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Coordinates: 14°52′N 24°42′W / 14.867°N 24.700°W / 14.867; -24.700
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{{Other uses|Brava (disambiguation)}}
see also [[Brava (Disambiguation)]]''</div>
{{short description|Island of Cape Verde}}


{{Infobox islands
| name = Brava
| image_name = Bela-vista-net-Brava-map.jpg
| image_caption =
| image_size =
| map_image = Locator map of Brava, Cape Verde.png
| native_name =
| native_name_link =
| nickname =
| location = [[Atlantic Ocean]]
| pushpin_map = Cape Verde#Atlantic Ocean
| pushpin_label =
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_map_alt =
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|14|52|N|24|42|W||display=it}}
| archipelago =
| total_islands =
| major_islands =
| area_km2 = 62.51
| length_km = 10.5
| width_km = 9.3
| highest_mount = [[Monte Fontainhas]]
| elevation_m = 976
| country = {{CPV}}
| country_admin_divisions_title = Municipality
| country_admin_divisions = Brava
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 =
| country_admin_divisions_1 =
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 =
| country_admin_divisions_2 =
| country_largest_city = [[Nova Sintra]]
| country_largest_city_population =
| population = 5,698
| population_as_of = 2015
| density_km2 = 91.2
| ethnic_groups =
| additional_info =
}}


'''Brava''' ([[Portuguese Language|Portuguese]] for "wild" or "brave") is an [[island]] in [[Cape Verde]], and is part of the [[Sotavento Islands|Sotavento]] group, in the central Atlantic Ocean. At {{convert|62.5|km2|abbr=on}},<ref name=resumo>[http://ine.cv/censo_quadros/resumo-dos-indicadores-rgph-2010/ 2010 Census Summary]</ref> it is the smallest inhabited island of the Cape Verde archipelago, but at the same time the greenest. First settled in the early 16th century, its population grew after [[Mount Fogo]] on neighbouring [[Fogo, Cape Verde|Fogo]] erupted in 1680. For more than a century, its main industry was [[whaling]], but the island economy is now primarily [[agricultural]].
<!-- BEGIN WikiProject Mountains infobox (scroll down to edit main article text) -->
{| border="1" bgcolor="#ffffff" cellpadding="5" align="right" width="305" style="margin-left:3px"
!bgcolor=#e7dcc3 colspan=2|Brava
|-
|align=center colspan=2|[[Image:Cape Verde-Brava.png|250px]]
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Topographical summit|Elevation]]:||976 m (3,202 ft)
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Latitude]]:||14.85 (14° 51' 0' N)
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Longitude]]:||24.71667 (24° 43' 0' W)
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Location:||[[Cape Verde Islands]]
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Mountain range|Range]]:||
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|Population:|| around 7,000
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[Area]]:|| 64 km²
|-
|bgcolor=#e7dcc3|[[List of mountain types|Type]]:||[[Stratovolcano]]
|}
<!-- END WikiProject Mountains infobox -->
[[Image:Scn0007.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Nova Sintra.]]'''Brava''' is a [[volcanic]] [[island]] in the [[Cape Verde]] group. It is the smallest inhabited island of Cape Verde, one of the [[Sotaventos]]. First settled in the [[1540s]], its population grew after [[Mount Fogo]] on neighbouring [[Fogo, Cape Verde|Fogo]] erupted in [[1675]]. Its main industry was long [[whaling]], but the island is now primarily [[agricultural]]. The island's main town is [[Vila Nova Sintra]].


