Praia
Encyclopedia
Praia is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde
, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean
west of Senegal
. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago
island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports. The city centre is known as Plateau due to its location on a small plateau
.
Praia is Cape Verde's largest city, a commercial centre, and a port that ships coffee
, sugar cane, and tropical fruits. Praia also has a fishing
industry and there are resort beach
es nearby. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name.
), the settlement gradually acquired the characteristics of a town after much of the population from Ribeira Grande fled there during its decline in the midst of frequent pirate attacks. The official transfer of capital status from Ribeira Grande to Praia took place in 1770.
In the history of Cape Verde there have been successive proposals for transferring the capital elsewhere, the most recent being Mindelo
in the late 19th century. However, the successive Portuguese administrations never showed an interest (economical or political?) in such proposals. Through an official decree in 1858, when its status was changed from town to city, Praia secured its status as the capital of Cape Verde, concentrating political, religious and economic roles.
During the Portuguese administration, only the central plateau was considered to be the city proper and thus the principal zone of urbanization and concentration of municipal services. It was only after independence that the surrounding neighborhoods generally became accepted as part of the city proper. After independence the city suffered a demographic boom, and after 33 years its population has quadrupled, receiving migrating movements from all the islands. As a result, half of the entire population of Cape Verde currently resides in Santiago; a fourth in the Municipality of Praia; and a fifth in the City of Praia alone.
s and their surrounding valley
s. These plateaus generally have the name achada (Achada de Santo António, Achada de São Filipe, Achada Eugénio Lima, Achada Grande, Achadinha, etc. — achada being a Portuguese word to designate a volcanic plateau), but the central one is colloquially called Plateau (in Portuguese itself). The urban settlement is made mostly on top of these plateaus and along the valleys. The islet of Santa Maria is in front of the beach bearing the same name (today more known as Gamboa).
For a long time, only the Plateau was considered to be the city, being the other neighborhoods relegated to the condition of peripheral suburbs, in spite of always having a close relationship with the Plateau (people movements, goods and services exchanges, etc.). This is why only the Plateau previously had relatively well-developed urbanization with its own infra-structures. The remaining neighborhoods developed in a more organic, chaotic way.
Only after independence did the Plateau merge with the other neighborhoods to constitute what is now considered the City of Praia. The whole city was then equipped with adequate infra-structures and some de-centralization was planned. In spite of being recent, the urban plans are already in progress and the city is expanding north, through Achada de São Filipe, and west through Palmarejo. Although the Plateau is still attracting most of the daily traffic within the city, this is not because it is the largest neighborhood (Achada Grande) nor because it is the most populous (Achada de Santo António), but rather because it is still considered the economic and administrative center of the city. In spite of de-centralization attempts, the population continues to consider the neighborhoods peripherals to the Plateau, as either "bedroom communities" or industrial zones.
This was the first stop the HMS Beagle
made on its journey on which Charles Darwin
would make his amazing discoveries.
and a lengthy, very pronounced dry season
. In fact, outside of the months of August, September and October, little precipitation falls on Praia. The city on average sees about 260 millimetres (10.2 in) of rain per year. Despite the fact that it has an arid climate, Praia seldom gets very hot or very cold, due to its oceanside location on Santiago Island. Temperatures are warm and constant with an average high temperature of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low temperature of 22 °C (72 °F).
Some industries exist, located on the coast (fishing) or in outlying neighborhoods (rendering of agricultural products, materials for civil construction, etc.)
However, the principal economic activities of Praia belong to the tertiary sector. Beyond activities related to administration and governance (local and national), there are extensive commerce, services (health care, education, tourism, restaurants and hotels, public functions, etc.), and other activities of a liberal character.
With regard to transport, Praia has a network of urban public transport, a seaport and Praia International Airport
. The port of Praia is the principal port of exit for products from the island, and the principal port of entry. The airport, with domestic and international destinations, was recently enlarged to allow for long-haul flights.
TACV Cabo Verde, the national airline of Cape Verde, has its headquarters in Praia.
In cultural terms, the city of Praia is a notable contrast to the rest of the island of Santiago. While the rest of the island, having been first to be inhabited, maintains conservative and traditionalist characteristics, Praia possesses a more cosmopolitan outlook. In its overall culture, Praia has easily absorbed influences from the outer islands due to inter-island migration, as well as influences from abroad due to the concentration of population of foreign origin and the relative ease of communication with other nations. It is easier to find “authentic” cultural elements of Santiago the further one goes from Praia.
