Praia is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde. Located on the southern coast of Santiago island, within the Sotavento Islands group, the city is the seat of the Praia Municipality. Praia is the economic, political, and cultural center of Cape Verde.
Cidade Velha is a city in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Founded in 1462, it is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde and its former capital. Once called Ribeira Grande, its name was changed to Cidade Velha in the late 18th century. It is the seat of the Ribeira Grande de Santiago municipality.
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.
Ribeira Grande de Santiago is a concelho (municipality) of Cape Verde. It is situated in the southwestern part of the island of Santiago. Its seat is the city Cidade Velha. Its population was 8,325 at the 2010 census, and its area is 137.3 km2.
Porto Mosquito is a settlement in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is situated on the south coast, 10 km northwest of Cidade Velha. It is part of the municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago.
Porto Gouveia is a settlement in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is situated on the south coast, 7 km northwest of Cidade Velha. It is part of the municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago.
João Varela is a settlement in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is situated 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Cidade Velha and 9 km (5.6 mi) northwest of the capital Praia. It is part of the municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago.
Santíssimo Nome de Jesus is a freguesia of Cape Verde. It covers the eastern part of the municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago, on the island of Santiago.
Cape Verde was a colony of the Portuguese Empire from the initial settlement of the Cape Verde Islands in 1462 until the independence of Cape Verde in 1975.
Forte Real de São Filipe is a 16th century fortress in the city of Cidade Velha in the south of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is located on a plateau above the town centre, 120 meters above sea level. The historic centre of Cidade Velha is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2009. The fort was part of a system of defence for the city, which also included six smaller forts on the coast and a wall along the port.
Salineiro is a village in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is part of the municipality of Ribeira Grande de Santiago. In 2010 its population was 1,113. It is located on the western edge of the Ribeira Grande gorge, 2.5 km north of Cidade Velha and 11 km west of the capital Praia.
Plateau is the historic centre of the capital city of Praia in the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It gets its name because it is situated on a plateau overlooking the port of Praia. Its average elevation is 37 meters above sea level. The population of Plateau was 1,019 at the 2010 census. Many public buildings are situated in Plateau, notably the Presidential Palace, the cathedral, the city hall and the Ethnographic Museum.
Ribeira Grande de Santiago is a stream in the southern part of the island of Santiago in Cape Verde. In its upper part it is called Ribeira Cadacina. Its source is in the central mountain range of the island, near Monte Tchota, west of Rui Vaz, in the municipality of São Domingos. It flows towards the south, and joins the Atlantic Ocean in Cidade Velha. Villages along its course are Achada Loura, Salineiro and Calabaceira. A reservoir for irrigation was built near Salineiro in 2013.
Praia Harbor is the port of the city of Praia in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is situated in a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean. Since the latest modernization in 2014, it has 2 long quays, 3 shorter quays, a quay for fishing boats with fish processing installations, 2 container parks, 2 roll-on/roll-off ramps and a passenger terminal. The total length of the quays is 863 m, and the maximum depth is 13.5 m. The port of Praia played an important role in the colonization of Africa and South America by the Portuguese. With 817,845 metric tonnes of cargo and 85,518 passengers handled (2017), it is the second busiest port of Cape Verde, after Porto Grande (Mindelo).
Calabaceira is a village in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is part of the municipality Ribeira Grande de Santiago. In 2010 its population was 366. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ribeira Grande gorge, 2 km northeast of Cidade Velha and 10 km west of the capital Praia.
The following is a timeline of the city of Praia, capital of Cape Verde.
Nossa Senhora do Rosario church is a 15th century church in the town of Cidade Velha on the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. It is located in the northwest of the town, near the right (west) bank of the stream Ribeira Grande de Santiago. The historic centre of Cidade Velha is an UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2009.
São Martinho Grande is a settlement in the southern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde, and part of the municipality Ribeira Grande de Santiago. It is 4 km east from Cidade Velha and 6.5 km west of Praia city centre. National road EN1-ST05 passes north of it. 1.5 km to its south is Calheta de São Martinho, a small bay of the Atlantic Ocean. It was mentioned as "Kalyete de S. Martin" on the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.