==History==
Volcanic activity on the island has been mainly located along three sets of lineaments, which all intersect at the crest of ground that forms the highest part of the island. Brava has no documented historical eruptions, but its youthful volcanic morphology and the fact that earthquake swarms still occur indicate the potential for future eruptions.<!--
Brava was discovered in 1462 by the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] explorer [[Diogo Afonso]].<ref name=gomes>[http://hdl.handle.net/11328/594 Valor simbólico do centro histórico da Praia], Lourenço Conceição Gomes, Universidade Portucalense, 2008, p. 97</ref>{{rp|73}} There is no evidence of human presence on the Cape Verde islands before the arrival of the Portuguese. Around 1620 the population of Brava started with the arrival of settlers from [[Madeira]] and the [[Azores]].<ref name=unesco>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6099 Centre historique de Nova Sintra], UNESCO {{in lang|fr}}</ref> Settlement of Brava took a rise in 1680 when it received many refugees from the nearby larger island of [[Fogo, Cape Verde|Fogo]] after [[Pico do Fogo|its volcano]] erupted and covered the island with ash.<ref name=gomes/>{{rp|83–84}} Frequent pirate attacks forced the population towards the interior of the island, where the town [[Nova Sintra]] was founded around 1700.<ref name=unesco/>


Around 1720, the fungus ''[[Roccella tinctoria]]'' was discovered, which was traded as a textile dye.<ref name=unesco/> From the end of the 18th century, [[whaling]] ships from [[North America]] started hunting whales around the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands. They used the harbours of Brava ([[Fajã de Água]] and [[Furna (Brava)|Furna]]) to stock up on supplies and drinking water. They hired men from Brava as sailors, and several of these men from Brava settled around the Massachusetts whaling port of [[New Bedford, Massachusetts|New Bedford]].<ref name=gomes/>{{rp|439–440}}
[[Image:BravaCV.jpg|Map of Brava and the smaller islands north of Brava]]-->


==Geography==
The municipality has no municipal boundaries which means it is encircled with the Atlantic Ocean.
[[File:Ilhéus Secos.jpg|thumb|left|The uninhabited islets Ilhéus Secos or Ilhéus do Rombo with parts of the town of Nova Sintra.]]
The island of Brava is 10.5&nbsp;km long (north to south) and its width is 9.3&nbsp;km.<ref name=ambiente>[http://ine.cv/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/estatisticas-do-ambiente-2016.pdf Estatísticas do Ambiente – 2016], [[Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Cape Verde)|Instituto Nacional de Estatística]]</ref>{{rp|21}} Its area is {{convert|62.51|km2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=resumo/> Practically the whole island is a [[stratovolcano]]. It lies in the lee of the enormous Fogo volcano. Volcanic activity on the island has been mainly located along three lines, which all intersect at the crest of ground that forms the highest part of the island.<ref name="A Semana">{{cite web|url=http://www.asemana.publ.cv/spip.php?article004049&ak=1|title=Brava – sua situação geográfica|trans-title=Brava, its Geographic Location|newspaper=A Semana|language=pt|date=31 March 2004|access-date=10 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221105336/http://www.asemana.publ.cv/spip.php?article004049&ak=1|archive-date=21 February 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Brava has no documented historical eruptions, but its youthful volcanic morphology and the fact that earthquake swarms still occur indicate the potential for future eruptions; its last eruption was during the Holocene era. 13% of the island area is forested.<ref name=ambiente/>{{rp|25}}


North of Brava are several uninhabited islets; the largest ones are [[Ilhéu de Cima]] and [[Ilhéu Grande]]. [[Monte Fontainhas]] is the highest point on the island, reaching 976 metres elevation.<ref name=yearbook>[http://ine.cv/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/statistical-yearbook-cv-2015_en.pdf Cabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015], [[Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Cape Verde)|Instituto Nacional de Estatística]]</ref>{{rp|25}}
Brava is the only inhabited island in Cape Verde without an active [[airport]] and was severely damaged by [[Tropical Storm Beryl (1982)|Tropical Storm Beryl]] in [[1982]]. Former inhabitants of the island include [[Eugénio Tavares]].


==Parishes==
===Climate===
Being highly mountainous this island has a quite diverse climate. Brava island has moderate [[arid climate]] (''BWh'' according to Köppen–Geiger climate classification system) along the coast and semi-arid mild tropical climate ''BSh'' with very balanced temperatures year round in the interior. The average annual temperature on the coast is about {{convert|23|-|25|C|F}}, decreasing to some {{convert|17|-|20|C|F}} in the mountains. There can be remarkably cool weather with warmer wet season starting in June and ending in November with colder dry season starting in December and ending in May.


