Hundreds of Empire ships were employed by the Government of the United Kingdom . They were acquired from a number of sources: many were built for the government; others obtained from the United States ; still others were captured or seized from enemy powers. Empire ships were mostly used during World War II by the Ministry of War Transport (MoWT), which owned the ships but contracted out their management to various shipping lines; however, some ships requisitioned during the Suez Crisis were also named as Empire ships. Most Empire ships have since been lost or scrapped; however, a few still remain in active service or preserved.
95-431: Empire Sailor was a 6,068 GRT cargo ship built by Stabilimento Technico Triestino , Trieste . Completed in 1926 as Cellina for Società Italia di Navigazione, Genoa . Seized as a war prize on 10 June 1940 at Gibraltar . To MoWT and renamed Empire Sailor . Torpedoed on 21 November 1942 and sunk by U-518 at 43°55′N 55°12′W / 43.917°N 55.200°W / 43.917; -55.200 while
190-888: A ferry . Converted in 1985 to a three-masted schooner. Empire Sapphire was an 8,031 GRT tanker which was built by Furness Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Haverton Hill-on-Tees . Launched on 27 May 1941 and completed in July 1941. Sold in 1946 to the Anglo-American Oil Co Ltd and renamed Esso Saranac . Arrived on 25 January 1959 at Antwerp for scrapping. Empire Sara was a 275 GRT tug which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby. Launched on 6 May 1943 and completed in August 1943. Sold in 1946 to Ellerman Wilson Line Ltd and renamed Presto . Sold in 1968 to United Towing Co Ltd. Resold later that year, arrived on 15 June 1968 at Blyth, Northumberland for scrapping. Empire Sarawak
285-889: A member of Convoy ON 145. Empire Salerno was an 877 GRT coaster which was built by Earles Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Hull . Completed in 1920 as Salerno for Ellerman Wilson Lines . Seized on 15 April 1940 in Saudafjord . Renamed Markirch and impressed into service with the Kriegsmarine for use as a target towing vessel for the torpedo school at Eckernförde . Seized in May 1945 at Eckernförde, to MoWT and renamed Empire Salerno . Prize Court ordered her return to her original owners. To Ellerman Wilson Line in October 1946 and renamed Salerno . Sold in 1957 to M A Karageorgis, Greece and renamed Taxiarchis . Ran aground on 18 December 1958 on
380-810: A mine on 21 December 1943 and sank in the Thames Estuary ( 51°50′N 01°33′E / 51.833°N 1.550°E / 51.833; 1.550 ). Empire Samson was a 261 GRT tug which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole . Launched on 8 April 1943 and completed in June 1943. On 26 July 1943 the Empire Brutus was bombed and severely damaged at ( 39°50′N 13°38′W / 39.833°N 13.633°W / 39.833; -13.633 ), Empire Samson took her in tow, and taking five days to cover 230 nautical miles (430 km) safely arrived at Lisbon . Sold in 1948 to
475-580: A number of international organizations. It also participates in most international conferences on economic and political issues. Since 2007, Cape Verde has a special partnership status with the EU , under the Cotonou Agreement , and might apply for special membership , in particular because the Cape Verdean escudo , the country's currency, is indexed to the euro . In 2011 Cape Verde ratified
570-676: A reef between Kos and the Turkish mainland . Refloated on 23 December and proceeded to Kos, then towed to Piraeus . Repairs uneconomic, scrapped in August 1959 at Perama , Greece. Empire Salisbury was an 8,199 GRT tanker which was built by Sir J Laing & Sons Ltd, Sunderland . Launched on 20 May 1944 and completed in December 1944. To Royal Fleet Auxiliary in December 1946 and renamed Wave Master . Arrived under tow in April 1963 at Jurong , Singapore for scrapping. Empire Sally
665-694: A submerged object on 6 March 1968 at Brăila , Romania and ran aground. Refloated but with extensive damage to her stern. Arrived under tow on 17 April 1968 at Monfalcone , Italy where her cargo was discharged and she was declared a constructive total loss. Arrived under tow on 27 April 1968 at Trieste, Italy. Scrapped in May 1969 at Trieste. Empire Seaport was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in August 1945 and completed in November 1945. Sold in 1946 to Middle East Coastal Services Ltd, Cyprus and renamed Eladem . Sold in 1949 to Pakistan River Steamers Ltd and renamed Torilla . Sold
760-569: A successful operation to put an end to a drug trafficking group which smuggled cocaine from Colombia to the Netherlands and Germany using the country as a reorder point. The operation took more than three years, being a secret operation during the first two years, and ended in 2010. In 2016, Cape Verdean Armed Forces were involved in the Monte Tchota massacre , a green-on-green incident that resulted in 11 deaths. The Cape Verde archipelago
