Mindelo
Encyclopedia
For the parish in Portugal, see Mindelo, Portugal
Mindelo, Portugal
Mindelo is a coastal civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Conde, along the Costa Verde |Green Coast in continental Portugal...
Mindelo (Mindel’ in Cape Verdean Creole), is a port city in the northern part of the island of São Vicente
São Vicente, Cape Verde
São Vicente , also Son Visent or Son Sent in Cape Verdean Creole, is one of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde. It is located between the islands of Santo Antão and Santa Luzia, with the Canal de São Vicente separating it from Santo Antão.- Geography :The island is roughly rectangular in shape...
in Cape Verde
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...
. Mindelo is also the seat of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, and this island's municipality. The city is home to 92.6% of the entire island's population.
History
There was a coal station in Mindelo during the times of steam navigation by the British. Mindelo is a cosmopolitan city. The Randall coal company was established at the shipping routes of Europe, South Africa, India, Australia and Africa and South America. In the beginning of 1875, the firm named Cory Brothers plummeted coal prices which increased the number of ships to 669 per year in 1879. When more ports were built in Dakar, Senegal and in the Canary IslandsCanary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, the number of ships declined but increased to serve about 2,000 ships per year in the 20th century. In 1952, the coal camps were eliminated as boats switched to diesel.
In 1885, Mindelo was the switching station for the first Trans-Atlantic telegraph
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
cable. In 1912, Mindelo became an important cable station in the world.
Mindelo became the cultural capital of the Portuguese-speaking country/state along with the Lusophone capital in 2003. Mindelo is also considered as the cultural capital of Cape Verde.
Geography
Vigia (mountain)
Vigia is a volcanic mountain in the northwestern part of the island of Boa Vista. The mountain is accessed with a remote road linking with the island capital of Sal Rei.-Geography and Information:...
defines the west edge of the town. To the south lies a range of brown deforested mountains Monte Cara
Monte Cara
Monte Cara is a small mountain in the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde west of Mindelo as well as Porto Grande, the town of Lazareto lies in the eastern part. The mountain colors are dark brown to hazelnut. The mountain is rocky and deforested, filled with jagged cliffs and mountaintops with...
, and the Morro Branco
Morro Branco
Morro Branco is a cape located in the northwest of the island of São Vicente nearly 3 km west of the island capital of Mindelo. The point is unaccessed with earthened road. The cape divides the Canal de São Vicente the Mindelo Bay and the rest of the Atlantic Ocean...
peak lies to the northwest. The town is crossed by a river named Ribeira Julião.
A little lower is another urban sprawl named Lazareto which is much smaller and touches the lower parts of the Monte Cara
Monte Cara
Monte Cara is a small mountain in the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde west of Mindelo as well as Porto Grande, the town of Lazareto lies in the eastern part. The mountain colors are dark brown to hazelnut. The mountain is rocky and deforested, filled with jagged cliffs and mountaintops with...
.
Mindelo's deep-water port, Porto Grande
Porto Grande, Cape Verde
Porto Grande is Mindelo's and São Vicente's main port located in the west of the city and northwest of the island overlooking the Mindelo Bay. The port is authorized by ENACOR and is located about 1 km from the city centre...
, is connected to Mindelo Bay
Mindelo Bay
Mindelo Bay is a bay located northwest of the island of São Vicente. The ferry route linking with the port of Porto Novo on Santo Antão and Mindelo on São Vicente crosses the canal with the boat named Mar d' Canal as well as shipping lines with Mindelo and other places around the world including...
, an underwater volcanic crater, and is used for cruise ships and other commercial traffic. The Ilhéu dos Pássaros
Ilhéu dos Pássaros
Ilhéu de Pássaros is an islet located between 2 to 3 kilometres NW of the island of São Vicente and also 2 kilometres northwest of the Mindelo's nearby point, the João Ribeira. They are administratively a part of the municipality of São Vicente...
, an islet at the entry of the Porto Grande, is 82 m (269 ft) above sea level and has a lighthouse. There is a ferry boat named Mar d'Canal that goes from Mindelo to Santo Antão and back twice a day, carrying up to 450 passengers and about a hundred cars and trucks.