{{Weather box|width = auto
*[[São João Baptista (Brava), Cape Verde|São João Baptista]]
|location = Cachaço, south of Nova Sintra, 800 metres ASL
*[[Nossa Senhora do Monte]]
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|temperature colour=pastel
|Jan high C = 18.7
|Feb high C = 18.6
|Mar high C = 19.4
|Apr high C = 19.8
|May high C = 20.4
|Jun high C = 21.0
|Jul high C = 22.2
|Aug high C = 23.1
|Sep high C = 23.3
|Oct high C = 22.6
|Nov high C = 21.7
|Dec high C = 19.6
|year high C = 20.9
|Jan mean C = 16.2
|Feb mean C = 16.1
|Mar mean C = 16.6
|Apr mean C = 16.9
|May mean C = 17.6
|Jun mean C = 18.4
|Jul mean C = 19.4
|Aug mean C = 20.5
|Sep mean C = 20.8
|Oct mean C = 20.4
|Nov mean C = 19.1
|Dec mean C = 17.4
|year mean C = 18.3
|Jan low C = 13.8
|Feb low C = 13.6
|Mar low C = 13.8
|Apr low C = 14.1
|May low C = 14.9
|Jun low C = 15.8
|Jul low C = 16.7
|Aug low C = 17.9
|Sep low C = 18.4
|Oct low C = 18.2
|Nov low C = 16.5
|Dec low C = 15.2
|year low C = 16.9
|rain colour=green
|Jan rain mm = 11
|Feb rain mm = 5
|Mar rain mm = 1
|Apr rain mm = 0
|May rain mm = 0
|Jun rain mm = 0
|Jul rain mm = 17
|Aug rain mm = 83
|Sep rain mm = 123
|Oct rain mm = 53
|Nov rain mm = 33
|Dec rain mm = 20
|source = climate-data.org<ref>{{cite web |website=Climate-Data.org | url = http://en.climate-data.org/location/789800/ | access-date = 28 December 2013 |title=Climate Cachaço}}</ref>
}}


==Settlements==
==Municipality==


Administratively, the island of Brava is covered by one municipality, ''[[Administrative divisions of Cabo Verde|Concelho]] da Brava''. This municipality consists of two ''[[Administrative divisions of Cabo Verde|freguesias]]'' (civil parishes): [[São João Baptista (Brava)|São João Baptista]] and [[Nossa Senhora do Monte (Brava)|Nossa Senhora do Monte]]. The municipal seat is the city [[Nova Sintra]].
*[[Cachaço]]
*[[Campo Baixo]]
*[[Cova Joana]]
*[[Fajã de Agua]]
*[[Furna (Brava), Cape Verde|Furna]]
*[[Lime Doce]]
*[[Mato Grande]]
*[[Nova Sintra do Monte]]
*[[Santa Bárbara, Cape Verde|Santa Bárbara]]
*[[Tantum]]
*[[Vila Nova Sintra]]


==Geography==
===Politics===


Since 2012, the [[Movement for Democracy (Cape Verde)|Movement for Democracy]] (MpD) is the ruling party of the municipality, and its president is Orlando da Luz Vieira Balla. The results of the latest elections, [[Cape Verdean local elections, 2016|in 2016]]:<ref name=dgape>[http://www.dgape.cv/images/bo_23-09-2016_53.pdf Official results local elections 2016] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819102707/http://www.dgape.cv/images/bo_23-09-2016_53.pdf |date=2019-08-19 }}, ''Boletim Oficial I Série, Número 53'', 23 September 2016</ref>
*Population: around 6,800 (''1991''), 4,296 (''2001'')
*Density: around 101.49/km²
*[[ISO 3166-2:CV]]: '''CV-BR'''
*Area: 67 km²
*Name of inhabitants: Bravense
*Municipality: Vila Nova Sintra (population: 1,500 ''1991'', 1,882 ''2001'')


{| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:right
It is part of the district of [[Sotavento]]. The places include [[Nova Sintra]].
!rowspan=2|Party
!colspan=2|Municipal Council
!colspan=2|Municipal Assembly
|-
!Votes%
!Seats
!Votes%
!Seats
|-
|align=left|[[Movement for Democracy (Cape Verde)|MpD]]||58.99||5||57.55||8
|-
|align=left|[[African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde|PAICV]]||39.17||0||40.48||5
|}


==Population==
The island has schools, a lyceum, a gymnasia, churches, and a square (''[[praça]]'') including one in honor of the famous musician Eugene Tavares.


[[File:Scn0007.jpg|thumb|right|Nova Sintra]]
All of the five villages lie north of the mountaintop and has four main roads including Furna - Vila Nova Sintra and Fajã de Agua and south to Nova Sintra do Monte and slightly south of the mountaintop. The two large islands north of Brava are unhabited. The mountain valleys domimates the south, the east and the west. The north has a few valleys.
The island's main town is [[Nova Sintra]]. The island's two parishes São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Monte are subdivided into 16 population zones for statistical purposes:<ref name=census10>{{cite web|url=http://ine.cv/censo_quadros/brava-2/|title=2010 Census results Brava|work=[[Instituto Nacional de Estatística (Cape Verde)|Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde]]|date=24 November 2016|language=pt}}</ref>


{{div flex row|div o=y}}
North of Brava are two small islands with 4 islets, 3 of them are west of Ilh(e)u de Cima. The islands are [[Ilh(e)u Grande]] (Portuguese for Large Island or Big Island) and [[Ilh(e)u de Cima]].
[[São João Baptista (Brava)|São João Baptista]]
* [[Cachaço]]
* [[Cova Rodela]]
* [[Furna (Brava)|Furna]]
* [[João da Noly]]
* [[Lem, Cape Verde|Lem]]
* [[Mato Grande]]
* [[Nova Sintra]] (city)<ref name=yearbook/>{{rp|32}}
* [[Santa Bárbara, Cape Verde|Santa Bárbara]]
* [[Vinagre, Cape Verde|Vinagre]]
{{div CO}}
[[Nossa Senhora do Monte (Brava)|Nossa Senhora do Monte]]
* [[Campo Baixo]]
* [[Cova Joana]]
* [[Fajã de Água]]
* [[Mato, Cape Verde|Mato]]
* [[Nossa Senhora do Monte, Cape Verde|Nossa Senhora do Monte]] (town)<ref name=yearbook/>{{rp|33}}
* [[Tantum]]
* [[Tomé Barraz]]
{{div flex row end|div c=y}}


===Demographics===
The island is part of the [[Sotavento]] (Portuguese for islands under the wind) island chain and is located west of [[Fogo, Cape Verde|Fogo]]. Precipitation arrives from the trade wind clouds. It lies in the leeward of the enormous Fogo volcano. The island is covered with a leeward cloud so that the evaporation is smaller and the vegetation is enrich. The island is more closely settled The places include the village of Vila Nova Sintra. The village of Furna has a commercial port.


In the 1830s, the population was estimated at 8,000.<ref name=Roberts>{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=Edmund|title=Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat|year=1837|publisher=Harper & Brothers|location=New York|page=14|url=http://www.wdl.org/en/item/7317/view/1/17/}}</ref>
==Geographical features==