855-667: A total loss. Empire Seabird was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched on 26 June 1945 and completed in September 1945. Sold in 1947 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Stia . Sold in 1960 to Teck Hwa Shipping Co Ltd, Singapore and renamed Anli . Sold in 1965 to Kie Hock Shipping Co Ltd (owner: Tay Hock Gwan), Singapore. Sold to new Singapore based owners in 1972 and renamed Global Trader . Sold in 1974 to Lam Kok Shipping Co Ltd, Singapore and renamed Ever Faithful . Sold in 1981 to Sunrise Asia Shipping Co, Panama and renamed Blue Eagle . Empire Seablue
950-539: Is Santiago, which hosts the nation's capital, Praia, the principal urban agglomeration in the archipelago. Three of the Cape Verde islands, Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio, are fairly flat, sandy, and dry; the others are generally rockier with more vegetation. Geologically, the islands, covering a combined area of slightly over 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 square miles), are principally composed of igneous rocks , with volcanic structures and pyroclastic debris comprising
1045-436: Is a schooner which was built as a 487 GRT tug by Clelands (Successors) Ltd , Wallsend . Launched on 22 December 1942 and completed in July 1943. Sold in 1948 to Risdon Beazley Ltd , Southampton and renamed Ashford . Sold in 1952 to Great Lakes Paper Co Ltd , Fort William, Ontario and renamed Chris M . Sold in 1979 to J E Rogers, Canada and renamed Empire Sandy . Sold in 1982 to Empire Sandy Inc, Canada and converted to
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#17327908174171140-472: Is a ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", each of which is equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 m ). Replaced by Gross Tonnage (GT), gross register tonnage uses the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel as its basis for volume. Typically this is used for dockage fees, canal transit fees, and similar purposes where it is appropriate to charge based on the size of the entire vessel. Internationally, GRT may be abbreviated as BRT for
1235-571: Is called Cidade Velha ("Old City"), to distinguish it from a town of the same name on a different Cape Verdean island ( Ribeira Grande on the island of Santo Antão ). The original Ribeira Grande was the first permanent European settlement in the tropics . In the 16th century, the archipelago prospered from the Atlantic slave trade . Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Francis Drake , an English privateer , twice sacked
1330-719: Is in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 570 kilometres (350 mi) off the western coast of the African continent, near Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania as well as part of the Macaronesia ecoregion . It lies between latitudes 14° and 18°N , and longitudes 22° and 26°W . The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets, that constitute an area of 4033 km (1557 sq mi). The islands are spatially divided into two groups: The largest island, both in size and population,
1425-428: Is usually defined as terrain that receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of annual rainfall. Sal's total of 145 mm (5.7 in) confirms this classification. Most of the year's rain falls in September. Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio have a flat landscape and arid climate, whilst the other islands are generally rockier and have more vegetation. Because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall, where not mountainous,
1520-564: The April 1974 revolution in Portugal , the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde. In December 1974, the PAIGC and Portugal signed an agreement providing for a transitional government composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. On 30 June 1975, Cape Verdeans elected a National Assembly which received the instruments of independence from Portugal on 5 July 1975. Immediately following
1615-856: The Hong Kong Government . Sold in 1965 to Yau Wing Co, Hong Kong and renamed Yau Wing No 23 . Sold in 1966 to Cheung Chau Shipping & Trading Co and renamed Fedredge Sam. Operated under the management of Mollers Ltd, Hong Kong. Scrapped in September 1967 in Hong Kong. Empire Sambar was a 6,038 GRT cargo ship which was built by the G. M. Standifer Construction Company , Vancouver , Washington. Completed in 1919 as Waban for United States Shipping Board (USSB). Sold in 1933 to Lykes Brothers-Ripley Steamship Co Inc . To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Sambar . Boiler room explosion on 6 March 1941. Repaired and renamed Empire Beaver . To Norwegian Government in 1942 and renamed Norhauk . Struck
