CULTURE
When the islands were visited by
the Portuguese between 1456 and 1460, they were uninhabited. In
1460 the Portuguese navigators Diogo Gomes and António
de Noli sighted and named Maio and São Tiago, and in 1462
the first settlers from Portugal landed on São Tiago, eventually
founding the city of Ribeira Grande. Ribeira Grande's importance
and wealth grew with the development of the slave trade, and the
city was attacked by pirates in 1541 and by the English in 1585
and 1592. After a French attack in 1712, the city was finally
abandoned. The prosperity of the islands vanished with the decline
of the slave trade after 1876, and recurrent drought and famine
were worsened by corruption and maladministration. The end of
the 19th century saw some improvement, and the islands' position
on the great trade routes between Europe, South America, and South
Africa resulted in the opening of a coaling and submarine cable
station at Mindelo. Following World War I, prosperity declined
owing to a reduction in shipping, and it was not until after World
War II that trade increased and relative prosperity returned.
In
1951 the Portuguese colony was changed to an overseas province.
In 1961 all of the islanders obtained full Portuguese citizenship.
Despite these developments, a strong independence movement remained
active, led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau
and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
