Mindelo
| Mindelo | |
|---|---|
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View from Monte Verde | |
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| Coordinates: 16°53′10″N 24°59′17″W / 16.886°N 24.988°WCoordinates: 16°53′10″N 24°59′17″W / 16.886°N 24.988°W | |
| Country | Cape Verde |
| Island | São Vicente |
| Municipality | São Vicente |
| Civil parish | Nossa Senhora da Luz |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Total | 69,904 |
Mindelo (Cape Verdean Creole: Mindel’) is a port city in the northern part of the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. Mindelo is also the seat of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, and this island's municipality. The city is home to 93% of the entire island's population. The town is known for its colourful and animated carnival celebrations, with roots in Portuguese traditions and some Brazilian characteristics.
History
A settlement at Mindelo was founded in 1795 by the Portuguese. It became a coal deposit for ships of the British East India Company in 1838, followed by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company in 1850. The town grew to 1,400 inhabitants in the 1850s. In 1884 a submarine communications cable was laid between Europe, Africa, India and North America, making Mindelo an important communications centre for the British Empire.
The shift from coal to oil as fuel for ships after 1900 caused the decline of Mindelo. Unemployment and poverty struck the island, even worsened by famines and the economical crisis of the 1930s. Many inhabitants emigrated. With independence, the city gained more prominence and has seen steady growth.
Mindelo was the cultural capital of the Portuguese-speaking world from November 2002 until November 2003.[2] Mindelo is also considered the cultural capital of Cape Verde.
Geography
Mindelo is situated at the Porto Grande Bay, a large natural harbour. The town is surrounded by low mountains: the Monte Cara and the Morro Branco headland to the west, and the Monte Verde to the east. The town is crossed by the river Ribeira de Julião.
The Cesária Évora Airport lies 9 km (6 mi) southwest of Mindelo, near the village São Pedro. Ferries for Santo Antão leave from the port. The main streets of Mindelo are Rua Lisboa and Avenida Marginal. Many colonial buildings have been preserved in the city centre.
Climate
Mindelo city enjoys very rare mild and a dry tropical climate (classified as BWh according to Köppen's and Geiger's systematization), much akin to Santa Cruz de Tenerife or Las Palmas on the Canary Islands with only difference of being somewhat warmer during winter months. The average annual temperature in Mindelo is 23.2 °C (74 °F) which is exactly two degrees more than in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. City is very dry with only 98 mm (4 in) every year. These rare climate conditions are due to its position far off the west African coast and because Cape Verde are in the middle of cold Canary Current.
| Climate data for Mindelo | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 23.5 (74.3) |
22.8 (73) |
23.6 (74.5) |
24.2 (75.6) |
24.6 (76.3) |
25.8 (78.4) |
27.3 (81.1) |
27.4 (81.3) |
26.6 (79.9) |
26.1 (79) |
26.4 (79.5) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.0 (77) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.4 (70.5) |
21.0 (69.8) |
21.3 (70.3) |
21.8 (71.2) |
22.2 (72) |
23.6 (74.5) |
24.7 (76.5) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.6 (76.3) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.8 (73) |
23.2 (73.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 19.3 (66.7) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.1 (66.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.9 (67.8) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.1 (71.8) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.2 (73.8) |
22.1 (71.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
21.1 (70) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3 (0.12) |
1 (0.04) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
3 (0.12) |
16 (0.63) |
51 (2.01) |
14 (0.55) |
6 (0.24) |
4 (0.16) |
98 (3.86) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 66 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 70 | 73 | 74 | 72 | 68 | 66 | 68 |
| Source #1: Climate-Data.ORG | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: [3] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Its economy consists mainly of business, fishing, shipping, boating and more commonly tourism which developed more recently. Mindelo has several hotels, restaurants and tourist agencies.
Sites of interest
- Palácio do Governador (Governor's Palace) has a 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.
- Liceu Ludjero Lima (middle school) also has a beautiful colonial architecture
Demography
According to 2010 data, Mindelo has a population of 70,468 inhabitants (50,000 in the mid-1990s) and is the second largest city in Cape Verde after Praia.
| Population of the city of Mindelo (1990–2010)[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
| 47109 | 62497 | 70468 |
Sporting teams
- Académica do Mindelo – Capeverdean Premier Division
- Castilho – Regional Division
- CS Mindelense – Capeverdean Premier Division
- FC Derby – Capeverdean Premier Division
Notable people
- Bana, a Capeverdean singer.
- Bau, a Capeverdean guitar and cavaquinho player.
- Bela Duarte, a Capeverdean artist.
- B. Leza (1905-1958), a Cape Verdean writer, composer and singer
- Manu Cabral - Carnival Artist.
- Josimar Dias, footballer
- Cesária Évora, a notable Cape Verdean folk singer.
- Tchalê Figueira - Painter.
- Humberto Duarte Fonseca, a Cape Verdean scientist
- Corsino Fortes (1933-2015), a Capeverdean writer.
- Fock - Legendary Cape Verdean footballer.
- Sergio Frusoni (10 August 1901), a Cape Verdean Poet.
- António Aurélio Gonçalves, writer, critic, historian and professor
- Leão Lopes - Community Developer, Documentary-Maker, Politician.
- Manuel Lopes (1907–2005), writer, one of the founders of Claridade
- João Cleofas Martins (27 August 1901), Cape Verdean photographer and humorist.
- Ovídio Martins (28 August 1928, Cape Verdean poet.
- Vasco Martins Cape Verdean musician.
- Gabriela Mendes, a notable Cape Verdean folk singer.
- Luís Ramos Morais, a Caepverdean writer.
- Persons from the Mindelo Band
- Mornista de São Vicente, a Capeverdean singer
- Tito Paris (b. 1968), a Capeverdean musician.
- Gualberto do Rosário, acting Prime Minister and later Prime Minister of Cape Verde
- Onésimo Silveira, poet, diplomat and a political activist.
- Carlos Veiga (b. 21 October 1949), a former Prime Minister of Cape Verde
- Vozinha - Talented Cape Verdean goalkeeper and footballer.
Twin towns - Sister cities
Mindelo is twinned with:
See also
References
- ↑ "2010 Census results". Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (in Portuguese). 17 March 2014.
- ↑ Capital Lusófona 2003 (in Portuguese)
- ↑ "Weather Base". Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ↑ Source: City Population, citing the Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas.
- ↑ List of Portuguese twin-towns - page 383
External links
- Mindelo Infos A site dedicated to Mindelo (in French only, but with a lot of beautiful pictures in the album):
- Quem ca conchê Mindelo, Ca conché Cabo-Verde (Manuel de Novas)
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