Mindelo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the parish in Portugal, see Mindelo, Portugal
| Mindelo Mindelu Mindel |
|
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Island: | São Vicente (capital) |
| Municipality: | São Vicente (seat) |
| Parish: | Nossa Senhora da Luz (seat) |
| Area: | 67 km² |
| Population: | 70,611 (2001) |
| Population density: | 1,053.9/km² 2001 |
| Elevation: Lowest: Centre: Highest: |
Atlantic Ocean 60 m (203 ft) Monte Verde (east) |
| Location: | 16.8833 (16°53') N lat. -25 (25°0') W long. |
| Name of inhabitants: | Mindelense m, pl |
Mindelo (Mindelu in Santiago Crioulo, and Mindel' in São Vicente Crioulo), is a port town on the Cape Verde in the northern part of the island of São Vicente. Mindelo is also the seat of the parish of Nossa Senhora da Luz, and this island's municipality. It has a population of about 70,000 inhabitants (50,000 in the mid-1990s) and is the second largest city in Cape Verde right after Praia.
The town is home to 96% of the entire island's population.
Contents |
[edit] Nearest communities
[edit] Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 (June 23, Census) | 47,080 | - | 702.69/km² |
| 2000 (June 16, Census) | 62,970 | - | 939.85/km² |
| 2003 (Estimate) | 67,100 | - | about 1,001/km² |
| 2005 (January 1, Computing) | 70,611 | - | 1,053.9/km² |
[edit] Geography
The town is surrounded by mountains. A tan-colored deforested mountain lies to the east, and the smaller Vigia mountain defines the west edge of the town. To the south lies a range of brown deforested mountains Monte Cara, and the Morro Branco 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.
Mindelo's deep-water port, Porto Grande, is connected to Mindelo Bay, an underwater volcanic crater, and is used for cruise ships and other commercial traffic. The Ilhéu dos Pássaros, an islet at the entry of the Porto Grande, is 82 m 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.
[edit] History
There was a coal station in Mindelo in times of steam navigation by the British. Mindelo is a cosmopolitan city. At the shipping routes of Europe, South Africa, India, Australia and Africa and South America, Randall coal company was established. 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 Islands, 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 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.
[edit] Economy
Its main economy are business, fishing, shipping, boating and more commonly tourism which recently developed in the later years. Mindelo has several hotels including:
- 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
[edit] 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 Concelho - where it serves the city hall of the entire island
- Centro Nacional de Artesanato 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
[edit] Communications
- Mindelo FM
- Radio Clube de Mindelo
- Radio Morabeza
- Televisão do Povo de S.Vicente (TVP)
[edit] Sporting teams
- Académico Mindelense - Capeverdean Premier Division
- Castilho - Regional Division
- Derby FC - Capeverdean Premier Division
- Mindelense - Capeverdean Premier Division
[edit] Persons
- Germano Almeida, a Capeverdean author [1]
- Bana, a Capeverdean singer
- Bau, a Capeverdean singer
- Bela Duarte, a Capeverdean artist
- Cesaria Evora, a notable Cape Verdean folk singer.
- Corsino Fortes (1933), a Capeverdean writer
- Sergio Frusoni (August 10, 1901), a Cape Verdean Poet
- Manuel Lopes (1907-2005), writer, founder of Claridade
- João Cleofas Martins (August 27, 1901), Cape Verdean photographer and humorist
- Ovídio Martins (August 28, 1928, Cape Verdean poet
- Vasco Martins [2]
- Luís Ramos Morais, a Caepverdean writer
- Manuel de Novas, a Capeverdean writer and singer
- Persons from the Mindelo Band
- Mornista de São Vicente, a Capeverdean singer
- Tito Paris (b. 1968), a Capeverdean singer
- Onésimo Silveira, poet, diplomat and a political activist
- Antoninho Travadinha, a Capeverdean singer
- Carlos Veiga (b. October 21, 1949), a former Prime Minister of Cape Verde
[edit] Other
Mindelo has schools, high schools, some parks, banks and a few squares praças. The nearest airport is founded in the southwest near São Pedro.
The town is known for its colourful and animated carnaval celebrations. Carnaval has its roots in Portuguese traditions and has also absorbed some Brazilian characteristics.
[edit] External links
A site dedicated to Mindelo (in French only, but with a lot of beautiful pictures in the album): Mindelo Infos
- 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
- Coordinates:
