what was cape verde called before independence date

Cape Verde was generally called Cabo Verde by the Portuguese, meaning “Green Cape,” before independence in 1975. In English, it was also commonly referred to as Cape Verde.

Quick Scoop

• Official Portuguese name: Cabo Verde.

• English form: Cape Verde.

• Before independence: it was a Portuguese territory and later an overseas province, not a separate sovereign state.

Small nuance

There does not appear to be a single widely documented pre-Portuguese country name in the modern sense, because the islands were named by Portuguese explorers and later governed as a colony.