Mindelo
Archipelago
Mindelo is a port city on the island of São Vicente ( Cape Verde) with 62 970 inhabitants ( 2000).
The harbor, which was an important supply station on transatlantic routes starting in 1850, now serves as a contact point for cruise ships. Mindelo is known for its colorful carnival reminiscent of the Brazilian Carnival.
Mindelo is considered some as the cultural capital of Cape Verde.
Geography
The city is located in the northwest of the island of São Vicente in the bay of Mindelo, a crater approximately 4 km in diameter.
History
With the advent of steamship British made the port of Mindelo on the supply station for coal. At the intersection of Routes Europe - South Africa - India - Australia and Africa - South America, the company Randall built a coal camp.. Starting in 1875 led the settlement of the company Cory Brothers to significantly declining coal prices and the number of Mindelo ships calling soared to 669 in 1879 with the expansion of the ports of Dakar ( Senegal) and in the Canary Islands dropped the importance of the port temporarily; However, they grew in the early 20th century back to up to 2,000 ships per year. 1952, the coal camps were applied to diesel operation due to the conversion of vessels.
1885, a switching station for the first transatlantic telegraph cable was built in Mindelo, Mindelo in 1912 was the most important cable station in the Atlantic, converged in nine cable.
2003 Mindelo was the cultural capital of the Portuguese-speaking countries.
Attractions
- Palácio do Governador
- Paços do Concelho
- Centro Nacional de Artesanato
Sons and daughters
- Sergio Frusoni (1901-1975), poet
- Ovídio Martins (1928-1999), poet
- Cesaria Evora (1941-2011), morna singer