Economy
Its economy consists mainly of business, fishing, shipping, boating and more commonly tourism which developed more recently. Mindelo has several hotels including:- Hotel 'Residencial Beleza'
- Hotel Porto Grande
- Mindel Hotel
- Aparthotel Avenida
- Residencial Chez Loutcha
- Residencial Novo Horizonte
- Residencial Sodade
- Residencial Chave d'Ouro
- Residencial Maravilha
- 36 restaurants
- 12 tourist agencies
Sites of interest
- Palácio do Governador (Governor's Palace) has a beautiful colonial architecture. It was constructed with two floors and is well preserved. It used the building style that is represented from India.
- Paço do ConcelhoPaço do ConcelhoThe Paço do Concelho is a building that is the city hall for Mindelo and the island council of São Vicente....
– where it serves the city hall of the entire island - Centro Nacional de ArtesanatoCentro Nacional de ArtesanatoCentro Nacional de Artesanato is an exposition in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde which features qualification from Cape Verdean craftsmen...
is an exposition which features qualification from Cape Verdean craftsmen. It also serves prominence in workmanship in paintings, ceramics, fabrics of batique and wooden works. - Liceu Ludjero Lima (middle school) also has a beautiful colonial architecture
Other
Mindelo has schools, high schools, some parks, banks and a few squares praças. The nearest airport is founded in the southwest near São PedroSão Pedro, Cape Verde
São Pedro is the small fishing town situated in the southwest of the island municipality of São Vicente, Cape Verde. The island's airport is just slightly to the northeast. It is located 7 km southwest of Mindelo, the island capital and is the soouthwesternmost point of the road...
.
The town is known for its colourful and animated carnaval
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
celebrations. Carnaval has its roots in Portuguese traditions and has also absorbed some Brazilian characteristics.
Demography
According to 2010 data, Mindelo has a population of 70,468 inhabitants (50,000 in the mid-1990s) and is the second largest city in Cape Verde after PraiaPraia
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...
.
| Population of the city of Mindelo (1990–2010) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
| 47109 | 62497 | 70468 |
Communications
- Mindelo FM
- Radio Clube de Mindelo
- Radio Morabeza
- Televisão do Povo de S.Vicente (TVP)
Transportation
- São Pedro AirportSão Pedro AirportSão Pedro Airport is Cape Verde's third most-used airport located in the island of São Vicente, located nearly from the centre of Mindelo and serves the entire island and the island of Santo Antão. It is located in the valley area of the island and is north of the village of São Pedro...
- Gare Marítima
- Avenida 9 de Setembro
- Rua LisboaRua LisboaRua Lisboa is an street running from Avenida Marginal to the Palácio do Governador. The street is one of the main streets in the city and is in the downtown core, it is about 200 m long and is run one way eastbound...
- Rua Machado
- Avenida MarginalAvenida MarginalAvenida Marginal is an avenue running from Avenida 9 de Setembro to northeastern Mindelo. The avenue is about 2 km long and is four-laned, at the end of the lanes, it is used for parking...
– northern part – runs marginally in which is named after - Road linking to the airport and São Pedro
- Road linking to Baía das Gatas
- Road linking to Mato Inglés
- Road linking to Madeiral and Calhau
Sporting teams
- Académica do Mindelo – Capeverdean Premier Division
- CastilhoCastilho (Mindelo)Grémio Sportivo Castilho is a football club that plays in the Premier division of the Interisland League in Cape Verde...
– Regional Division - CS MindelenseCS MindelenseClube Sportivo Mindelense Clube Sportivo Mindelense Clube Sportivo Mindelense (Capeverdean Crioulo, ALUPEC or ALUPEK: KS Mindelensi (KS - Klubi Sporting), São Vicente Crioulo: KS Mindelense (KS - Klube or Clube (CS)) is a football (soccer) club that plays in the Premier division of the Interisland...
– Capeverdean Premier Division - FC DerbyFC DerbyAlso see Derby County F.C.FC Derby is a football club that had played in the Premier division and the São Vicente Island League in Cape Verde. It is based in the city of Mindelo on the island of São Vicente and plays in a stadium with a capacity of 4,000...
