2020 Travel the World - Week 47

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Cape Verde

The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets.

It lies in Western Africa, west of Senegal, and is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

The combined size of these islands is just over 2,500 square miles.

Only half a million people live in the country; most of them on the island of Santiago.

There are more Cape Verdians living abroad than in the country.

The country is blessed with one of Africa’s most stable democratic governments.

The standard of living in Cape Verde is higher than that of most of the other African nations, thanks to its most stable democracy.

Tourism plays a predominant role in the country’s economy.

The beaches in Cape Verde are among some of the most beautiful in the world, dotted across the country’s archipelago and presenting a diverse array of landscapes, surroundings and environments.

Praia de Santa Maria beach was voted as one of the top 25 beaches in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2017 Travelers’ Choice.

Scuba diving and snorkeling in Cape Verde islands is absolutely fantastic. There are a lot of known reefs, several ship wrecks and even sharks to be seen.

Santa Luzia is the archipelago's only uninhabited island. The only way to reach the tiny, barren island of Santa Luiza is by chartering a fishing boat from Calhau, on the east coast of São Vicente. The journey will take around two hours in each direction.

Cape Verde has many volcanoes. Mt Fogo, Cape Verde’s highest peak, last erupted from late 2014 to early 2015.

Cape Verde has no known oil or gas resources.

The archipelago is perfect for water sports. From kitesurfing and windsurfing to sailing and scuba diving, the islands’ range of water sports, primarily on Sal and Boa Vista, are a huge hook for tourists seeking an active holiday by the beach.

Santo Antão is the second largest island in the archipelago. The island is popular with hikers as it provides the perfect terrain for the hikers to test their endurance and skills on a vertical isle which is ruptured with canyons, valleys, and gorges.

The long-eared bat is the only native animal to the island.

Alexander’s Swift, Bourne’s Heron, The Raso Lark, The Cape Verde Warbler, The Iago Sparrow, The Cape Verde Shearwater are some of the native birds to the island.

The waters of Boa Vista (one of Cape Verde's islands) are a breeding ground for humpback whales.

Cape Verde is the world's third largest nesting site for loggerhead turtles.

Corn is the staple food of Cabo Verde. Cachupa is the national dish.

Approximately only 10-11% of the island’s land is suitable for agriculture.

About 75% of the food consumed in Cape Verde is imported.

Cape Verde’s climate is milder than on the African mainland, being islands there is the natural air conditioning provided by the coastal winds, making the temperature more moderate. Average temperatures during the day, range from 25°C (77°F) in January the coolest month, to 30°C (86°F) in September, the hottest month.

Hurricanes Ivan, Matthew, Katia, Gloria, and Emily originally formed in Cape Verde and occurred between 1985 and 2016. 

Cape Verde's Santiago island is home to a 500-year-old church. 

Porto Grande is the major seaport in the country.

There are no railways in Cape Verde.

There are seven operational airports in Cape Verde. 

Cape Verde has a total road network of 850 miles. The country has 73 cars for every 1000 people.

I decided to let this Cabo Verde fact be the inspiration for this week's card... It is estimated that the islands have one goat for every two people.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: CC Designs Over the Hill stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White and SU Certainly Celery CS and DP from my scrap file

Dies: Gina Marie Distressed Rectangle and Rubbernecker Nested Rectangle Stitch

Embellishments: Taylored Expressions Enamel Dots