1710-655: The Indian Government and renamed Sakti . Allocated to Madras Port Authority. Empire Sandboy was a 512 GRT bucket dredger which was built by William Simons & Co Ltd, Renfrew . Launched on 15 December 1944 and completed in February 1945. Sold in 1948 to the Argentinian Government and renamed M O P 28-C . Renamed Stella Maris, 28-C in 1949 and M O P 28-C, Stella Maris in 1958. Removed from shipping registers in 1985. Empire Sandy
1805-496: The Lachine Canal , Montreal. Raised, scrapped in situ in June 1974. Empire Seagull was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in May 1945 and completed in July 1945. Sold in 1947 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Serampang . Sold in 1967 to Sharikat Perk. Sendirian, Malaya. Sold in 1970 to Samudera P T Perusahan Pelayaran Nusantara, Indonesia and renamed Darpo Empat . Empire Seahawk
1900-643: The Macaronesia ecoregion , along with the Azores , the Canary Islands , Madeira and the Savage Isles . The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the 15th century, when Portuguese explorers discovered and colonized the islands, thus establishing the first European settlement in the tropics. Because the Cape Verde islands were conveniently located to play a role in the Atlantic slave trade , Cape Verde became economically prosperous during
1995-733: The Moorsom Commission in 1849. Gross and net register tonnages were replaced by gross tonnage and net tonnage , respectively, when the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships on 23 June 1969. The new tonnage regulations entered into force for all new ships on 18 July 1982, but existing vessels were given a migration period of 12 years to ensure that ships were given reasonable economic safeguards, since port and other dues are charged according to ship's tonnage. Since 18 July 1994
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#17327908174172090-736: The November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau , relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau became strained. Cape Verde abandoned its hope for unity with Guinea-Bissau and formed the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Problems have since been resolved and relations between the countries are good. The PAICV and its predecessor established a one-party system and ruled Cape Verde from independence until 1990. Responding to growing pressure for pluralistic democracy,
2185-547: The Portuguese language Cabo Verde ('green cape'), the name that Portuguese explorers gave the cape in 1444, a few years before they came across the islands. On 24 October 2013, the country's delegation to the United Nations informed it that other countries should no longer use Cape Verde or any other translations of Cabo Verde as part of its official name: all countries should use Republic of Cabo Verde as
2280-483: The Republic of Cabo Verde , is an island country and archipelagic state of West Africa in the central Atlantic Ocean, consisting of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 sq mi). These islands lie between 600 and 850 kilometres (320 and 460 nautical miles) west of Cap-Vert , the westernmost point of continental Africa. The Cape Verde islands form part of
2375-847: The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court . In 2017 Cape Verde signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . The judicial system consists of a Supreme Court of Justice – whose members are appointed by the president, the National Assembly, and the Board of the Judiciary ;– and regional courts. Separate courts hear civil, constitutional, and criminal cases. Appeals are to
2470-564: The (then) capital Ribeira Grande in 1585 when it was a part of the Iberian Union . After a French attack in 1712, the town declined in importance relative to nearby Praia , which became the capital in 1770. The decline in the slave trade in the 19th century resulted in an economic crisis. Cape Verde's early prosperity slowly vanished. However, the islands' position astride mid-Atlantic shipping lanes made Cape Verde an ideal location for re-supplying ships. Because of its excellent harbour,
2565-573: The 16th and 17th centuries, attracting merchants, privateers , and pirates . It declined economically in the 19th century after the suppression of the Atlantic slave trade by the British Empire, and many of its inhabitants emigrated during that period. However, Cape Verde gradually recovered economically by becoming an important commercial center and useful stopover point along major shipping routes. Cape Verde became independent in 1975. Since
2660-472: The 2016 parliamentary elections , taking back parliamentary majority after 15 year-rule of African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). In April 2021, the ruling center-right Movement for Democracy (MpD) of Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva won the parliamentary election . In October 2021, opposition candidate and former prime minister, Jose Maria Neves of PAICV, won Cape Verde's presidential election. On 9 November 2021, Jose Maria Neves
2755-604: The British with some modifications. To MoWT and renamed Empire Salvage . Used by the Royal Navy as a fleet oiler at Halifax , Nova Scotia and in the Far East. Returned to Van Ommeren's in 1946 and renamed Papendrecht . Scrapped in April 1964 at Onomichi , Japan. Empire Sam was a 275 GRT tug which was built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd, Selby . Launched on 1 June 1942 and completed in September 1942. Allocated in 1945 to
2850-582: The Cape Verde Islands. These are referred to as Cape Verde-type hurricanes . These hurricanes can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters away from Cape Verde. The average hurricane season has about two Cape Verde-type hurricanes, which are usually the largest and most intense storms of the season because they often have plenty of warm open ocean over which to develop before encountering land. The five largest Atlantic tropical cyclones on record have been Cape Verde-type hurricanes. Most of
2945-471: The Cape Verde archipelago are Diogo Dias , Diogo Afonso, Venetian Alvise Cadamosto , and Diogo Gomes (who had accompanied António de Noli on his voyage of discovery, and who claimed to have been the first to land on the Cape Verdean island of Santiago, and the first to name that island). In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded a settlement they called Ribeira Grande. Today it
List of Empire ships (Sa–Sh) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-504: The Delaware Breakwater with a speed, adjusted for tide, of 12.57 knots and over 13 knots in open sea before departing 6 May for New York for hull cleaning and painting in drydock. To MoWT in 1940 and renamed Empire Kite then Empire Seal later that year. Torpedoed on 19 February 1942 and sunk by U-96 at 43°14′N 64°45′W / 43.233°N 64.750°W / 43.233; -64.750 . Empire Sealion
3135-466: The German " Bruttoregistertonne ". Net register tonnage subtracts the volume of spaces not available for carrying cargo, such as engine rooms, fuel tanks and crew quarters, from gross register tonnage. Gross register tonnage is not a measure of the ship's weight or displacement and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement . Gross register tonnage was defined by
3230-502: The Middle East & Caribbean Shipping Co, Bahamas and renamed Isle of Mahe . Renamed Mersa Matruh in 1953. Sold in 1956 to Savon & Ries (Aden Shipping) Ltd, Aden and renamed Shibam . Sold in 1966 to Shipping Travel & Lighterage Co of Aden Ltd. Driven aground on 10 November 1966 in a tropical cyclone at Salalah , Oman . Cargo jettisoned and the ship abandoned. Refloated on 24 November 1966 and towed to Aden where she
3325-617: The National Assembly ;– MpD (36), PAICV (25), and the Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) (3). The two main political parties are PAICV and MpD. Movement for Democracy (MpD) ousted the ruling African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) for the first time in 15 years in the 2016 parliamentary election, at which time its leader, Ulisses Correia e Silva, became prime minister. Jorge Carlos Almeida Fonseca
3420-686: The PAICV called an emergency congress in February 1990 to discuss proposed constitutional changes to end one-party rule. Opposition groups came together to form the Movement for Democracy (MpD) in Praia in April 1990. The one-party state was abolished on 28 September 1990, and the first multi-party elections were held in January 1991. The MpD won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, and MpD presidential candidate António Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated
3515-511: The PAICV's candidate with 73.5% of the votes. Legislative elections in December 1995 increased the MpD majority in the National Assembly. A February 1996 presidential election returned President Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001 returned power to the PAICV, with the PAICV holding 40 of the National Assembly seats, MpD 30, and Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD) and Labour and Solidarity Party (PTS) 1 each. In February 2001,
3610-525: The PAICV-supported presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MpD leader Carlos Veiga by only 13 votes. President Pedro Pires was narrowly re-elected in 2006 elections . President Jorge Carlos Fonseca led the country after the 2011 Cape Verde presidential election and he was re-elected in the 2016 election . He was supported by the Movement for Democracy Party. MpD also won in