Precisely because Praia is the capital, maintains communications facilities with the world, and has the greatest concentration of diversity, it is one of the best places in Cape Verde for cultural experiences. Cultural activities that occur occasionally include openings of works, expositions, and shows. To support these there is an infrastructure that includes various show halls, the Palace of Culture, the Ethnographic Museum and the National Historical Archive. Praia also enjoys a diverse array of options for nighttime entertainment.
Praia was also the first site in Cape Verde with a secondary education institution with the creation of the Liceu Nacional in 1861. However, the Portuguese authorities were not interested in implementing secondary education in Cape Verde and the school failed as a result; secondary education became, afterwards, the role of the Seminário de Ribeira Brava on the island of São Nicolau, and later of the lyceum in Mindelo. Only in 1960 did Praia again have secondary education, first with a facility on September 12 Plaza and later in its own building. With the expansion of education in Cape Verde in the 1990s, various buildings dedicated to education were constructed in Cape Verde, and Praia currently has 7 secondary education schools.
For higher education, there is the Instituto Superior de Educação and the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde
, and the University of Cape Verde
.
Basketball
Soccer
and TACV Cabo Verde Airlines.
governor and the Monumento de Diogo Gomes
, named after the Portuguese navigator
who discovered the island of Santiago in 1460. There is no National Museum in Praia, but the Museu Etnográfico (Ethnographic Museum), which was founded in 1997, is worth a visit. Some of the oldest buildings in Praia are Jaime Mota Barracks (Quartel Jaime Mota) dating from 1826.
Outside the colonial city center, Avenida Cidade de Lisboa, the most modern street of Praia, is worth a visit.
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
west of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago
Santiago, Cape Verde
Santiago , or Santiagu in Cape Verdean Creole, is the largest island of Cape Verde, its most important agricultural centre and home to half the nation’s population. At the time of Darwin's voyage it was called St. Jago....
island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports. The city centre is known as Plateau due to its location on a small plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
.
Praia is Cape Verde's largest city, a commercial centre, and a port that ships coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, sugar cane, and tropical fruits. Praia also has a fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
industry and there are resort beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es nearby. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name.
History
The town of Praia de Santa Maria appeared in 1615 when it took the place of the previous settlement on the plateau, which was originally favored because the nearby port (Santa Maria beach) offered good conditions for ships. Initially used as a clandestine harbor (in order to avoid customs fees at the then capital Ribeira GrandeCidade Velha
Cidade Velha , or simplyCidadi in Cape Verdean Creole, is a city located 15 km from Praia on the island of Santiago. It is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde and used to serve as the capital of Cape Verde...
), the settlement gradually acquired the characteristics of a town after much of the population from Ribeira Grande fled there during its decline in the midst of frequent pirate attacks. The official transfer of capital status from Ribeira Grande to Praia took place in 1770.
In the history of Cape Verde there have been successive proposals for transferring the capital elsewhere, the most recent being Mindelo
Mindelo
For the parish in Portugal, see Mindelo, PortugalMindelo , 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...
in the late 19th century. However, the successive Portuguese administrations never showed an interest (economical or political?) in such proposals. Through an official decree in 1858, when its status was changed from town to city, Praia secured its status as the capital of Cape Verde, concentrating political, religious and economic roles.
During the Portuguese administration, only the central plateau was considered to be the city proper and thus the principal zone of urbanization and concentration of municipal services. It was only after independence that the surrounding neighborhoods generally became accepted as part of the city proper. After independence the city suffered a demographic boom, and after 33 years its population has quadrupled, receiving migrating movements from all the islands. As a result, half of the entire population of Cape Verde currently resides in Santiago; a fourth in the Municipality of Praia; and a fifth in the City of Praia alone.
Geography
Geographically, Praia may be described as a set of plateauPlateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s and their surrounding valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s. These plateaus generally have the name achada (Achada de Santo António, Achada de São Filipe, Achada Eugénio Lima, Achada Grande, Achadinha, etc. — achada being a Portuguese word to designate a volcanic plateau), but the central one is colloquially called Plateau (in Portuguese itself). The urban settlement is made mostly on top of these plateaus and along the valleys. The islet of Santa Maria is in front of the beach bearing the same name (today more known as Gamboa).
For a long time, only the Plateau was considered to be the city, being the other neighborhoods relegated to the condition of peripheral suburbs, in spite of always having a close relationship with the Plateau (people movements, goods and services exchanges, etc.). This is why only the Plateau previously had relatively well-developed urbanization with its own infra-structures. The remaining neighborhoods developed in a more organic, chaotic way.
