Boa Vista, Cape Verde

Boa Vista

Native name: Bubista
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates	16°6′11.934″N 22°48′12.589″W / 16.103315°N 22.80349694°W / 16.103315; -22.80349694
Area	620 square kilometres (240 sq mi)
Length	31 kilometres (19 mi)
Width	29 kilometres (18 mi)
Highest point	Monte Estância (387 metres (1,270 ft))
Country
Cape Verde
Concelhos (Municipalities)	Boa Vista
Largest city	Sal Rei

Boa Vista (Portuguese meaning “good view”) is the easternmost island of Cape Verde. It is located in the Barlavento group of the archipelago. The island is known for marine turtles and traditional music, as well as its ultramarathon and its sand dunes and beaches.

The island also constitutes the municipality of Boa Vista, which has two parishes, Santa Isabel and São João Baptista

Geography

Boa Vista
Municipality
Country	Cape Verde
Island	Boa Vista
Seat town	Sal Rei
Area	620 km2 (239 sq mi)
Population	3,353 (2005)
Density	5 /km2 (13 /sq mi)
ISO 3166-2 code	CV-BV
CGN-CV code	51
Demonym	Boa-vistense m, ~s pl
Website: http://www.anmcv.org/portugues/membro.php?id=boavista

Boa Vista landscape.

With an area of 620 km², it is the third largest island, after Santo Antão and Santiago. It is 455 km west of the coast of Africa. Much of the island is flat. The highest point on the island is Monte Estância, elevation 387 meters; other mountains include Santo António (Saint Anthony) and Monte Negro (Black Mountain). Other features include Campo da Serra. Its main town is Sal Rei, its ferry port and home to Boa Vista's airport (Rabil Airport)on the northwest side of the island.

Surrounding islets include Ilhéu de Sal Rei featuring a lighthouse in the west, and Ilhéu do Baluate featuring the easternmost point in Cape Verde. Points include Ponta Antónia to the north.

Settlements

Ruins of the abandoned village Curral Velho.

• Baforeira
• Cabeço dos Tarrafes
• Curral Velho
• Estância de Baixo
• Fundo das Figueiras
• Gata
• João Barreiro
• João Galego
• Norte
• Povoação Velha
• Rabil
• Sal Rei
• Santo Tirso

Population

While most of the population live in Sal Rei, there are many small settlements with 10 to 100 people; others are abandoned. It has the smallest population of all of inhabited Cape Verde’s islands, and it is the least-dense populated in the archipelago.

Economy

Its economy was originally based on agriculture, but desertification led to salt collection becoming more important. Its main industries today are date farming and, increasingly, tourism, with already several touristic establishments being built in recent times. A large 750-room RIU Hotels hotel (Riu Karamboa) has recently opened 5 km South of Sal Rei, having more rooms than all other tourist accommodation on Boa Vista combined^{[citation needed]}. A further Riu with 2000 rooms is planned for the South of the island.

Sporting teams

• Academica (Sal-Rei) - Sal-Rei
• Académica Operária
• África Show
• Desportivo Estância Baixo
• Juventude do Norte
• Sanjoanense (Boa Vista)

Persons

• Aristides Pereira, Cape Verde's first president
• Germano Almeida, a Capeverdean writer [1]

Other

Boa Vista has a college (colegio), a middle school, high school, churches, beaches, a hotel, a port, and a square (praça).

References

External links

• information from BoaVistaExperience.com
• information on Boa Vista from CaboVerde.com
• French site with more than 2500 photos
• Maps of Boa Vista (scale: 1:50:000)
• Hiking Guide Boa Vista
• Informations about Cape Verde and Boa Vista
• Video in HD of Boa Vista island

Coordinates: 16°6′11.934″N 22°48′12.589″W / 16.103315°N 22.80349694°W / 16.103315; -22.80349694

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Boa Vista, Cape Verde

v • d • e Islands of Cape Verde Island groups Barlavento · Sotavento Islands Boa Vista · Brava · Fogo · Maio · Sal · Santa Luzia · Santiago · Santo Antão · São Nicolau · São Vicente Islets Ilhéu do Baluarte · Ilhéu Branco · Ilhéu Laja Branca · Ilhéu dos Pássaros · Ilhéu Rabo de Junco · Ilhéu Raso · Ilhéu de Sal-Rei · Ilhéu de Santa Maria · Ilhéus Secos (Ilhéu de Cima · Ilhéu Grande)