Principal, Cape Verde

Principal
Settlement
Village church along with its square
Principal
Coordinates: 15°12′07″N 23°40′30″W / 15.202°N 23.675°W / 15.202; -23.675Coordinates: 15°12′07″N 23°40′30″W / 15.202°N 23.675°W / 15.202; -23.675
Country	Cape Verde
Island	Santiago
Municipality	São Miguel
Civil parish	São Miguel Arcanjo
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	1,193

Principal is a settlement in the northern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. Its 2010 population was 1,193. The center of the village is the section of Hortelão. It is situated in the mountains, about 3 km north of the summit of the Serra da Malagueta and 9 km west of Calheta de São Miguel, the settlement lies next to the Natural Park. The settlement is named after Ribeira Principal, a nearby stream that is about 10-15 kilometers long and flowing predominantly northeast, the stream's etymology is the main stream (actually one of the main) of the island but not the longest. One of the endangered plants founded in the area and the valley is Echium hypertropicum.

It has a church in the main section. Nearby is a village square, where it features a mural.

In the mid to late 20th century, the village was dominated by the Rabelados, a religious community once dominant in the area. As of 2007, the area still had a Rabelados population.

References

Further reading

• Isildo Gomes et al., Endemic plants and indigenous trees of the Cape Verde Islands, Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Fishery and the Projects Conservation and Exploration of the Natural Resources on the Island Fogo (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeitand) and Conservation of Biodiversity, 2003, p. 22
• Maria M. Romeiras, Helena C. Cotrim, Maria C. Duarte et Maria S. Pais, Genetic diversity of three endangered species of Echium L. (Boraginaceae) endemic to Cape Verde Islands, in Biodiversity & Conservation, vol. 16, no. 2, p. 547-566

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ribeira Principal.