Geography of Cape Verde

Cape Verde is a group of arid Atlantic islands which are home to distinct communities of plants, birds, and reptiles.

The Cape Verde Islands are located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean some 450 km (280 mi) off the west coast of the continent of Africa. The landscape varies from dry plains to high active volcanoes with cliffs rising steeply from the ocean. The climate is arid. The total size is 4,033 km² (1,557 sq mi).

The archipelago consists of ten islands and five smaller islands known as islets, divided into the windward (Barlavento) and leeward (Sotavento) groups.

The six islands in the Barlavento group, which sits in the trade winds, are Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista. The total land mass is 2,239 km² (864 sq mi).

In the west of the Barlavento group, Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Santa Luzia and islets Branco and Raso are volcanic and somewhat rocky yet quite widely capable of supporting semi-arid agriculture.

In the east of the Barlavento group, Sal and Boa Vista are lightly hilled, desert islands whose economies were based on salt and rely on fishing and tourism, having more in common with the Sotavento island Maio.

There are four main islands of the Sotavento group. The western three islands, Brava, Fogo and Santiago, are rocky and volcanic agricultural islands, with the longest histories of human habitation. The fourth and easternmost island Maio is a flat desert island whose economy was primarily based on salt, giving it more in common with the Barlavento islands Sal and Boa Vista. The Ilhéus do Rombo are barren islets north of Brava. The total area of the Sotavento Islands is 1,803 km² (696 sq mi).

Three islands – Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio – generally are level and lack natural water supplies. Mountains higher than 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) are found on Santiago, Fogo, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau.