The ten islands are split into two groups by the wind. The Windward Islands (Barlavento) catch the ocean breezes and tend to be greener and hillier. The Leeward Islands (Sotavento) sit more sheltered and are often flatter and sunnier, with long sandy beaches stretching for kilometres.
Because each island formed separately from a different volcanic eruption, they all look and feel quite different. Some are rugged and mountainous, with steep valleys and ancient forests. Others are almost completely flat, with salt flats and sand dunes that look like a mini desert. Visiting Cape Verde can feel like visiting ten different countries at once.
The islands were uninhabited when the first settlers arrived from Portugal and West Africa in the 1400s. Today, Cape Verdeans are proud of a culture that blends African and European traditions - you can hear it in their music, taste it in their food, and see it in their colourful festivals.
The ocean between and around the islands is some of the richest water in the Atlantic. Humpback whales, dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles and hundreds of seabirds all depend on these waters. For a small country, Cape Verde punches well above its weight when it comes to wildlife.