{{Bar chart
{|
| title = Population of Brava (1940–2015)
|
| label_type = Year
**Ponta do Alto, located in the southwest
| data_type = Population
**Ponta da [[Pesqueiro Grande]], the westernmost point on the island.
| bar_width = 35
**Ponta da [[Rei Fernando]] (Portuguese for King Fernando), located in the east.
| width_units = em
**Ponta da [[Aguada]], a bay located in the east
| data_max = 9000
**[[Quebra Cabeças]], located in the south-southwest
| label1 = 1940<ref name="Stat">Source: [http://www.statoids.com/ucv.html Statoids]</ref>
**Monte [[Pesqueiro]], located in the west-northwest
| data1 = 8,528
|
| label2 = 1950<ref name="Stat"/>
**Ponta da [[Incenso]], the northernmost point on the island
| data2 = 7,937
**Ponta [[Jalunga]], located in the northeast
| label3 = 1960<ref name="Stat"/>
**Ponta [[Mórea]], located in the east southeast
| data3 = 8,625
**[[Cova do Mer]], located in the southeast
| label4 = 1970<ref name="Stat"/>
**Ponta da [[Vaca]]
| data4 = 7,756
|}
| label5 = 1980<ref name="Stat"/>
| data5 = 6,985
| label6 = 1990<ref name="Stat"/>
| data6 = 6,975
| label7 = 2000<ref name="Stat"/>
| data7 = 6,820
| label8 = 2010<ref name=resumo/>
| data8 = 5,995
| label9 = 2015<ref name=yearbook/>{{rp|36}}
| data9 = 5,698
}}


==History==
==Economy==
The economy of the island is mainly based on (irrigated) agriculture and fishing. Main agricultural goods include coffee, potatoes including sweet potatoes, corn (maize), banana and sugar cane.<ref name="A Semana"/>


==Attractions==
Brava was founded in [[1462]] by the Portuguese and the first settlement was founded in [[1573]]. Slave trade was common in Cidade Velha. The persons that were from [[Madeira]] and [[Minho]] in Northern Portugal did not participate any longer. In [[1680]], the inhabitants fled to the nearby large island of Fogo after the volcano erupted and lava began to flow and devastate. In the [[17th century|17th]] and the [[18th century|18th centuries]], pirates raided the bays of the island and continued until the [[19th century]] when whale-catching was common from the ships of [[Europe]] and North America. Emigration began as the whale-catching ships sailed people from Brava to the northeastern part of [[North America]] especially along the [[Eastern Seaboard]]. Most of the immigrants from Brava settled in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], [[Providence, Rhode Island]] and [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]]. Brava most famous son is the musician [[Eugénio Tavares]], which he used the traditional [[morna]] and was written in [[Portuguese Creole#Crioulo (Creoles of Cape Verde)|Crioulo]]. A statue dedeciated to Eugene Tavares is in the main square of Vila Nova Sintra and is encircled with a beautiful garden that are filled with trees, sunflowers, flowers, grass and other types of plants. Other notable persons includes [[Hermano da Pina]] and [[Armando da Pina]] who lives in the [[Eastern Seaboard]] which has his ancestry to his parents in Brava.
*[[Nova Sintra]], a town with a museum, traditional Portuguese architecture, several churches and shops.
*[[Fajã de Agua]], a small harbour on the West coast with a natural swimming pool.
*[[Nossa Senhora do Monte, Cape Verde|Nossa Senhora do Monte]], a village in the mountains with a pilgrimage church.
*[[Cova Rodela]], a village in the mountains with a [[dragon tree]] in its main street.
[[File:VilaNovaMonumento.jpg|thumb|A monument to Eugênio Tavares]]


==Sports==
==Economics and Tourism==
There are several football clubs on Boa Vista, organised in the [[Brava Regional Football Association]].


==Infrastructure==
The main economy of the island are agriculture that relate with irrigation and fishing which are the island's main production. Trading and private households depend on income from Cape Verdean residents from North America.
[[File:AluguerEmNossaSra.jpg|thumb|left|"Aluguer" bus in the village Nossa Senhora do Monte.]]
The [[Esperadinha Airport]], inaugurated in 1992, was closed in 2004 because of persisting strong winds. The village of [[Furna (Brava)|Furna]] has a commercial port, the other port is [[Fajã de Água]] which is only used for fishing. Ferries to the islands of Fogo and Santiago depart from Furna. On Brava the villages may be reached by "Aluguer" bus. There is no fixed schedule, as the aluguers travel only when there are sufficient passengers. A few taxis are available as well.


