Cape Verde is an island country in the central Atlantic Ocean , about 570–660 km west of Senegal on the northwest coast of Africa. It sits west of mainland Africa, north of the equator, and is made up of 10 volcanic islands.

Where it is

  • Region: West Africa.
  • Ocean: North Atlantic.
  • Nearest mainland: Senegal.
  • Shape on map: a small archipelago spread in two island groups, north and south.

Main islands

The islands are usually grouped as:

  • Barlavento (north): Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista.
  • Sotavento (south): Maio, Santiago, Fogo, Brava.

Easy way to picture it

On a world map, look for West Africa , then move out into the Atlantic Ocean a short distance west of Senegal. Cape Verde will appear as a small cluster of islands, not far from the African coast.

A simple map view is available here: Cape Verde map.