Boavista Cape Verde Island History - Boa Vista Experience
Boa Vista Cape Verde History
History of the Islands
Brief History of Cape Verde
The fate of the island of Boa Vista along with the rest of Cape Verde has been determined by its position in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. The islands would have been visited over the millennia by Phoenician sea farers along with sailors from West Africa but these early visitors did not settle on the islands and left no trace. It was not until the early explorers from Spain and Portugal began to expand their empires in the mid 15th century that the islands suddenly became important.
There is dispute over the exact date the islands were discovered but it was some time between 1455 and 1461. What is known is that colonisation of the islands began in 1462, starting with the largest island of Santiago, by Portuguese, Spanish and Genoese settlers. The islands were to become important staging posts for the trading routes to the new world. The first settlers introduced goats and planted crops, however they wanted unpaid labour to work the land and found this in abundance among the tribes on the West African mainland and hence the slave trade on the islands began.
The Spanish and Portuguese soon colonised the Americas and a demand for labour grew to service these new kingdoms. There was a rapid expansion in the slave trade between Africa and the Americas with Cape Verde becoming the route through which this traffic in human misery was channelled.
By the 17th Century the French, Dutch and English had joined in the grab for land and trade in the new world and the importance of Cape Verde grew further being the natural junction for trade between Europe, Africa and South America. By now the slaves introduced to the islands had mixed with the original white population producing a race of people who called Cape Verde their home. The Portuguese still remained in overall control of the islands but did little to invest in their future. Meanwhile the goats introduced by the initial settlers continued to eat the sparse vegetation and there were many droughts this had a devastating effect on the islands, in the years 1773 – 1776, 44% of the population died of starvation and disease.
By the late 18th century the industrial revolution led to the rise of the steam ship and this in turn increased the importance of the port of Mindelo on Sao Vicente as a deep sea port with adequate shelter from Atlantic storms and with coaling stations. This in turn led to the demise of several other ports on other islands including Port Ingles (Sal Rei) on Boa Vista. This caused extreme hardship on many of the islands leading to mass emigrations. Cape Verde had now become a vital stopping point for whaling fleets and many islanders used these vessels to gain passage to America and Europe. This led to the growth of significant expat communities of Cape Verdeans and their remittances to their homeland formed a steady supply of cash to the islands in time of need.
The Portuguese viewed Cape Verde as different to the rest of its African colonies; probably because the islands inhabitants were descended from the original Portuguese settlers, and allowed schools to open and the people to become educated. By now this island race had developed its own language, literature, music and culture. By the turn of the 20th century these facts, combined with the increasing frustration at the way the islands were abused by the Portuguese and its people left to suffer in times of hardship and drought (which invariably led to mass starvation of the islanders), led to the call for independence.
In the 1950’s Cape Verde joined forces with Guinea-Bissau on the African mainland in pressing for independence. This eventually led in 1963 to the start of a guerrilla war against Portugal in Guinea-Bissau, although there was no actual armed struggle on the islands of Cape Verde themselves. The Portuguese were eventually overthrown after a group of Portuguese army officers, disillusioned at the futile struggles in Africa, returned to Portugal and over threw the dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazaar. Guinea-Bissau gained independence on 19th November 1973.
The new leadership of Portugal did not want to give up the strategic islands of Cape Verde and it was not until June 1975 that the islands eventually gained independence. However the first dilemma the new Cape Verdean Government had to face was yet another drought in 1977 threatening its very existence. This time however the world came to the aid of this new nation and supplies of food were sent to relieve the starvation.
The Cape Verdean government has learnt to exploit the few advantages the islands have and have opened them up to foreign investments including tourism. When tourism was initially discussed one Cape Verdean government minister is famously quoted as saying “why would anyone wish to come here, all we have is sun, sea and beaches”. Luckily for Cape Verde this is exactly what nearly every Northern European wants in the middle of winter.
Brief History of Boa Vista
The island was discovered by the Portuguese around 1460 and named Saint Cristovao, very little happened for the next 150 years. By 1619 there were only a handful of people living on the island hunting the goats that were introduced by the first settlers. The island was often the first sight of land for many Portuguese sailors on their voyages across the Atlantic and their cries of “good sight” (Boa Vista) led to the current day name.
Around 1620 English sailors discovered the islands high quality salt production and realised its potential, they settled around the natural salt pans in the South of the island and built its first settlement at Povoacao Velha. This led to a period of relative prosperity for the island and by 1677 Boa Vista even had its own priest. Unfortunately this prosperity attracted the attention of sea borne raiders and it was regularly plundered leading to the arming of the population of Povoacao Velha.
By 1800 Porto Ingles (Sal Rei) with its sea port became the most important town on the island, but the plundering continued and after the town was razed in 1818 the decision was taken to build a fort on the Ilheu do Sal Rei (see article in “things to see” section of the website). With this protection the island again prospered and it became an important cultural centre, even giving rise to the most famous style of Cape Verdean music, the “Morna”. At one time it was even argued that Sal Rei should be the capital for the whole of Cape Verde.
However the rise in importance of the Port of Mindelo on Sao Vicente (see Cape Verdean history above) led to a sharp decline in fortune. By the mid 19th century, following a series of droughts, most of the population had emigrated. There was a brief revival at the start of the 20th century with the export of lime, clay tiles and castor oil but continued drought and famine have plagued Boa Vista for the past 100 years.
Then at the turn of the 21st century tourism arrived!!
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