==Notable residents==
The airline service went to an end in [[2004]]. Brava never had tourism. Tourism slowly boomed. The island is not suitable for beach tourism since because the steep shoreline makes the island not having a lot of beaches.


*[[Eugénio Tavares]], musician; he used the traditional [[Morna (music)|morna]] and wrote in [[Cape Verdean Creole]]. A statue dedicated to Eugénio Tavares is in the main square of Vila Nova Sintra, surrounded by a garden with trees, sunflowers, flowers, grass and other types of plants.
==Sites of interest==
*[[Vinny deMacedo]] – Massachusetts State Representative & State Senator was born in Brava.
*[[David Soares]] – District Attorney, Albany County, New York, USA


==References==
*[[Vinagre]] ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for Vinegar)
{{Reflist}}


==Sporting teams==
==Further reading==
* {{cite book|url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30799d/f591.image |author= Armand d'Avezac|display-authors=et al|title=Îles de l'Afrique|chapter=Brava|publisher= [[Firmin Didot]] Frères|place= Paris|year= 1848|pages= 208–210}}


==External links==
{{Main article|Brava Island League}}
{{Commons category|Brava (Cape Verde)}}
* [http://www.caboverde.com/ilhas/brava/camara.htm Câmara Municipal da Brava] (not official)
* [http://www.bravanews.com Brava News] – News directly from Brava
* [http://www.caboverde.com/ilhas/ybrav-it.htm Brava island] – caboverde.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060116083217/http://www.umassd.edu/SpecialPrograms/caboverde/brava.html Brava, Cape Verde Islands] – University of Massachusetts
* {{in lang|pt}} [http://www.tvciencia.pt/tvccat/pagcat/tvccat02.asp?varcota=CDI-0340-1930 1930 Cartographic Map]{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at TV Ciência {{in lang|pt}}


{{Islands of Cape Verde}}
*[[Académica (Brava)|Académica]]
{{Municipalities of Cape Verde}}
*[[Benfica (Brava)|Benfica]]
{{Brava, Cape Verde}}
*[[Corôa]]
*[[Morabeza (Brava)|Morabeza]]
*[[No Pintcha]]
*[[Sporting (Brava)|Sporting]]


{{Authority control}}
==External links==


[[Category:Brava, Cape Verde| ]]
*[http://www.caboverde.com/ilhas/ybrav-it.htm caboverde.com]
[[Category:Islands of Cape Verde]]
*[http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/caboverde/brava.html University of Massachusetts] - information and images from Brava
[[Category:Brava Municipality| ]]
*[http://www.mindelo.info/forum/album_cat.php?cat_id=13 Photos of Brava]
[[Category:Municipalities of Cape Verde]]
*'''Map and aerial photos'''
**Street map: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=14.85&longitude=-24.71667&zoom=6 Street map from Mapquest], [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=-24.71667&lat=14.85&w=750&h=500 Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=14.85,-24.71667 Google]
**Satellite images: [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=14.85,-24.71667&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] - image not yet available
*Coordinates: {{coor dms|14|55|0|N|23|31|0|W|type:isle_region:CV}}
*In German:
**[http://sao-filipe.com/html.brava.html Information and migrations by Mike Goike]
**[http://www.bela-vista.net/buch-rder-d.htm Map of Fogo and Brava with a scale of 1:60000]
**[http://www.bela-vista.net/Reisenandbuch-Cabo-Verde.htm Cape Verde Travel Guiede with Lucete Fortes and Pitt Reitmaier]

{{Cape Verde/Islands}}
{{Cape Verde/Municipalities|Brava}}
{{coor title dm|14|55|N|23|31|W|region:CV_type:city}}
[[Category:Brava, Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Mountains of Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Islands of Cape Verde]]

[[de:Brava]]
[[et:Brava]]
[[fr:Brava (Cap-Vert)]]
[[nl:Brava]]
[[no:Brava]]
[[pt:Brava (Cabo Verde)]]
[[sv:Brava]]