3705-748: The Supreme Court. The military of Cape Verde consists of the National Guard and the Coast Guard; 0.7% of the country's GDP was spent on the military in 2005. Having fought their only battles in the war for independence against Portugal between 1974 and 1975, the efforts of the Cape Verdean armed forces have turned to combating international drug trafficking. In 2007, together with the Cape Verdean Police , they carried out Operation Flying Launch ( Operacão Lancha Voadora ),
3800-752: The United States maintain embassies in Praia. Cape Verde maintains a vigorously active foreign policy, especially in Africa. Cape Verde is a founding member state of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth, an international organization and political association of Lusophone nations across four continents, where Portuguese is an official language. Cape Verde has bilateral relations with some Lusophone nations and holds membership in
3895-506: The air temperature is cooler than in Senegal, but the sea is warmer. Due to the relief of some islands, such as Santiago with its steep mountains, the islands can have orographically induced precipitation, allowing rich woods and luxuriant vegetation to grow where the humid air condenses soaking the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss, etc. On the higher islands and somewhat wetter islands, exclusively in mountainous areas, like Santo Antão island,
List of Empire ships (Sa–Sh) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-481: The base of towering mountains. Ocean cliffs have been formed by catastrophic debris landslides . Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures on the islands and cold Atlantic currents produce an arid atmosphere around the archipelago. Conversely, the islands do not receive the upwelling (cold streams) that affect the West African coast, so
4085-518: The basic principles of its government. The president is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The prime minister is the head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for five-year terms. In 2016, three parties held seats in
4180-473: The basis of the two nations' independence movement. Moving its headquarters to Conakry , Guinea in 1960, the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal in 1961. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10,000 Soviet Bloc -supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and African troops. By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite
4275-988: The blockade disguised as a Swedish merchant ship. To MoWT and renamed Empire Scout . Sold in 1946 to Dillwyn Steamship Co and renamed Kellwyn . Sold in 1950 to J Blumenthal, Hamburg and renamed Claus Boge. Sold in 1960 to Compagnia Navigazione Viamar, Greece and renamed Antonakis . Scrapped in August 1968 at Split , Yugoslavia . Empire Seabank was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 23 November 1945 and completed in January 1946. Sold in 1946 to Middle East Coastal Services Ltd, Cyprus and renamed Halfaya . Sold in 1950 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Semantan . Sold in 1967 to Sharikat Perk Sendirian, Malaysia . Sold in 1960 to Keenan Shipping (Private) Ltd, Singapore and renamed Tropic Seas . Renamed Moon River in 1973 and reflagged to Panama. Sold in 1977 to River Navigation Co, Panama and renamed Success Star . Ran aground in January 1977 off Tumpat , Malaya and abandoned. The wreck
4370-412: The city of Mindelo , located on the island of São Vicente , became an important commercial centre during the 19th century. Diplomat Edmund Roberts visited Cape Verde in 1832. Cape Verde was the first stop of Charles Darwin 's voyage with HMS Beagle in 1832. With few natural resources and inadequate sustainable investment from the Portuguese, the citizens grew increasingly discontented with
4465-471: The climate is suitable for the development of dry monsoon forests, and laurel forests . Average temperatures range from 22 °C (72 °F) in February to 27 °C (80.6 °F) in September. Cape Verde is part of the Sahelian semi-arid belt, with nothing like the rainfall levels of nearby West Africa . It rains irregularly between August and October, with frequent brief heavy downpours. A desert
4560-600: The colonial masters, who refused to provide the local authorities with more autonomy. In 1951, Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism . In 1956, Amílcar Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organized (in Portuguese Guinea ) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC). It demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed
4655-527: The country's official name. Speakers of English have used the name Cape Verde for the archipelago and, since independence in 1975, for the country. In 2013, the Cape Verdean government determined that it would thenceforth use the Portuguese name Cabo Verde for official purposes, including at the United Nations , even when speaking or writing in English. The archipelago of modern-day Cape Verde