– Capeverdean Premier Division
Famous People from Mindelo
- BanaBana (singer)Bana is a balladeer from Cape Verde and an interpreter of the morna, the plaintive, melodic lament which is a staple musical style of the country....
, a Capeverdean singer. - Bau, a Capeverdean guitar and cavaquinho player.
- Bela DuarteBela DuarteBela 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 in 1974, she returned to Cape Verde in Mindelo, together with Manuel Figueira and Luísa Queirós,she made the Cooperativa da...
, a Capeverdean artist. - Cesária ÉvoraCesária ÉvoraCesária Évora is a Cape Verdean popular singer. Nicknamed the "barefoot diva" for performing without shoes, Évora is perhaps the best internationally known practitioner of "morna."-Early life:...
, a notable Cape Verdean folk singerFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. - Corsino FortesCorsino FortesCorsino António Fortes is a Cape Verdean writer.He participated at the University of Lisbon in 1966.He became an ambassador in Lisbon.-Works:*Pão & Fonema *Árvore & Tombor *Pedras de Sol & Substância ...
(1933), a Capeverdean writer. - Sergio FrusoniSergio FrusoniSergio Frusoni was a poet and promoter of the Cape Verdean Creole language.-Biography:...
(10 August 1901), a Cape Verdean Poet. - Manuel LopesManuel LopesManuel António de Sousa Lopes was a Cape Verdean novelist, poet and essayist and a founder of modern Cape Verdean literature. With Baltasar Lopes da Silva and Jorge Barbosa he was a creator of the paper named Claridade...
(1907–2005), writer, one of the founders of ClaridadeClaridadeClaridade 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 Capeverdean society... - João Cleofas MartinsJoão Cleófas MartinsJoão Cleofas Martins was a Capeverdean photographer and author. His father came from the island of Brava and he lived most of his live in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente....
(27 August 1901), Cape Verdean photographer and humorist. - Ovídio MartinsOvídio MartinsOvídio de Sousa Martins was a famous Cape Verdean poet and journalist. He lived in exile in the Netherlands due to his pro-independence activities in his native land.-Books:*Caminhada, 1962 – Poemas...
(28 August 1928, Cape Verdean poet. - Vasco MartinsVasco MartinsVasco Martins is a Cape Verdean musician and composer. Born in Queluz, Portugal, in 1956, he lives now in Calhau, Cape Verde.In the Cape Verdean musical panorama, Vasco Martins may be considered unique...
http://www.vasco-martins.com/ Cape Verdean musician. - Luís Ramos Morais, a Caepverdean writer.
- Persons from the Mindelo Band
- Mornista de São Vicente, a Capeverdean singer
- Tito ParisTito ParisTito Paris, is a singer and musician . He has a long career behind him and is among the most popular musicians from Cape Verde successfully blending the sound of Cape Verdean traditional mornas, coladeiras and funanas with the moderns sounds of Portugal and the rest of the world...
(b. 1968), a Capeverdean musician. - Onésimo SilveiraOnésimo Silveira-Biography:As a young poet, Silveira was one of the most prominent critiques of the literary elite in Cape Verde. Silveira was associated with the views o f the Claridade group, and argued in favour of an African cultural identity of the islands....
, poet, diplomat and a political activist. - Carlos VeigaCarlos VeigaCarlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho Veiga is a Cape Verdean politician. He was Prime Minister of Cape Verde from April 4, 1991 to July 29, 2000, and he unsuccessfully ran for President as the candidate of the Movement for Democracy in 2001 and 2006....
(b. 21 October 1949), a former Prime Minister of Cape Verde - Gabriela Mendes, a notable Cape Verdean folk singerFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
.
External links
- Mindelo Infos A site dedicated to Mindelo (in French only, but with a lot of beautiful pictures in the album):
- Quem ca conchê Mindelo, Ca conché Cabo-Verde (Manuel de Novas)
- Capital Lusófona 2003 (in Portuguese)
- French-Capeverdean Crioulo Dictionary
- Map and aerial photos
- Street map from Mapquest, MapPoint, Google or Yahoo! Maps
- Satellite images: Google or Microsoft Virtual Earth – image now available