What is the capital of Cape Verde?
Praia lies on the southern coast of Santiago island, in the Sotavento group of the Cape Verde archipelago, built on a series of plateaus and the valleys between them.
Praia is the capital and seat of government of Cape Verde, a role it has held since 1770. Cape Verde itself has an estimated population of 527,326 (2025).
Praia is also the largest city in Cape Verde, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Praia at a glance
| City population | 159,050 (2017 estimate) |
|---|---|
| Country | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde |
| Founded | around 1615 |
| Capital since | 1770 |
| Largest city in Cape Verde | Praia |
| Time zone | UTC−01:00 (CVT) |
| Currency | Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) |
About Praia
The settlement was first recorded around 1615 as the village of Praia de Santa Maria.
Praia has been the capital of Cape Verde since 1770, when Praia superseded Cidade Velha as the capital of the islands; its status was cemented when it was officially made a city in 1858.
Cidade Velha, then known as Ribeira Grande, was the earlier capital of the Cape Verde islands until Praia superseded it in 1770.
Praia is the political, economic and cultural centre of Cape Verde, and the city generates roughly 39% of the country's GDP.
Its harbour is the nation's second-busiest port, with ferry links to the other islands of the archipelago.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Praia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Cape Verde?
Is Praia the largest city in Cape Verde?
What is the population of Praia?
Where is Praia located?
When did Praia become the capital of Cape Verde?
What was the capital of Cape Verde before Praia?
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See the full profile of Cape Verde on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.