Monte Graciosa

Monte Graciosa

Monte Graciosa
Highest point
Elevation 654 m (2,146 ft)
Listing List of mountains in Cape Verde
Coordinates 15°17′57″N 23°44′56″W / 15.29917°N 23.74889°W / 15.29917; -23.74889Coordinates: 15°17′57″N 23°44′56″W / 15.29917°N 23.74889°W / 15.29917; -23.74889 
Geography
Monte Graciosa
northern Santiago
Geology
Mountain type Stratovolcano

Monte Graciosa (Portuguese meaning “gracious mountain”) is a third tallest mountain ranges in the island of Santiago in Cape Verde in the northern part northeast of the town of Tarrafal. Its elevation is 645 m. Monte Graciosa has been a protected area since 2003.

Geography

The mountain is located just east of the Baía de Tarrafal. The western part of the mountain area is the headland of Ponta Preta and its point located northwest of the lighthouse and are surrounded by cliffs.

Topography

Monte Graciosa are the three main important summits on the island after Serra da Malagueta (1,064 m) and Pico da Antónia (1,394 m) to the south.[1]

Geology

The mountain mainly composes of phonolitic rocks and are covered with basalt layers in the achada (plateau) area and descends to the ocean. The bast features andesite and nepheline rocks with fluid texture, formed by feldspathic rocks including andesine and labradorite.[2]

Achada (plateau) near the ocean
Basaltic rocks of Monte Graciosa from Tarrafal Beach

History

During the Ice Age, the elevation was over 750 meters between 15000 and 9000 BC, around 6000 to 5000BC, its elevation measured below 700 meters.

In the colonial times, the landmark was known to navigators.[3]

Farol da Ponta Preta in the lower part of the range
Sarcostemma daltonii, an endemic plant of Cape Verde

Park area

The natural park features about 2.4% of the endemic plants in the country,[4] notably Campylanthus glaber ssp. glaber (alecrim brabo), Euphorbia tuckeyana, Kickxia webbiana (agrião de rocha), Kickxia dichondrifolia, Nauplius daltonii ssp. daltonii, Paronychia illecebroides (palha de formica), Sarcostemma daltonii (gestiba) and Macaronesian ironwood (Siderxylon marginata) (marmolano or marmulano)[5]

Other plants in the park includes Jatropha curcas and Prosopis juliflora (American acacia) founded higher than 200 m altitude.

Endangered fauna in the park includes the Cape Verde warbler (Acrocephalis brevipennis)[6]

Tourism

Other landmarks includes Farol da Ponta Preta located in the northwest end of the island west of the mountain. The lighthouse was featured in a Cape Verdean stamp in 2004.[7]

Culture

The mountain is featured in the football (soccer) club logo of GD Varandinha, it features the feature as seen from the middle of Tarrafal, the club's location.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Senna Barcellos p. 29
  2. ↑ Comunicações dos Serviços Geológicos de Portugal, vol. 17-19, 1931, p. 181-182.
  3. ↑ Christiano José de Senna Barcellos, Roteiro do archipelago de Cabo Verde, Typographia de Jornal, 1892, p. 29
  4. ↑ Plano director municipal : Tarrafal de Santiago, 2010, p. 57
  5. ↑ Plano director municipal, op. cit., p. 36-37
  6. ↑ Batalha, Helena R.; Wright, David J.; Barr, Iain; Collar, Nigel J.; Richardson, David S. (2017-04-01). "Genetic diversity and divergence in the endangered Cape Verde warbler Acrocephalus brevipennis". Conservation Genetics. 18 (2): 343–357. ISSN 1566-0621. doi:10.1007/s10592-016-0909-3.
  7. ↑ "CV014.04". Universal Postal Union.
  8. ↑ Club profile of Varandinha at the Final Ball

Bibliography

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