Brava, Cape Verde

Brava

Brava is an island in Cape Verde. It is in the central Atlantic Ocean and is the smallest inhabited island in the Cape Verde archipelago. Brava is known for being very green.

The island was first settled in the early 16th century. Its population grew after the eruption of Mount Fogo on a nearby island in 1680. For a long time, whaling was an important job on Brava. Today, people on Brava mostly work in agriculture.

History

Brava was discovered in 1462 by a Portuguese explorer named Diogo Afonso. People began living on Brava around 1620 when settlers arrived from Madeira and the Azores.

In 1680, many people came to Brava from the nearby island of Fogo after its volcano erupted.

Later, around 1720, a special fungus was found on Brava and was used as a dye for textiles. Whaling ships from North America sometimes stopped at Brava for supplies and water. Some men from Brava even went to work on these ships and settled in New Bedford, a port in Massachusetts.

Geography

Brava is a small island that measures 10.5 km from north to south and is 9.3 km wide. It covers an area of 62.51 km² (24.14 sq mi). The island is mostly made up of a volcano and sits near the larger Fogo volcano. Though Brava has not had any recorded eruptions, it still shows signs of volcanic activity, like earthquakes. About 13% of the island is covered in forests.

To the north of Brava are a few small, empty islands, with the biggest ones being Ilhéu de Cima and Ilhéu Grande. The highest point on Brava is Monte Fontainhas, which rises to 976 metres above sea level.

Because Brava is very mountainous, it has different weather patterns. Along the coast, the climate is dry, while inland it is semi-arid with mild temperatures all year. Coastal temperatures average around 23–25 °C (73–77 °F), dropping to about 17–20 °C (63–68 °F) in the mountains. The island has a warmer, wetter season from June to November, followed by a cooler, drier season from December to May.

Municipality

The island of Brava is managed by one municipality called Concelho da Brava. It has two smaller parts, called civil parishes. Their names are São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Monte. The main city is Nova Sintra.

In politics, the Movement for Democracy has been in charge since 2012. Orlando da Luz Vieira Balla is the leader of the municipality. The most recent election results were in 2016:

Population

The main town on the island is Nova Sintra. The island has two parishes called São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Monte. These parishes are divided into 16 zones to help count the people.

In the 1830s, about 8,000 people lived on the island.

Economy

The island's economy is mostly based on farming and fishing. Important crops grown there include coffee, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, bananas, and sugar cane.

Attractions

Brava Island has many beautiful places to visit. In Nova Sintra there is a museum and traditional Portuguese buildings, along with several churches and shops. Another nice spot is Fajã de Agua, a small harbor on the west coast that has a natural swimming pool.

Up in the mountains, you can find the village of Nossa Senhora do Monte, which has a special church that people visit for pilgrimages. Nearby, the village of Cova Rodela features a unique dragon tree growing right in its main street.

Sports

Brava has several football clubs. These clubs are organized by the Brava Regional Football Association.

Infrastructure

The Esperadinha Airport opened in 1992 but closed in 2004 because of strong winds. The village of Furna has a port for trade, and there is another port at Fajã de Água just for fishing. Ferries from Furna go to the islands of Fogo and Santiago. On Brava, you can travel between villages by taking an "Aluguer" bus. These buses do not have a fixed schedule; they only drive when enough people want to go. There are no taxis on the island.

Notable residents

Brava has been home to many talented people. One famous resident is Eugénio Tavares, a musician and poet. He used a traditional music style called morna and wrote in Cape Verdean Creole. There is a statue of him in the main square of Vila Nova Sintra, which has a beautiful garden.

Other well-known people from Brava include Vinny deMacedo, who worked as a State Representative and State Senator in Massachusetts, and David Soares, who is a District Attorney in Albany County, New York, USA.