Flora
Influenced by the winds from the northeast and the east, which blow from the arid zone of the Sahara and the Sahel, the terrestrial eco-system of the archipelago of Cape Verde is not tropical, even though the greenery covers all the palms on the land with an ephemeral blanket during the rainy season.
Although dry periods have a strong influence, particularly on the south face of the islands, where the wind does not bring humidity, the most agricultural islands sow their seed in the dry lands when the rainy season is coming, and two rainfalls lasting several days are sufficient to make the crops grow.
Increasingly technological irrigation solutions (drip by drip, hydroponics...) are making it possible to benefit from land which is fertile, but just lacks water.
In the valleys, the ridges and the plateaus of the mountainous islands, agriculture plays an important role in the economy of Cape Verde even today. Enough food is cultivated to supply the markets with maize, various types of beans, sweet potato, cassava, vegetables and fruits, with considerable regularity.
After the independence in 1974, a notable initiative was taken in the mountains to plant trees on the archipelago. It is a continued initiative, which led to the planting of an area of 5,000 hectares between 2002 and 2004.
In terms of naturally occurring flora, Cape Verde has 755 plant species, of which 83 are endemic, around 224 are indigenous.
Influenced by the winds from the northeast and the east, which blow from the arid zone of the Sahara and the Sahel, the terrestrial eco-system of the archipelago of Cape Verde is not tropical, even though the greenery covers all the palms on the land with an ephemeral blanket during the rainy season.
Although dry periods have a strong influence, particularly on the south face of the islands, where the wind does not bring humidity, the most agricultural islands sow their seed in the dry lands when the rainy season is coming, and two rainfalls lasting several days are sufficient to make the crops grow.
Increasingly technological irrigation solutions (drip by drip, hydroponics...) are making it possible to benefit from land which is fertile, but just lacks water.
In the valleys, the ridges and the plateaus of the mountainous islands, agriculture plays an important role in the economy of Cape Verde even today. Enough food is cultivated to supply the markets with maize, various types of beans, sweet potato, cassava, vegetables and fruits, with considerable regularity.
After the independence in 1974, a notable initiative was taken in the mountains to plant trees on the archipelago. It is a continued initiative, which led to the planting of an area of 5,000 hectares between 2002 and 2004.
In terms of naturally occurring flora, Cape Verde has 755 plant species, of which 83 are endemic, around 224 are indigenous.
