Site elevation plans

A plan to make the natural park as a World Heritage Site began as a nomination in 2004, one of eight in the tentative list. No plans have been made.

Panoramics

The area offers panoramic views including the Ribeira do Paul, Ribeira da Janela, the east of Porto Novo and the south of the island and the island of São Vicente and its surrounding islets.

Ribeira do Paul river in Cape Verde

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 da Janela is a stream in the eastern part of the island of Santo Antão in Cape Verde. The stream flows from southwest to northeast. Its source is east of Pico da Cruz and it empties into the Atlantic Ocean in the settlement Janela, west of the village Pontinha.

São Vicente, Cape Verde island in Cape Verde

São Vicente is one of the Barlavento Islands, the northern group within the Cape Verde archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, off the west African coast. It is located between the islands of Santo Antão and Santa Luzia, with the Canal de São Vicente separating it from Santo Antão.

See also

Related Research Articles

Santiago, Cape Verde largest island of Cape Verde

Santiago is the largest island of Cape Verde, its most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation’s population. Part of the Sotavento Islands, it lies between the islands of Maio and Fogo. It was the first of the islands to be settled: the town of Ribeira Grande was founded in 1462. Santiago is home to the nation's capital city of Praia.

Monte Verde, Cape Verde mountain

Monte Verde is a mountain in the eastern part of the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. At 744 m elevation, it is the island's highest point. The mountain is located 6 km (4 mi) east of the city centre of Mindelo.

Tope de Coroa mountain in Cape Verde

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 entirely of volcanic origin. The area is the source of several streams including Ribeira de Monte Trigo which flows westward to Monte Trigo.

Serra Malagueta mountain in Cape Verde

Serra Malagueta is a mountain range located in the northern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. At 1064 m elevation, it is highest point of northern Santiago. The mountain range is protected as the Serra Malagueta Natural Park, that was established on February 24, 2005 and covers 774 hectares. The natural park is situated in the municipalities Tarrafal, São Miguel and Santa Catarina. The summit is in São Miguel, south of the Ribeira Principal valley. The Serra Malagueta formation is of volcanic origin, and was formed between 2.9 and 2.4 million years ago.

Ponta da Fragata

Ponta da Fragata is a headland on the east coast of the island of Sal, Cape Verde. It is situated at the southern end of the Serra Negra mountain, 6 km northeast of the town Santa Maria. To the south of the headland stretches the Costa da Fragata, a 4.7 km long sandy beach which is a protected nature reserve, important as nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles. The nature reserve covers 3.46 km2 (1.34 sq mi) of land and 23.47 km2 (9.06 sq mi) of ocean.

Fogo Natural Park

Fogo Natural Park, on the island of Fogo, is one of ten "natural parks" in the country of Cape Verde. The protected area is 84.69 km2 (32.70 sq mi), which is 17.8% of the total area of the island. 50% of the park lies within the municipality Santa Catarina do Fogo, 28% in municipality of Mosteiros and 22% in São Filipe. The natural park is situated in the interior of the island, and covers the volcano Pico do Fogo, its crater and crater rim (Bordeira) and the forest of Monte Velha. The volcano is active; the most recent eruption was in 2014-15.

Serra do Pico de Antónia

The Serra do Pico de Antónia is a mountain range in the centre of the island of Santiago in the Cape Verde archipelago. It contains the Pico de Antónia, at 1,392 m (4,567 ft) the highest point of the island. It is protected as a natural park,, covering 28.73 km2 (11.09 sq mi). The natural park covers the connected mountain ranges of Serra do Pico de Antónia and of Rui Vaz.

Monte Velha mountain in Cape Verde

Monte Velha is a peak in the northeastern part of the island of Fogo in Cape Verde. Its elevation is 1,482 m. It is a subpeak of the Pico do Fogo volcano, located at the northeastern end of the crater rim. It lies within the municipality of Mosteiros, 4 km southwest of the city centre. Its forest is a protected area, part of the larger Fogo Natural Park.

Pico da Cruz (village) Settlement in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Pico da Cruz is a settlement in the northeastern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 138. It is situated 6 km southwest of Pombas and 10 km northeast of the island capital Porto Novo. Its elevation is about 1,400 meters. The village is named after the nearby mountain Pico da Cruz. It lies in the Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park.

Moroços Natural Park, in the middle of the island of Santo Antão, is one of ten "natural parks" in Cape Verde. The protected area is 8.18 km2 (3.16 sq mi). It covers 7.46 km2 (2.88 sq mi) of the municipality of Ribeira Grande, and 0.71 km2 (0.27 sq mi) of Porto Novo.

Cabo da Ribeira Settlement in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Cabo da Ribeira is a settlement in the eastern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 912. It is situated at about 500 m elevation in the upper valley of the Ribeira do Paul, 5 km southwest of Pombas. It is part of the municipality of Paul, and lies in the Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park.

References

  1. ↑ Espaços Naturais Protegidos , 2013
  2. ↑ Resolução nº 36/2016, Estratégia e Plano Nacional de Negócios das Áreas Protegidas
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cova-Paul-Ribeira da Torre Natural Park Cabo Verde Info (in Portuguese), accessed April 7, 2018

Coordinates: 17°07′19″N25°01′36″W / 17.12208°N 25.02677°W / 17.12208; -25.02677

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.