The Organs of Power
- Political organization
Discovered by the Portuguese and populated by Portuguese, Africans, some Genoans and a small number of other Europeans, it is not possible to state definitely that the archipelago of Cape Verde was a colony, particularly because the population that resulted from this settlement was transformed by mutual assimilation into a Creole nation with more than 70% mixed race. It has moulded its own language, Creole, which lives in harmony with Portuguese. It is itself a neo-Latin language, daughter of Portuguese and granddaughter of Latin. In the same way, there is a great affiliation to a common religion, Catholicism. These three pillars have given rise to a strong culture, shared by the entire population, regardless of the colour resulting from mixing. However for centuries the political system in Cape Verde was, of course, that of a province of the kingdom of Portugal, initially governed by capitães (captains), who were given one or more islands. This system was later neutralised by a Corregedor (administrative magistrate) with jurisdiction over the entire archipelago, who was succeeded by a Governor, with the Ouvidor (colonial magistrate) as the supreme judge of the juridical system. The Câmaras (chambers) emerged at an early stage as representatives of local power, as the population settled the islands.
Discovered by the Portuguese and populated by Portuguese, Africans, some Genoans and a small number of other Europeans, it is not possible to state definitely that the archipelago of Cape Verde was a colony, particularly because the population that resulted from this settlement was transformed by mutual assimilation into a Creole nation with more than 70% mixed race. It has moulded its own language, Creole, which lives in harmony with Portuguese. It is itself a neo-Latin language, daughter of Portuguese and granddaughter of Latin. In the same way, there is a great affiliation to a common religion, Catholicism. These three pillars have given rise to a strong culture, shared by the entire population, regardless of the colour resulting from mixing. However for centuries the political system in Cape Verde was, of course, that of a province of the kingdom of Portugal, initially governed by capitães (captains), who were given one or more islands. This system was later neutralised by a Corregedor (administrative magistrate) with jurisdiction over the entire archipelago, who was succeeded by a Governor, with the Ouvidor (colonial magistrate) as the supreme judge of the juridical system. The Câmaras (chambers) emerged at an early stage as representatives of local power, as the population settled the islands.
