Abstract
During centuries of Portuguese rule the islands were gradually peopled with Portuguese, slaves from Africa, and people of mixed African-European descent who became the majority. While retaining some African culture, the Cape Verdians spoke Portuguese or the Portuguese-derived Crioulo (Creole) language and became Catholics. In 1956 nationalists from Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea formed the Partido Africano da Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (PAIGC). In the 1960s the PAIGC waged a successful guerrilla war. On 5 July 1975 Cape Verde became independent, ruled by the PAIGC, which was already the ruling party in the former Portuguese colony of Guinea-Bissau. But resentment at Cape Verdians’ privileged position in Guinea-Bissau led to the end of the ties between the two countries’ ruling parties. Although the PAIGC retained its name in Guinea-Bissau, in Jan. 1981 it was renamed the Partido Africano da Independência do Cabo Verde (PAICV) in Cape Verde. The Constitution of 1981 made the PAICV the sole legal party but in Sept. 1990 the National Assembly abolished its monopoly and free elections were permitted.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Further Reading
Lobban, R., Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation. Westview Press, Boulder (CO), 1998
Meintel, D., Race, Culture, and Portuguese Colonialism in Cabo Verde. Syracuse Univ. Press, 1984
Shaw, Caroline E., Cape Verde Islands. [Bibliography] ABC-Clio, Oxford and Santa Barbara (CA), 1991
National statistical office: Instituto Nacional de Estatística, Praia. Website (Portuguese only): http://www.ine.cv/
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2005 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, B. (2005). Cape Verde. In: Turner, B. (eds) The Statesman’s Yearbook. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271340_141
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271340_141
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-1482-8
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27134-0
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)