Mindelo is a port cityCabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015

Instituto Nacional de Estatística Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Portuguese for "National Institute for Statistics") may refer to: * Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Cape Verde) - the national statistical agency of Cape Verde * Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Mozambique) ...

, p. 32-33 in the northern part of the island of São Vicente in

Cape Verde , national_anthem = () , official_languages = Portuguese , national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole , capital = Praia , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , demonym ...

. Mindelo is also the seat of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, and the municipality of São Vicente. The city is home to 93% of the entire island's population. Mindelo is known for its colourful and animated

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival ...

celebrations, with roots in Portuguese traditions later influenced by the Brazilian culture.

History

A settlement at Mindelo was founded in 1793 by the Portuguese.Génese e desenvolvimento da cidade do Mindelo: a preservação de uma identidade
Fred Yanick Fonseca Delgado, 2016 It was initially named ''Nossa Senhora da Luz'', renamed ''Leopoldina'' around 1820 after the Queen consort. In 1838 it was renamed ''Mindelo'' after the 1832 Landing at Mindelo, north of

Porto Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropo ...

. It became a coal deposit for ships of the

British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

in 1838, followed by the

Royal Mail Steam Packet Company The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company was a British shipping company founded in London in 1839 by a Scot, James MacQueen. The line's motto was ''Per Mare Ubique'' (everywhere by sea). After a troubled start, it became the largest shipping group ...

in 1850. The settlement became a town (''vila'') in 1858, and had 1,400 inhabitants then. It became a city (''cidade'') in 1879, and had 3,717 inhabitants then. In 1884 a

submarine communications cable A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea. The first submarine communications cables laid beginning in the 1850s carried te ...

was laid between Europe, Africa, India and North America, making Mindelo an important communications centre for the British Empire. From the beginning of the 20th century the port of Mindelo lost its importance for transatlantic navigation. Causes for this were the shift from coal to oil as fuel for ships, the rise of competing ports like Dakar and the Canary Islands and the lack of investment in port infrastructure. Between 1910 and 1940 there were several strikes in Mindelo, and on 7 June 1934 there were riots in the streets of Mindelo, caused by unemployment and poverty. One man was killed; several were injured. Between 1940 and 1958 three prolonged periods of severe drought, combined with soil erosion and

overgrazing Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature ...

, brought

famine in Cape Verde The archipelago of Cape Verde has been struck by a series of drought-related famines between the 1580s and the 1950s. During these periods of drought and famine, tens of thousands of inhabitants died from starvation and diseases. Background The Ca ...

. In the whole archipelago, about 45,000 people died and 20,000 people emigrated. Mindelo attracted immigrants, notably from nearby Santo Antão, and continued to grow. Mindelo was the cultural capital of the Portuguese-speaking world from November 2002 until November 2003. 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 southwest of Mindelo, near the village São Pedro. Ferries for Santo Antão leave from the port.

Subdivisions

The city is divided into the following localities for statistical reasons: * Alto Miramar *Alto Morabeza *Alto Santo António *Alto São Nicolau *Alto Solarine/Forca *Atrás do Cemitério/Sul do Cemitério *Bela Vista/Pedreira *Campinho * Chã de Alecrim *Chã de Cemitério *Chã de Marinha *Chã de Monte Sossego *Chê Guevarra * City center/Morada *Cruz João Evora *Dji d'Sal *Fernando Pó * Fonte Cónego *Fonte Filipe *Fonte Françês *Fonte Inês/Espia *Fonte Meio/Madeiralzinho * Fortinho/Escola Técnica *Horta Seca *Lazareto * Matiota *Monte/Craca *Monte Sossego *Pedra Rolada * Ribeira Bote *Ribeira da Craquinha *Ribeira de Julião *Ribeira de Passarão *Ribeirinha *Tchetchênia *Vila Nova/Lombo Tanque *Zona Industrial Sul *Zona Militar

Climate

Mindelo city has a

desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

( Köppen: ''BWh''). The average annual temperature is . It is very dry with only around annual precipitation.