Only after independence did the Plateau merge with the other neighborhoods to constitute what is now considered the City of Praia. The whole city was then equipped with adequate infra-structures and some de-centralization was planned. In spite of being recent, the urban plans are already in progress and the city is expanding north, through Achada de São Filipe, and west through Palmarejo. Although the Plateau is still attracting most of the daily traffic within the city, this is not because it is the largest neighborhood (Achada Grande) nor because it is the most populous (Achada de Santo António), but rather because it is still considered the economic and administrative center of the city. In spite of de-centralization attempts, the population continues to consider the neighborhoods peripherals to the Plateau, as either "bedroom communities" or industrial zones.
This was the first stop the HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of £7,803. In July of that year she took part in a fleet review celebrating the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom in which...
made on its journey on which Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
would make his amazing discoveries.
Climate
Praia features an arid climate with a short wet seasonWet season
The the wet season, or rainy season, is the time of year, covering one or more months, when most of the average annual rainfall in a region occurs. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the...
and a lengthy, very pronounced dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
. In fact, outside of the months of August, September and October, little precipitation falls on Praia. The city on average sees about 260 millimetres (10.2 in) of rain per year. Despite the fact that it has an arid climate, Praia seldom gets very hot or very cold, due to its oceanside location on Santiago Island. Temperatures are warm and constant with an average high temperature of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low temperature of 22 °C (72 °F).
Demography
The city's population is approximately 127,832 growing from 94,757 in 2000.| Population of the city of Praia (1990–2005) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 |
| 61644 | 94161 | 111500 |
Economy
The economy of Praia is dependent above all on the services sector, with some industry as well.Some industries exist, located on the coast (fishing) or in outlying neighborhoods (rendering of agricultural products, materials for civil construction, etc.)
However, the principal economic activities of Praia belong to the tertiary sector. Beyond activities related to administration and governance (local and national), there are extensive commerce, services (health care, education, tourism, restaurants and hotels, public functions, etc.), and other activities of a liberal character.
With regard to transport, Praia has a network of urban public transport, a seaport and Praia International Airport
Praia International Airport
Praia International Airport is an airport located on Santiago Island in Cape Verde. It was opened in late 2005, replacing the old Francisco Mendes International Airport. It is located about 3 km northeast of central Praia in the southeastern part of the island of Santiago.The first flight to...
. The port of Praia is the principal port of exit for products from the island, and the principal port of entry. The airport, with domestic and international destinations, was recently enlarged to allow for long-haul flights.
TACV Cabo Verde, the national airline of Cape Verde, has its headquarters in Praia.
Culture
In cultural terms, the city of Praia is a notable contrast to the rest of the island of Santiago. While the rest of the island, having been first to be inhabited, maintains conservative and traditionalist characteristics, Praia possesses a more cosmopolitan outlook. In its overall culture, Praia has easily absorbed influences from the outer islands due to inter-island migration, as well as influences from abroad due to the concentration of population of foreign origin and the relative ease of communication with other nations. It is easier to find “authentic” cultural elements of Santiago the further one goes from Praia.
Precisely because Praia is the capital, maintains communications facilities with the world, and has the greatest concentration of diversity, it is one of the best places in Cape Verde for cultural experiences. Cultural activities that occur occasionally include openings of works, expositions, and shows. To support these there is an infrastructure that includes various show halls, the Palace of Culture, the Ethnographic Museum and the National Historical Archive. Praia also enjoys a diverse array of options for nighttime entertainment.
Education
The city of Praia is home to the first primary school in the archipelago, originally known as the Escola Central (today known as the Escola Grande). For much time it was the only primary school in Praia. At the beginning of the 1960s, other primary schools began to be built in neighborhoods around the Plateau and in other localities on the island.Praia was also the first site in Cape Verde with a secondary education institution with the creation of the Liceu Nacional in 1861. However, the Portuguese authorities were not interested in implementing secondary education in Cape Verde and the school failed as a result; secondary education became, afterwards, the role of the Seminário de Ribeira Brava on the island of São Nicolau, and later of the lyceum in Mindelo. Only in 1960 did Praia again have secondary education, first with a facility on September 12 Plaza and later in its own building. With the expansion of education in Cape Verde in the 1990s, various buildings dedicated to education were constructed in Cape Verde, and Praia currently has 7 secondary education schools.
For higher education, there is the Instituto Superior de Educação and the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde
Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde
The Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde is a Cape Verdean university located in the capital city of Praia on Santiago, with a smaller second location in Mindelo on São Vicente. Until the 2007-2008 school year, it had been Cape Verde's only university. Geographically it is the westernmost...