4750-441: The early 1990s, Cape Verde has been a stable representative democracy and has remained one of the most developed and democratic countries in Africa. Lacking natural resources, its developing economy is mostly service-oriented, with a growing focus on tourism and foreign investment. Its population of around 596,000 (as of 2022) is of mostly of Sub-Saharan African and minor European heritage, and predominantly Catholic , reflecting
4845-621: The gross and net tonnages, dimensionless indices calculated from the total moulded volume of the ship and its cargo spaces by mathematical formulae , have been the only official measures of the ship's tonnage. However, the gross and net register tonnages are still widely used in describing older ships. Cape Verde Cape Verde ( / ˈ v ɜːr d ( i )/ , VURD( -ee) ) or Cabo Verde ( / ˌ k ɑː b oʊ ˈ v ɜːr d eɪ / KAH -boh VUR -day , / ˌ k æ b oʊ -/ KAB -oh - , local Portuguese: [ˈkabu ˈveɾdɨ] ), officially
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#17327908174174940-421: The humid mountain. Most rainfall precipitation is due to condensation of the ocean mist. In some islands, like Santiago, the wetter climate of the interior and the eastern coast contrasts with the drier one on the south/southwest coast. Praia, on the southeast coast, is the largest city on the island and the largest city and capital of the country. While most of Cape Verde receives little precipitation throughout
5035-491: The island of Fogo. The islands lie on a bathymetric swell known as the Cape Verde Rise . The Rise is one of the largest protuberances in the world's oceans, rising 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) in a semi-circular region of 1200 km (460 sq mi), associated with a rise of the geoid . Pico do Fogo , the largest active volcano in the region, erupted in 2014. It has an eight-kilometre-diameter (five-mile) caldera ,
5130-535: The landscape is so arid that less than two percent of it is arable. The archipelago can be divided into four broad ecological zones – arid, semiarid, subhumid and humid, according to altitude and average annual rainfall ranging from less than 100 millimetres (3.9 inches) in the arid areas of the coast as in the Deserto de Viana (67 millimetres (2.6 inches) in Sal Rei ) to more than 1,000 millimetres (39 inches) in
5225-467: The legacy of Portuguese rule. A sizeable Cape Verdean diaspora community exists across the world, especially in the United States and Portugal, considerably outnumbering the inhabitants on the islands. Cape Verde is a member state of the African Union . Cape Verde's official language is Portuguese. The recognized national language is Cape Verdean Creole , which is spoken by the vast majority of
5320-445: The majority of the archipelago's total volume. The volcanic and plutonic rocks are distinctly basic; the archipelago is a soda-alkaline petrographic province, with a petrologic succession similar to that found in other Macaronesian islands. Magnetic anomalies identified in the vicinity of the archipelago indicate that the structures forming the islands date back 125–150 million years: the islands themselves date from 8 million (in
5415-503: The management of Aegis Shipping Co Ltd, Greece. Sold in 1966 to Akamas Shipping Co Ltd, Cyprus , remaining under Aegis's management. Renamed Skepsis in 1968, arrived on 23 August 1968 at Shanghai for scrapping. Empire Saturn was an 8,224 GRT tanker which was built by Harland & Wolff Ltd , Belfast . Launched on 6 May 1944 and completed in September 1944. Sold in 1946 to Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Co Ltd and renamed Nayadis . Scrapped in October 1961 at Hirao , Japan. Empire Saxon
5510-548: The management of Chek Guan & Co, Singapore. Sold in 1964 to Transportes Maritime de San Blas SA, Panama and renamed Napoleon . Operated under the management of Guan Guan Shipping Co, Singapore. Sold c1973 to Thai owners and renamed Aquatic 2 . Renamed Red Eagle in 1975. Sank on 17 March 1975 in Telok Ayer Basin. Singapore. Raised and sold for scrap, scrapped in March 1976 at Jurong , Singapore. Empire Seacoast
5605-493: The management of F Italo Groce, Italy. Arrived on 16 February 1970 at Spezia , Italy for scrapping. Empire Scott was a 6,150 GRT cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 10 July 1941 and completed in August 1941. Sold in 1946 to Chine Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Walter Scott . Operated under the management of Anglo-Danubian Transport Co Ltd, London. Sold in 1960 to Lanena Shipping Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Zafiro . Operated under
5700-436: The management of Guan Guan Shipping Co, Singapore. Sold in 1964 to Transportes Maritime de San Blas SA, Panama and renamed Pasteur . Sank on 14 January 1971 180 nautical miles (330 km) east of Singapore ( 00°56′N 107°53′E / 0.933°N 107.883°E / 0.933; 107.883 ) on a voyage from Sibu, Sarawak to Singapore. She was well off the normal route at the time of her loss! Empire Seabrook