Latest revision as of 01:38, 1 September 2024

For other uses, see Brava (disambiguation).
Brava
Brava is located in Cape Verde
Brava
Brava
Brava is located in Atlantic Ocean
Brava
Brava
Geography
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates14°52′N 24°42′W / 14.867°N 24.700°W / 14.867; -24.700
Area62.51 km2 (24.14 sq mi)
Length10.5 km (6.52 mi)
Width9.3 km (5.78 mi)
Highest elevation976 m (3202 ft)
Highest pointMonte Fontainhas
Administration
MunicipalityBrava
Largest settlementNova Sintra
Demographics
Population5,698 (2015)
Pop. density91.2/km2 (236.2/sq mi)

Brava (Portuguese for "wild" or "brave") is an island in Cape Verde, and is part of the Sotavento group, in the central Atlantic Ocean. At 62.5 km2 (24.1 sq mi),[1] it is the smallest inhabited island of the Cape Verde archipelago, but at the same time the greenest. First settled in the early 16th century, its population grew after Mount Fogo on neighbouring Fogo erupted in 1680. For more than a century, its main industry was whaling, but the island economy is now primarily agricultural.

History

[edit]

Brava was discovered in 1462 by the Portuguese explorer Diogo Afonso.[2]: 73  There is no evidence of human presence on the Cape Verde islands before the arrival of the Portuguese. Around 1620 the population of Brava started with the arrival of settlers from Madeira and the Azores.[3] Settlement of Brava took a rise in 1680 when it received many refugees from the nearby larger island of Fogo after its volcano erupted and covered the island with ash.[2]: 83–84  Frequent pirate attacks forced the population towards the interior of the island, where the town Nova Sintra was founded around 1700.[3]

Around 1720, the fungus Roccella tinctoria was discovered, which was traded as a textile dye.[3] From the end of the 18th century, whaling ships from North America started hunting whales around the Azores and the Cape Verde Islands. They used the harbours of Brava (Fajã de Água and Furna) to stock up on supplies and drinking water. They hired men from Brava as sailors, and several of these men from Brava settled around the Massachusetts whaling port of New Bedford.[2]: 439–440 

Geography

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The uninhabited islets Ilhéus Secos or Ilhéus do Rombo with parts of the town of Nova Sintra.

The island of Brava is 10.5 km long (north to south) and its width is 9.3 km.[4]: 21  Its area is 62.51 km2 (24.14 sq mi).[1] Practically the whole island is a stratovolcano. It lies in the lee of the enormous Fogo volcano. Volcanic activity on the island has been mainly located along three lines, which all intersect at the crest of ground that forms the highest part of the island.[5] Brava has no documented historical eruptions, but its youthful volcanic morphology and the fact that earthquake swarms still occur indicate the potential for future eruptions; its last eruption was during the Holocene era. 13% of the island area is forested.[4]: 25 

North of Brava are several uninhabited islets; the largest ones are Ilhéu de Cima and Ilhéu Grande. Monte Fontainhas is the highest point on the island, reaching 976 metres elevation.[6]: 25 

Climate

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Being highly mountainous this island has a quite diverse climate. Brava island has moderate arid climate (BWh according to Köppen–Geiger climate classification system) along the coast and semi-arid mild tropical climate BSh with very balanced temperatures year round in the interior. The average annual temperature on the coast is about 23–25 °C (73–77 °F), decreasing to some 17–20 °C (63–68 °F) in the mountains. There can be remarkably cool weather with warmer wet season starting in June and ending in November with colder dry season starting in December and ending in May.

