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.