Mindelo is a port town on the Cape Verde in the northern part of the island of São Vicente. Mindelo is also the seat of this island's municipality. It has a population of about 50,000 inhabitants. The town's deep-water port, Porto Grande which is connected with Baía de Mindelo or Mindelo Bay which was formed by an underwater crater of a volcano, is used for cruise ships and other commercial traffic. The population is home to nearly 80% of the entire island's population. The Ilhéu dos Pássaros which is 82 m above sea level and has a lighthouse.

• Population: around 47,080 (1991), 62,970 island?(2001)
• Density: around 101.49/km²
• Location: 16.8833 (16°53'N)
  • Latitude: -25 (25°0'W)
  • Longitude:
• Altitude:
  • Lowest: Atlantic Ocean
  • Centre: 60 m (203 ft)
• Area: 67 km²
• Name of inhabitants: Mindelense sing

Nearest communities

• Lazareto, SW
• Madeiral , SE
• Seixal , E

The geography is surrounded by a tan-colored deforested mountain to the east and a smaller mountain to the north probably named Vigia . The urban sprawl reaches to the small mountain. Another mountain range named Monte Cara which is colored like chestnut and chocolate are to the south and has tens of mountaintops and are also deforested. A little lower is another urban sprawl named Lazareto which is much smaller and touches the lower parts of the mountain. The point to its northwest is called Morro Branco . The river named Ribeira Julião .

The town is also known for its colourful and animated carnaval celebrations. Carnaval has its roots in Portuguese traditions and has also absorbed some Brazilian characteristics.

History

There was a coal station in Mindelo in times of steam navigation by the British. Mindelo is a cosmopolitan city. At the shipping routes of Europe, South Africa, India, Australia and Africa and South America, Randall coal company was established. In the beginning of 1875, the firm named Cory Brothers plummeted coal prices which increased the number of ships to 669 per year in 1879. When more ports were built in Dakar, Senegal and in the Canary Islands, the number of ships declined but increased to serve about 2,000 ships per year in the 20th century. In 1952, the coal camps were eliminated as boats switched to diesel.

In 1885, Mindelo was the switching station for the first Trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. In 1912, Mindelo became an important cable station in the world.

Mindelo became the cultural capital of the Portuguese-speaking country/state along with the Lusophone capital in 2003.

Mindelo has schools, high schools, some parks, banks and a few squares praças. The nearest airport is founded in the southwest near São Pedro .

Sites of Interest

• Palácio do Governador (Governor's Palace) has an beautiful colonial architecture. It was constructed with two floors and is well preserved. It used the building style that is represented from India.
• Paço do Concelho - where it serves the city hall of the entire island
• Centro Nacional de Artesanato is an exposition which features qualification from Cape Verdean craftsmen. It also serves prominence in workmanship in paintings, ceramics, fabrics of batique and wooden works.

Persons

• Cesaria Evora, a notable Cape Verdean folk singer.
• Sergio Frusoni (August 10, 1901), a Cape Verdean Poet
• João Cleofas Martins (August 27, 1901), Cape Verdean photographer and humorist
• Ovídio Martins (August 28, 1928, Cape Verdean poet

External links

A site dedicated to Mindelo (in French only, but with a lot of beautiful pictures in the album): Mindelo Infos

• Manuel de Novas Quem ca conchê Mindelo, Ca conché Cabo-Verde , website: In Portuguese
• Capital Lusófona 2003 (in Portuguese)

see also History of Cape Verde, Economy of Cape Verde