, and the University of Cape Verde
University of Cape Verde
The University of Cape Verde is a Cape Verdean university. The university was formed in 2006 by the merging of two colleges operating in two different locations:* ISE located in Praia...
.
Sporting teams
Arenas- Estádio da VarzeaEstádio da VárzeaEstádio da Várzea is a multi-purpose stadium in Praia, Cape Verde. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 10,000 people. The stadium has seat rows in the left and right sides and a small hill and a plateau lies to the west...
- where Sporting, Boavista and Travadores play
Basketball
- ABC - Serie A
- Prédio - Serie A
- Sporting - Serie A
Soccer
- AcadémicaAcadémica (Praia)Associação Académica da Praia is a football club that plays in the Premier division of the Interisland League in Cape Verde. It is played along with Praia's three other famous teams in Estádio da Varzea. It won several cups before and after independence. The team never won any national titles...
- Serie A - Boavista - Serie A
- Praia Rural - Serie B
- Sporting Clube da PraiaSporting Clube da PraiaSporting Praia is a football club that had played in the Premier division and the Santiago Island South Zone League in Cape Verde...
- Serie A - TchadenseTchadenseTchadense is a football club that had played in the Premier division and plays in the Santiago Island South Zone League in Cape Verde. It is based in the city of Praia in the island of Santiago...
- Serie B - CD TravadoresCD TravadoresClube Desportivo Travadores is a football club that had played in the Premier division and the Santiago Island League in Cape Verde...
- Serie A
Communications
- Praia FM - Radio Station
- Rádio Praia or Rádio Clube de Cabo Verde - Cape Verde's first radio station first operated in 1945 by Fernando QuejasFernando QuejasFernando Quejas was a singer and a songwriter of Cape Verde.-Biography:Quejas left his home in Cape Verde for Portugal in 1947. In the 1950s, he published under the Portuguese Label "Alvorado" with 22 albums. In the 1960s and the 1970s did numerous appearances throughout the world...
- RTCRTC (Cape Verde)The Radiotelevisão Caboverdiana is Cape Verde's first radio and television station broadcasting local programs from Cape Verde, Portugal and Brazil as well as the rest of the world. It is a publicly owned company and enterprise and is located in the Capeverdean capital city of Praia and has a few...
- national/state station of Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa... - Capeverdean Television station
Transportation
The city is served by Praia International AirportPraia International Airport
Praia International Airport is an airport located on Santiago Island in Cape Verde. It was opened in late 2005, replacing the old Francisco Mendes International Airport. It is located about 3 km northeast of central Praia in the southeastern part of the island of Santiago.The first flight to...
and TACV Cabo Verde Airlines.
Main sights
Landmarks in the colonial city center include Albuquerque Square, the old city hall built in the 1920s, the Presidential Palace, which was constructed in the end of the 19th century to house the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
governor and the Monumento de Diogo Gomes
Diogo Gomes
Diogo Gomes , was a Portuguese navigator, explorer and writer.Diogo Gomes was a servant and explorer of Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator. His memoirs were dictated late in his life to Martin Behaim...
, named after the Portuguese navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
who discovered the island of Santiago in 1460. There is no National Museum in Praia, but the Museu Etnográfico (Ethnographic Museum), which was founded in 1997, is worth a visit. Some of the oldest buildings in Praia are Jaime Mota Barracks (Quartel Jaime Mota) dating from 1826.
Outside the colonial city center, Avenida Cidade de Lisboa, the most modern street of Praia, is worth a visit.
People
- Charles DarwinCharles DarwinCharles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
is known to have traveled to Porto Praya, evident from his Voyage of the BeagleVoyage of the BeagleThe voyage of the Beagle can refer to:*The second voyage of HMS Beagle*Charles Darwin's book about that voyage, The Voyage of the Beagle*Other voyages of HMS Beagle...
. - Gelson FernandesGelson FernandesGelson Tavares Fernandes is a Swiss footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Leicester City on loan from AS Saint Etienne...
, a footballer who currently plays for Leicester City and SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football teamThe Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. - NaniNani-People:*Nani, a Portuguese footballer who plays for Manchester United*Gianluca Nani, former technical director at West Ham United*Nanabhoy Palkhivala, nicknamed Nani, an Indian jurist and economist*Nani Roma, a Spanish rally racing driver...
, a footballer who currently plays for Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and PortugalPortugal national football teamThe Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
.