Praia

Overall Score

Praia – the capital city of Cabo Verde. The city is located on the largest island of the Archipelago of the Green Cape – Santiago, a few hundred kilometers from the westernmost city of Africa, Dakara.

The future capital of Cabo Verde was founded by the Portuguese people in the 15th century. From 1770, the capital of the islands was moved there because the village of Ribeiro de Grundy, where the old capital was located, had run out of water supplies. But Praia is not too wet: it is a place of lush and sowy landscapes. Darwin, who visited the island of Santiaga (1832) on the ship «Beagle» found the lands in the Prairie region absolutely free. The Portuguese, moving to the center of the province, were led by other groups. First of all, the rocky sills protected the village from the dry, easterly winds, and secondly, the natural ground on which the Praia sprang made it exceptionally defensible in the event of a war. Because of the terrain, the present day Praia is composed of several relatively spaced out quarters, and the historic section at the highest elevation is called – the Plate.

Praia – the largest industrial center in Cábó-Verde, specializing mainly in the export of food products: sugar, papelines, coffee. The fishing and food processing industry, the furniture industry and the building materials industry are also developed. Praia is also a transit port, which has flourished particularly during the busy trading era.

In spite of its name (Portugal means beach), Praia has only one beach. The main resort areas are located to the west of the Praia – in Cuiura Canela and Praia Mar. Still, the tourism sector is one of the leading parts of the citys life. The Palace of the President is the main attraction of the city, and the Prime Ministers Palace is also located next to it. These buildings, as well as the ethnographic museum, are located on Aljukéréka Square, in front of which stands a monument to the first islander, Santiago Domingo, who looks out over the ocean. The popular places are the Twelfth of September quarrel in the center of Praia and the remains of the former capital of the island of Ribeira-Graindi in the town of Cédade-Velha, not far from Praia.

Overall Score

• Tap water: No, not drinkable
• Religious government: Non-religious
• Population: 150,000 people
• GDP: $3,038 / year
• Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
• Internet: 11 Mbps
• Best wireless: Unitel
• Tipping: Cabo Verde has no standard tipping etiquette. In the restaurant and hospitality industry, workers usually don’t expect to be tipped. Regardless of that, offering a small gratuity for good service will unlikely be rejected.
• Apartment listings: GabinoHome
• Apartments: Airbnb
• Hotels: Booking.com
• More hotels: Hotels.com
• Best coffee 24/7: Prime
• Best hospital: Hospital de So Domingos
• Best short-haul air carrier: TAP Air Portugal
• Best intl air carrier: TAP Air Portugal
• Monthly costs for expat: $1400
• Monthly costs for family: $3700
• Monthly costs for local: $1050
• Meal: $6.5
• Small Cola: $2.5
• Beer 1 Pint: $6
• Coffee: $5

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