5795-479: The management of T Engan, Manila . Sold in 1961 to Sigma Shipping Co Ltd and renamed Oriental . Operated under the management of Trinity Development Co Ltd, Hong Kong. Scrapped in 1963 in Hong Kong. Empire Scout was a 2,229 GRT cargo ship which was built by Lübecker Maschinenbau Gesellschaft, Lübeck . Completed in 1936 as Eilbek for Knohr & Burchard, Hamburg . Captured on 19 November 1939 south of Iceland by HMS Scotstoun while attempting to break
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#17327908174175890-543: The next year to Rivers Steam Navigation Co Ltd, London. Sold in 1975 to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corp, Bangladesh and renamed C5-216 . Empire Seascape was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 27 February 1945 and completed in April 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Serdang . Sold in 1947 to Sharikat Perk. Sendirian, Malaya. Scrapped in March 1972 in Singapore. Empire Seasheltie
5985-556: The population. As of the 2021 census the most populated islands were Santiago , where the capital Praia is located (269,370), São Vicente (74,016), Santo Antão (36,632), Fogo (33,519) and Sal (33,347). The largest cities are Praia (137,868), Mindelo (69,013), Espargos (24,500) and Assomada (21,297). The country is named after the Cap-Vert peninsula, on the Senegalese coast. The name Cap-Vert , in turn, comes from
6080-425: The presence of the Portuguese troops, but the organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974. A budding independence movement — originally led by Amílcar Cabral , assassinated in 1973 — passed on to his half-brother Luís Cabral and culminated in independence for the archipelago in 1975. Following
6175-529: The rim of which is at an elevation of 1,600 metres (5,249 feet) and an interior cone that rises to 2,829 metres (9,281 feet) above sea level . The caldera resulted from subsidence, following the partial evacuation (eruption) of the magma chamber, along a cylindrical column from within the magma chamber (at a depth of 8 kilometres (5 miles)). Extensive salt flats are found on Sal and Maio. On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along
6270-410: The west) to 20 million years (in the east). The oldest exposed rocks occurred on Maio and the northern peninsula of Santiago and are 128–131 million-year-old pillow lavas. The first stage of volcanism in the islands began in the early Miocene , and reached its peak at the end of this period when the islands reached their maximum sizes. Historical volcanism (within human settlement) has been restricted to
6365-555: The year, the northeastern slopes of high mountains see significant rainfall due to orographic lift, especially in areas far from the sea. In some such areas this precipitation is sufficient to support a rainforest habitat, albeit one significantly affected by the islands' human presence. These umbria areas are identified as cool and moist. Cape Verde lies in the Cape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion. Western Hemisphere-bound hurricanes often have their early beginnings near
6460-404: Was a 1,927 GRT cargo ship which was built by Schiffs- und Dockbau, Lübeck. Completed in 1922 as Morea for Deutsche Levant Line, Hamburg. When war broke out, she took refuge at Vigo , Spain. Sailed on 10 February 1940 and sighted on 12 February 500 nautical miles (930 km) off the coast of Portugal by Hasty disguised as a Danish merchant ship. Attempts to scuttle her were foiled and she
6555-651: Was a 10,594 GRT tanker which was built by Rotterdam Droogdok Maatschappij, Rotterdam . Launched in 1940 as Papendrecht for Van Ommeren's Scheepsvaart Maatschappij, Rotterdam. Seized in May 1940 by German forces and renamed Lothringen . Converted to a replenishment ship, used to supply Bismarck and other raiders and submarines . Captured on 15 June 1941 north-west of the Cape Verde Islands ( 19°49′N 30°30′W / 19.817°N 30.500°W / 19.817; -30.500 ) by Dunedin and escorted to Bermuda . Provided valuable intelligence on German methods of replenishment at sea, which were later adopted by
6650-519: Was a 257 GRT tug which was built by John Crown & Sons Ltd , Sunderland. Launched on 18 September 1945 and completed in November 1945. Sold in 1947 to Petroleum Steamship Co Ltd, London and renamed Daneshmand . Sold in 1958 to BP Tanker Co Ltd. Sold in 1972 to Gulf Shipping Co, Iran and renamed Danesh . Collided with Arya Tab and barge Gulf 107 on 20 January 1975 and sank in Khor Musa Channel, Khorramshahr , Iran. Constructive total loss, wreck later salvaged and scrapped. Empire Salmonpool
