History of Cape Verde

The history of Cabo Verde was shaped at the meeting point of Africa, Europe and the Atlantic. Uninhabited before settlement began in the 15th century, the archipelago became an outpost of Portuguese expansion and a major site in the trafficking of enslaved people. A Creole society gradually emerged from this violent history and from cultural encounters, connected to maritime routes and migration. Drought, famine, colonial rule and emigration left a lasting mark on the islands without erasing resistance or creativity. In the 20th century, the movement led by Amílcar Cabral and the PAIGC opened the way to independence, proclaimed on 5 July 1975. The new state built its institutions and adopted political pluralism in the early 1990s. Today, Cabo Verde is understood through its ten islands, democracy, languages, music and a diaspora that remains central to its identity.