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.

Cityscape

The main streets of Mindelo are Avenida Marginal along the waterfront, and the perpendicular Rua Libertadores de África (former ''Rua Lisboa''). Many colonial buildings from the 19th and early 20th century have been preserved in the city centre. Sites of interest include: *

Paços do Concelho The Paços do Concelho is a public building in the city centre of Mindelo, São Vicente, Cape Verde. Built between 1860 and 1873, it houses the administration of the municipality of São Vicente.Palácio do Povo The Palácio do Povo (People's Palace), formerly the Palácio do Governo (Government Palace), is a public building in the city centre of Mindelo in Cape Verde. It is situated at the eastern end of Rua Libertadores de África (formerly Rua Lisboa).< ...

(People's Palace), the former ''Palácio do Governo'' (Government Palace), built in 1874, expanded in 1928-34 * Our Lady of the Light Cathedral, Catholic church built in 1862, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mindelo *

Centro Nacional de Artesanato e Design Centro Nacional de Arte, Artesanato e Design (CNAD) (English: "National Centre for Art, Crafts and Design") is a cultural centre in the city of Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, in Cape Verde. It is the first cultural institution built from ...

, built as the house of Senator Vera Cruz at the end of the 19th century, now houses exhibitions from Cape Verdean craftsmen *

Fortim d'El Rei Fortim d'El Rei is a fort in Mindelo, in the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. It is located on a hill north of the city centre, in the neighbourhood Fortinho. It was built in 1852 for the defence of Porto Grande Bay and the city of Mindelo.

, a former fortress built in 1852 *Torre de Belém, on the waterfront, a 1918-1937 replica of the Belém Tower in Lisbon *

Farol do Ilhéu dos Pássaros Farol de D. Luis (also: ''Farol do Ilhéu dos Pássaros'') is a lighthouse on the islet of Ilhéu dos Pássaros, 1.3 km off the coast of the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. It lies at the entrance to the Porto Grande Bay from the Canal ...

, lighthouse on Ilhéu dos Pássaros *Municipal market, built in 1878 *the former Customs House, now the Cultural Centre of Mindelo, built 1858-1860 *Former British Consulate, built in the 1870s Fortim (S Vicente, Cabo Verde)

Statues

*Statue of Diogo Afonso on Mindelo Beach - after the explorer of the island *Statue of Baltasar Lopes da Silva - after one of the most famous writers of Cape Verde

International relations

Mindelo has been twinned with the following cities:

Twin towns – sister cities

, Norte, Portugal *

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...

, Centro, Portugal * Kronach, Bavaria, Germany *

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

, United States * St Helena Bay, Western Cape, South Africa

Education

University of Cape Verde The University of Cape Verde ( pt, Universidade de Cabo Verde, abbreviated "Uni-CVV") is the only public university of Cape Verde. The main campus is in Palmarejo, Praia, but there are also institutes in Mindelo, Assomada and São Jorge dos Ór ...

, Faculty of Engineering and Maritime Sciences and School of Business and Governance * Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde - Mindelo campus * University of Mindelo - Cape Verde's third university * Escola Jorge Barbosa (''Liceu Velho'') - a campus of the University of Cape Verde * Liceu Ludgero Lima - A high school

Demography

At the 2010 census, Mindelo had 70,468 inhabitants. It is the second largest city in Cape Verde after

Praia Praia (, Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.Académica do Mindelo – football, basketball, athletics * Batuque FC - football *GS Castilho – football, cricket * FC Derby – football * CS Mindelense – football, the oldest club in Cape Verde The main football stadium is Estádio Municipal Adérito Sena. Basketball, volleyball and futsal are played at Polivalente de Amarante in the southwest.

