To find Cape Verde on an Atlantic Ocean map, trace westward from Dakar, Senegal. Approximately 570 kilometers into open ocean, between latitudes 14° and 18° N, lies an arc of jagged volcanic peaks emerging from deep water. Its maritime borders border Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania to the east, though no land bridges or shallow shelves connect them. Cape Verde rises directly from the seabed.
Biogeographically, the archipelago forms the southern anchor of Macaronesia, a group of four North Atlantic island territories that also includes the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands. While the northern Macaronesian islands remain under Portuguese and Spanish sovereignty, Cape Verde gained full independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975.
The archipelago's geography creates a striking meteorological divide. Positioned directly in the path of the Harmattan, a dry, dusty trade wind sweeping out of the Sahara Desert, the eastern islands resemble windswept extensions of the African mainland. Conversely, the western volcanic peaks catch Atlantic moisture, producing microclimates ranging from barren desert dunes to lush cloud forests and terraced mountain valleys.
