Boa Vista, Cape Verde

For other uses, see Boa Vista (disambiguation).

Boa Vista

Native name: Bubista Nickname: Ilha das dunas (island of the dunes)
File:Bela-vista-net-Boa Vista-map.jpg
File:Locator maps of Boa Vista, Cape Verde.png
Geography
Location	Atlantic Ocean
Coordinates
Archipelago	Cape Verde
Total islands	10
Area
Length	31 km (19.3 mi)
Width	29 km (18 mi)
Highest elevation	387 m (1,270 ft)
Highest point	Monte Estância
Country
Cape Verde
Concelhos (Municipalities)	Boa Vista
Largest settlement	Sal Rei
Demographics
Population	8554 (as of 2010)
Density	13.8 /km2 (35.7 /sq mi)
Additional information
Official website	http://www.boavistaofficial.com

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.

Etymology

In the 19th century, the English called Boa Vista, Bonavisa.

Geography

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.

Gallery

• Bubista.jpg

  Boa Vista landscape.

• Curral Velho, Cape Verde.jpg

  Ruins of the abandoned village Curral Velho.

• Sal Rei Beach.jpg

  Sal Rei beach

Settlements

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

Demographics

Population

As of the mid-19th century, the population was estimated at 4,000. 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.

Population of Boa Vista, Cape Verde (1940—2010)
1940	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010
2779	2985	3263	3569	3372	3452	4209	8554

Economy

File:Chaves Beach in Boa Vista.jpg

Tourists on the Chaves Beach

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. As of July 2015, the island boasts the highest income per capita [i.e., US$8819,00] in the island nation.

Politics

The Camara Municipal is the main government institution of the island. The current President is José Pinto Almeida, MPD party.

Boavista is twinned with the town of Zocca on May 9, 2014.

Attractions and amenities

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

Sporting teams

Main article: Boa Vista Island League

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

Notable residents

• Aristides Pereira, Cape Verde's first president

Matthew Foulds, Cone/pro golfer

• Germano Almeida, a Cape Verdean writer

External links

• A photo tour of the island
• Tourist site, Boavista Official
• Câmara Municipal da Boa Vista
• Official fundraising campaign created by the local authorities for hurricane Fred damages - 2015