Notable people

* Bana – singer * Bau – guitar and cavaquinho player *

Yorgan de Castro Yorgan De Castro (born December 19, 1987) is a Cape Verdean professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is most notable for fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

who competes in the Heavyweight division of the UFC *

B. Leza Francisco Xavier da Cruz, also known as B. Leza or Beleza (earlier Portuguese form: Beléza) (December 3, 1905 – July 14, 1958) was a Cape Verdean writer, composer and singer of morna music.. Biography Da Cruz was born in Mindelo on the island ...

(1905-1958) – writer, composer and singer * Josimar Dias (born 1986) – footballer, also called Vozinha *

Bela Duarte Bela Duarte is an artist from Cape Verde, Born in the island of São Vicente and was studied decorative arts in Lisbon, Portugal. During the Portuguese Carnation Revolution The Carnation Revolution ( pt, Revolução dos Cravos), also know ...

– artist *

Cesária Évora Cesária Évora GCIH (; 27 August 194117 December 2011), more commonly known as Cize, was a Cape Verdean singer-songwriter. She received a Grammy Award in 2004 for her album '' Voz d'Amor''. Nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" for performing without ...

(1941-2011) – folk singer * Fantcha – singer *

Humberto Duarte Fonseca Humberto Duarte Fonseca (20 November 1916 – 1983), was one of the first Cape Verdean scientists. Biography Humberto Fonseca was born in Mindelo on the São Vicente and was the son of Torquato Gomes Fonseca and Leopoldina Duarte Fonseca. He ...

(1916-1983) – scientist * Corsino Fortes (1933-2015) – writer * Fock – footballer * Sergio Frusoni (1901-1975) – poet * António Aurélio Gonçalves (1901-1984)– writer, critic, historian and professor *

Leão Lopes Leão Lopes (born 1948 in Ribeira Grande, Santo Antão, Cape Verde) is a Cape Verdean director, writer, plastic artist and professor. As a filmmaker, he made the first ever feature of Cape Verdean fiction, ''The Island of Contenda'' (1996), base ...

– community developer, documentary-maker, politician *

Manuel Lopes Manuel Lopes may refer to: * Manuel Lopes Rodrigues (1860-1917), Brazilian painter * Manuel Lopes (barber) (died 1895), Cape Verdean-American barber * Manuel Lopes (writer) Manuel António de Sousa Lopes (December 23, 1907 – January 25, 2005) w ...

(1907–2005) – writer, one of the founders of ''

Claridade ''Claridade'' ( Portuguese for "light") was a literary review inaugurated in 1936 in the city of Mindelo on the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde. It was part of a movement of cultural, social, and political emancipations of the Cape Verdean so ...

'' * João Cleofas Martins (born 1901) - photographer and humorist *

Ovídio Martins Ovídio de Sousa Martins (September 17, 1928 in Mindelo, São Vicente – April 29, 1999 in Lisbon, Portugal) was a famous Cape Verdean poet and journalist. He attended high school in his home country, he went to pursue studies in PortugalLo ...

(born 1928) - poet *

Vasco Martins Vasco Martins is a Cape Verdean musician and composer. Born in Queluz, Portugal, in 1956, he lives now in Calhau, Cape Verde. Biography Self-taught, he began his studies in 1974. He was a member of the band Colá in 1976, but then went to Por ...

– musician *

Tito Paris Tito may refer to: People Mononyms *Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman *Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journal ...

(born 1968) – musician * Gualberto do Rosário (born 1950) – acting Prime Minister and later Prime Minister of Cape Verde * Onésimo Silveira (1935–2021) – poet, diplomat and a political activist * Jenifer Solidade (born 1984) - singer *

Carlos Veiga Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga (; born October 21, 1949 in Mindelo) is a Cape Verdean politician. He was Prime Minister of Cape Verde from April 4, 1991 to July 29, 2000. Early life and education In 1950, Veiga was born in Mindelo, São ...

(born 1949) – former Prime Minister of Cape Verde

References

{{Authority control Cities in Cape Verde