July 5, 1975

The Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived in 1456, and the islands were thus made part of the Portuguese empire. Due to its location off the coast of Western Africa, Cape Verde became an important supply station, then sugar cane plantation site, and later a major center of the slave trade and whaling industry.

Although the Cape Verdeans were treated badly by their colonial masters, they fared slightly better than Africans in other Portuguese colonies because of their lighter skin. A small minority received an education; Cape Verde was the first Portuguese colony to have a school for higher education. By the time of independence, a quarter of the population could read, compared to 5% in Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau).

In 1926, Portugal had became a right-wing fascist dictatorship which regarded the colonies an economic frontier, to be developed in the interest of Portugal and the Portuguese. Frequent famine, unemployment, poverty and the failure of the Portuguese government to address these issues caused resentment. And the Portuguese dictator Salazar wasn't about to give up his colonies as easily as the British and French had given up theirs. After World War II, Portugal was intent to hold on to its overseas territories. When most former African colonies gained independence in the 50's and 60's, the Portuguese still held on. Consequently, the people of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau fought one of the longest African liberation wars.

After the fall of the fascist regime in Portugal in 1974, widespread unrest forced the government to negotiate and in July 5, 1975, Cape Verde finally gained independence from Portugal.