The Portuguese settlement of the Cape Verde islands, 1462
- When
- 1462
- Where
- Santiago Island
- Episodes
- 1
In 1462, Portuguese settlers established Ribeira Grande on Santiago, recognized as the first permanent European settlement in the tropics. This founding followed the islands' discovery, dated variously to 1456 or 1458, and preceded their later demographic development.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the 15th century. Portuguese explorers discovered the islands, with sources citing either 1456 or 1458. These discoveries preceded the permanent settlement established on the islands in the following decade.
Founding of Ribeira Grande. In 1462, Portuguese settlers founded Ribeira Grande on Santiago, later known as Cidade Velha. António de Noli served as its Captain from 1462 to 1496. This community is identified as the first permanent European settlement in the tropics.
Population and Demographics. Cape Verdeans trace their ancestry to West African populations and early Portuguese settlers. The population includes descendants of Africans, whether free or enslaved, and Europeans of various origins. The islands were uninhabited before this European arrival.
People involved
- António de Noli · First Governor and Captain of Ribeira Grande
- Portuguese Settlers · Founders of Ribeira Grande
Sources
- Cape Verde Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11
- History of Cape Verde Wikipedia
- Portuguese Empire Wikipedia
- António de Noli Wikipedia, revision of 2025-08-12
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.