Exploited and forgotten, the Cape Verde Islands lie at the crossroads of South America, Africa, and Europe. Scorched earth and fertile valleys, deserts, mountains, and volcanoes, all exposed to the ever-present trade winds, form a harsh environment in which to live. A young generation is coming to terms with the legacy of Portuguese colonial rule, the slave trade, and socialist ideology while forging a new identity of its own. These are just some of the elements that give the Cape Verde Islands their distinctive appeal, situated some 500 kilometers west of Africa and surrounded by the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. Read more