Cape Verde is a sociedade mestiça (as described in Portuguese), which means that it is home to mixed race people. The archipelago was uninhabited when the Portuguese discovered it in 1456. African slaves were brought to work on plantations, and as a result Cape Verdeans are mulattoes (mestiços in Portuguese), who have mixed black and white origins. A genetic study revealed that the ancestry of the population is predominantly European in the male line and West African in the female line.
The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Although nearly 35% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about 9% of GDP. In spite of having few natural resources and being semi-desert, the country boasts the highest living standards in the region, and has attracted thousands of immigrants of different nationalities.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of a series dedicated to the Carnivals of the Islands of St. Vincent and St. Nicholas, about which I wrote here.
References
Cape Verde -Wikipedia
Sender: Holger Kaufhold
Sent from Santa Maria (Sal / Cape Verde), on 21.01.2015
Photo: P.S. Vierow
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