Cidade do Maio
| Cidade do Maio | |
|---|---|
| Settlement | |
 Cidade do Maio
|
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| Coordinates: 15°08′17″N 23°12′40″W / 15.138°N 23.211°WCoordinates: 15°08′17″N 23°12′40″W / 15.138°N 23.211°W | |
| Country | Cape Verde |
| Island | Maio |
| Municipality | Maio |
| Civil parish | Nossa Senhora da Luz |
| Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,971 |
Cidade do Maio, also known as Porto Inglês, is a city in the southwestern part of the island of Maio in southeastern Cape Verde. It is the main urban settlement of the island, and also seat of the Maio Municipality. The population has doubled between 1990 and 2010 and was 2,971, its estimates has reached over 3,000. Between 1975 in 2015, before it became a city, it was known as Vila do Maio.
The city is still (colloquially) known by its old name, Porto Inglês (Portuguese for "English port", the official name until 1975), in opposition of the older Porto Português (present day Calheta). the older name was that 17 English ships a year visited Maio to transport salt to England until the 19th century, England had a great influence on salt trade. Salt is produced in small amounts today, it is exported to Guinea-Bissau.
The port of Cidade (formerly Vila) do Maio (once known as the English Port) has ferry services to the island of Santiago with Praia and Boa Vista with Sal Rei and is based hundreds of meters from the center and 1 km north has an airport). The city's main street is named Amílcar Cabral. The surrounding area consists of a desert and grassy landscape unlike the middle and east of the island, vegetation is not dense, saltmarshes lie to the northwest which were used for salt mining. Tourism is now one of the dominant factor of the city, large sized apartment complex and hotels dominate the north next to its airport, a small industrial area lies to the eastern portion.
Famous landmarks include Forte de São José and its adjacent lighthouse The Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our Lady of Light) church was first opened in 1872 and was financed by salt taxes. Located nearby is Praça Évora where a house once inhabited by António Évora is located, who he made its salt monopolies that occurred up to the 20th century.
Maio's first settlement was founded around before the 16th century and may be the second or third inhabited island, one of its first inhabitants were slaves who were as shepherds and supplied the meat and skins to Cidade Velha. Before the 16th century, cotton was produced on the island and was possibly the first or second in Cape Verde to grow cotton and inside the tropics west of the African mainland. It was the possibly the ruling center of the captaincy of Alcatrazes which was possibly Maio, first ruled in 1484 and ended around 1520 or 1530.
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