Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

All About The 18 Islands of Cape Verde

All About The 18 Islands of Cape VerdeCabo Verde formally known as Cape Verde until 2013, is a group of 18 U-shaped islands located off mainland Western Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.

Mother and child at market in Mercado Municipal São Filipe Cape Verde

All About the 18 Islands of Cabo Verde

Cabo Verde is not one large island but a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal.

Cabo Verde

The once uninhabited Cabo Verde islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century. Due to its central location between Africa and America, Cabo Verde was a major trading port for African slaves for over three centuries by the Portuguese.

Cabo Verde Slave Trade

Slave traders from mainly North America and Portugal would travel to Cabo Verde and purchase slaves who would labor to grow mainly cotton, rice and indigo. Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese heritage.

Cabo Verdeans

People from Cabo Verde are called Cabo Verdeans. The current population is around 561,000 people. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century a majority of West African slaves, a small groups of Portuguese Italian, and Spanish slavetraders and colonists. Over the centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.

Size of Cabo Verde

The total area of the Cabo Verde archipelago covers 4,033 square kilometers or 1557 square miles and includes ten larger islands, of which nine are inhabited, and 8 smaller uninhabited islands. They are arranged in a U-shaped that opens towards the west, with Brava at its southernmost point.

Cabo Verde Islands

The farthest end of the island group in the north is Santo Antão. The predominating northeast trade winds on the archipelago divides Cabo Verde into two groups of islands that lies either windward, Barlavento in Portuguese or above the wind which includes Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolao, Boa Vista, Sal, Santa Luzia, Branco and Razo, and the islands lying below the wind or leeward, Sotavento in Portuguese which includes Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava.

Cabo Verde Drought

The Cabo Verde islands experienced three major droughts in the last two centuries, which resulted in the deaths of 40% of the population through starvation. The Cabo Verde economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought and poor soil for agriculture on several of the islands.

Cabo Verde per capita income

Although about 40% of the population lives in rural areas, about 82% of food must be imported, therefore many Cabo Verdeans started to migrate to other countries. Today, more people Cabo Verdeans live outside the country than inside. Presently tourism is the mainstay of the economy; even so, Cabo Verde revels in a per capita income that is greater than that of many of the continental African nations.

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

This Week’s Best Posts and Pages

Exploring the Rich Waterways of Africa

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Around 5% of mainland Africa is covered by water, including lakes, rivers, estuaries, bays, straits, gulfs and other bodies of water.  Africa is home to some of the world's largest rivers and lakes, such as the Nile River and Lake Victoria. While up to 60% of Africa is classified as desert or drylands, a total volume of around 626.4 million cubic miles (2.616 billion cubic kilometers) of water surrounds Africa. The water resources of Africa play a vital role in supporting the continent's ecosystems, as well as the lives and livelihoods of millions of people who depend on them for drinking water, agriculture, energy generation, industry and commerce. Water is life Exploring the Rich Waterways of Africa: A Look at the Number and Diversity of Lakes and Rivers on the African Continent. Two oceans border Africa. The five major oceans of the world are the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, and Arctic Ocean. There are two oceans that border Africa - the Atlan
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What is the difference between ugali and fufu

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How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
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Rising Above the Dust the World of Evala Wrestling

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Rising Above the Dust Exploring the Grueling Traditional World of Evala Wrestling. Evala is traditional wrestling that is a physically demanding sport that requires strength, agility, and skill. The Evala Wrestling Festival is an annual cultural festival that takes place in the northern region of Togo, particularly among the Ewe tribes of the Agni and Kabye people.  The Evala Festival is usually held during the months of June and July and is a celebration of strength, endurance, and bravery among young Agni and Kabye men.  Wrestling is a popular sport in Togo, particularly among the Kabye people, who are known for their strength and physical prowess.  There are many reasons why wrestling is so popular in Togo. Wrestling has been a part of the culture of many West African societies for centuries, and it is often seen as a rite of passage for young men.  Basic rules of traditional Evala wrestling. Matches are typically contested between two wrestlers of similar weight and age. The object
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Using Amen and Ashe or Ase

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Usage of Amen and Ashe or Ase Ashe to Amen learn about the custom of using the words Ashe and Amen historically. Where did the word Amen and Ashe come from why is it said and what does it mean? In Judaism, 3,500 years old and Christian religions 2,000 years old, Amen, means may it be so. In the African Yoruba language among the Yoruba people whose culture is as old as time, Ashe or Ase means may it be so. Ase or Ashe means power, commandment, and authority, the ability to make whatever one says happen from the spiritual to the physical realm. In the Yoruba language, Ashe is omnipresent spiritual energy. Followers of Judaism and Christian religions use the word Amen. It is the word utilized to end prayers as an affirmation for the requests to be provided by God. Yoruba is as old as time, Ashe refers to the life force within all living things, the spark that animates life. It is used as a term used in the same manner as Amen at the end of appeals and prayers as an affirmati
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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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