Climate data for Cachaço, south of Nova Sintra, 800 metres ASL
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 18.7
(65.7) 		18.6
(65.5) 		19.4
(66.9) 		19.8
(67.6) 		20.4
(68.7) 		21.0
(69.8) 		22.2
(72.0) 		23.1
(73.6) 		23.3
(73.9) 		22.6
(72.7) 		21.7
(71.1) 		19.6
(67.3) 		20.9
(69.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 16.2
(61.2) 		16.1
(61.0) 		16.6
(61.9) 		16.9
(62.4) 		17.6
(63.7) 		18.4
(65.1) 		19.4
(66.9) 		20.5
(68.9) 		20.8
(69.4) 		20.4
(68.7) 		19.1
(66.4) 		17.4
(63.3) 		18.3
(64.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 13.8
(56.8) 		13.6
(56.5) 		13.8
(56.8) 		14.1
(57.4) 		14.9
(58.8) 		15.8
(60.4) 		16.7
(62.1) 		17.9
(64.2) 		18.4
(65.1) 		18.2
(64.8) 		16.5
(61.7) 		15.2
(59.4) 		16.9
(62.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 11
(0.4) 		5
(0.2) 		1
(0.0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		17
(0.7) 		83
(3.3) 		123
(4.8) 		53
(2.1) 		33
(1.3) 		20
(0.8) 		346
(13.6)
Source: climate-data.org[7]

Municipality

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Administratively, the island of Brava is covered by one municipality, Concelho da Brava. This municipality consists of two freguesias (civil parishes): São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Monte. The municipal seat is the city Nova Sintra.

Politics

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Since 2012, the Movement for Democracy (MpD) is the ruling party of the municipality, and its president is Orlando da Luz Vieira Balla. The results of the latest elections, in 2016:[8]

Party Municipal Council Municipal Assembly
Votes% Seats Votes% Seats
MpD 58.99 5 57.55 8
PAICV 39.17 0 40.48 5

Population

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Nova Sintra

The island's main town is Nova Sintra. The island's two parishes São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Monte are subdivided into 16 population zones for statistical purposes:[9]

Demographics

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In the 1830s, the population was estimated at 8,000.[10]

Population of Brava (1940–2015)
Year Population
1940[11]
8,528
1950[11]
7,937
1960[11]
8,625
1970[11]
7,756
1980[11]
6,985
1990[11]
6,975
2000[11]
6,820
2010[1]
5,995
2015[6]: 36 
5,698

Economy

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The economy of the island is mainly based on (irrigated) agriculture and fishing. Main agricultural goods include coffee, potatoes including sweet potatoes, corn (maize), banana and sugar cane.[5]

Attractions

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A monument to Eugênio Tavares

Sports

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There are several football clubs on Boa Vista, organised in the Brava Regional Football Association.

Infrastructure

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"Aluguer" bus in the village Nossa Senhora do Monte.

The Esperadinha Airport, inaugurated in 1992, was closed in 2004 because of persisting strong winds. The village of Furna has a commercial port, the other port is Fajã de Água which is only used for fishing. Ferries to the islands of Fogo and Santiago depart from Furna. On Brava the villages may be reached by "Aluguer" bus. There is no fixed schedule, as the aluguers travel only when there are sufficient passengers. A few taxis are available as well.

Notable residents

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  • Eugénio Tavares, musician; he used the traditional morna and wrote in Cape Verdean Creole. A statue dedicated to Eugénio Tavares is in the main square of Vila Nova Sintra, surrounded by a garden with trees, sunflowers, flowers, grass and other types of plants.
  • Vinny deMacedo – Massachusetts State Representative & State Senator was born in Brava.
  • David Soares – District Attorney, Albany County, New York, USA

References

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  1. ^ a b c 2010 Census Summary
  2. ^ a b c Valor simbólico do centro histórico da Praia, Lourenço Conceição Gomes, Universidade Portucalense, 2008, p. 97
  3. ^ a b c Centre historique de Nova Sintra, UNESCO (in French)
  4. ^ a b Estatísticas do Ambiente – 2016, Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  5. ^ a b "Brava – sua situação geográfica" [Brava, its Geographic Location]. A Semana (in Portuguese). 31 March 2004. Archived from the original on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d Cabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015, Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  7. ^ "Climate Cachaço". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  8. ^ Official results local elections 2016 Archived 2019-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, Boletim Oficial I Série, Número 53, 23 September 2016
  9. ^ "2010 Census results Brava". Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (in Portuguese). 24 November 2016.
  10. ^ Roberts, Edmund (1837). Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 14.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Source: Statoids

Further reading

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