Timeline of Boa Vista, Cape Verde

The following is a timeline of the island of Boa Vista, Cape Verde.

Prehistoric era

• During the Ice Age, the island was possibly connected with Maio, though a third of that island was underwater, it formed a part of the "East Island". Its size was approximately 3,000 to 3,500 km2 at the time. It was north-south, it was about 150–200 km long and its width was 20 km and 50 km in the northern part
• Around 6,000 to 5,000 BC: The Eastern Island of Cape Verde broken up into Boavista, Middle and Maio Islands, the Middle Island would later be underwater and became a nearly shallow part of the ocean.
• Around 4,000 to 3,000 BC: Ilhéu de Sal Rei separated from Boa Vista Island.

Colonial era

• 1462 - The island was discovered
• 1587 - The island's first settlement now known as Povoação Velha established
• 1600 - Population: around 1 500
• 1700 - Population: around 2 000
• 1800
  • Population: around 2 500 to 3 000
  • Chapel of Santo António (Saint Anthony) built
• 1810 - Island capital moved from Povoação da Boa Vista to Rabil for its paper production
• 1815 - Sal Rei sacked by pirates
• 1817 - Sal Rei sacked for the second time, the fortress started construction to protect the town and the island
• 1818 - A pirate ship from South America seized the fort, likely one of the last pirate raids in any of the Cape Verde islands.
• 1820 - Forte Duque de Bragança (today, commonly known as Forte de Sal Rei) built on Ilhéu de Sal Rei completed
• Mid 1850s - Population: around 4 000
• 1843 - June: USS Columbus along with William Harwar Parker visited Gata in the northeastern part of the island, one of the first American ships to visit Cape Verde
• 1848 - December: USS Yorktown visited Gata in the northeast of the island, William Harwar Parker again visited the area for his patrol against slavery
• 1900 - Population: around 3 000
• 1935 - The Municipality solely includes the island along with its nearby islets.
• 1940 - Population: 2 779^[1]
• 1950 - Population: 2 985^[1]
• 1960 - Population: 3 263^[1]
• 1970 - Population: 3 569^[1]

After independence in 1975-1999

• 1975 - July 5: Cape Verde declared independence from Portugal and became and independent nation
• 1976 - Onze Estrelas established
• 1977 - July 3: Académica Operária football (soccer) club founded
• 1978 - Boa Vista Island League established
• 1980 - Population: 3 372^[1]
• Around the 1980s: the village of Espingueira became abandoned
• 1990 - Population: 3 452^[1]
• 1992 - July 3: Sal-Rei FC established

21st century

• 2000 - Population: 4 209^[2]
• 2003 - Hotels and villas established west of Rabil

Rabil Airport Terminal in November 2007 when the airport was to fully operate

• 2007 - Rabil Airport (now Aristides Pereira International Airport) became enlarged with a 2,100 meter runway and paved.^[3]
• 2008
  • Estadio Municipal Arsénio Ramos completed and opened
  • Windmills started construction in the northwestern extremity of the island
  • Hotels and villas spread north of Sal Rei
• 2009 - Sal Rei Perimeter Road opened
• Around 2009 - Rabil - Curral Velho paved road completed
• 2010
  • Population - 8 554^[4]
  • Around five hotels and villas built west of Rabil
  • Villas built in the area of Curral Velho
• 2011
  • Onze Estrelas participated in the Boa Vista Island League for the first time
  • Enlargement of the island's only port
• 2011 or 2012
  • Sal-Bofareira-Norte Road completed

Sal Rei along with its port then under expansion in 2012

• 2015 - August 31: Hurricane Fred struck the island, Povoação Velha was without electricity for five days^[5]

See also

• Timeline of Fogo, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Sal, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Santiago, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Santo Antão, Cape Verde
• Timeline of São Vicente, Cape Verde

References

1. Source: Statoids
2. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas.
3. "Cape Verde: New Boavista international airport receives first flights". Macauhub English. 7 November 2007.
4. Portal do Instituto Nacional de Estatística: INE - CENSO 2010.
5. Fonseca, Sanny (2015-08-31). "Boa Vista: Furacão Fred deixa 50 casas destruídas em Povoação Velha" [Hurricane Fred Destroyed About 50 Houses in Povoação Velha]. A Semana (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2015-08-31.