6745-648: Was a 4,928 GRT cargo ship which was built by Irvines Shipbuilding & Drydock Co Ltd, West Hartlepool . Completed in 1924 as Salmonpool for Sir R Ropner & Sons. On 15 April 1940, she was in Saudafjord but attempted to escape. Captured by the Kriegsmarine and escorted to Trondheim , Norway. Renamed Putzig , seized in May 1945 at Bremerhaven , to MoWT and renamed Empire Salmonpool . Sold in 1947 to Kyriakides Shipping Co. London and renamed Irene K . Renamed White Lodge in 1955 and sold later that year to Maritime Transport Overseas SA, Panama and renamed Puntarenas . Scrapped in 1958 in Avilés , Spain. Empire Salvage
6840-425: Was a 518 GRT coaster which was built by Clelands (Successors) Ltd, Wallsend. Launched on 28 July 1945 and completed in August 1945. Sold in 1950 to Instone Lines Ltd and renamed Seablue . On 13 February 1954, she struck the wreck of Empire Blessing off Knocke , Belgium and was holed. Attempt made to beach her, but she sank 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) west-south-west of Vlissingen , Netherlands. Empire Seaboy
6935-418: Was a 518 GRT coaster which was built by Clelands (Successors) Ltd, Wallsend. Launched on 6 September 1945 and completed in October 1945. Sold in 1950 to Instone Lines Ltd and renamed Seagreen . Sold in 1959 to H Harvey, Quebec , 'tween deck removed and renamed St Pierre , now 386 GRT. To Transport Maritime Harvey Ltee, Quebec in 1962. Replacement 1951-built diesel engine fitted in 1969. Sank on 9 May 1974 in
7030-506: Was a 518 GRT coaster which was built by Shipbuilding Corporation, Newcastle upon Tyne. Launched in February 1945 and completed in March 1945. Sold in 1947 to Seaway Coasters Ltd and renamed Seaforth . Operated under the management of C Howard & Sons, London. Renamed Halfaya in 1951 and management passed to J Fisher & Sons, Barrow in Furness . Sold in 1955 to A R Mohamed Saleh Al Haddad, Dubai and renamed Beihan . Empire Seafront
7125-505: Was a 518 GRT coaster which was built by Shipbuilding Corporation, Newcastle upon Tyne. Launched on 28 March 1945 and completed in May 1945. Sold in 1947 to Coastal Carriers Ltd, Grimsby and renamed Legbourne . Operated under the management of Gillie & Blair Ltd. Sold in 1951 to Soon Bee Steamship Co and renamed Maston . Operated under the management of Heap Eng Moh Steamship Co, Singapore. Renamed Bee Tong later that year. Sold in 1959 to Guan Guan Ltd and renamed Singa Mas . Operated under
7220-473: Was a 518 GRT coaster which was built by Shipbuilding Corporation, Newcastle upon Tyne. Launched on 7 June 1945 and completed in August 1945. Sold in 1947 to Seaway Coasters Ltd and renamed Seasilver . Operated under the management of C Howard & Sons, London. Renamed Sidi Barrani in 1951 and management transferred to J Fisher & Sons, Barrow. Sold in 1955 to Savon & Ries (Ethiopian Shipping) Co, Massawa , Ethiopia and renamed Seiyun . Empire Seaspray
7315-518: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 11 June 1945 and completed in July 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Sumpitan . Scrapped in June 1965 in Singapore. Empire Seaflower was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 21 September 1945 and completed in November 1945. Sold in 1946 to Middle East Coastal Services Ltd, Cyprus and renamed Mersamatruh . Sold in 1950 to
7410-527: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 8 October 1945 and completed in December 1945. Sold in 1949 to Overseas Fish Import Co Ltd and renamed Helen Seabright . Operated under the management of Great Yarmouth Shipping Co Ltd, Great Yarmouth . Sold in 1951 to General Steam Navigation Co Ltd and renamed Ortolan . Reflagged to Panama in 1958 and renamed Georgios K . Sold in 1962 to Cathay Shipping Corporation , Panama and renamed Laut Mas . Operated under
7505-546: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 12 April 1945 and completed in June 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Senggarang . Sold in 1960 to Teck Hwa Shipping Co Ltd, Singapore and renamed Anho . Sold in 1965 to Kie Hock Shipping Co Ltd, Singapore. Sold in 1977 to Borneo Maritime Transport (Sabah) Sendirian, Lebuan and renamed Sabah . Gross Register Tonnage Gross register tonnage ( GRT , grt , g.r.t. , gt ), or gross registered tonnage ,
7600-933: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in April 1945 and completed in June 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Sirusa . Sold in 1967 to Sharikat Perk Sendirian, Malaya. Sold in 1971 to Samudera P T Perusahan Pelayaran Nusantata, Indonesia and renamed Darpo Lima . Empire Seabreeze was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in April 1945 and completed in June 1945. Sold in 1947 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Senai . Sold in 1962 to Tiong Lam Hang Shipping Co Ltd, Hong Kong and renamed Changi . Sold later that year to Cosmos Shipping Co SA, Panama and renamed Mene . Sold in 1983 to Naviera Voluntad Société de RL, Honduras and renamed Mercury . Foundered on 23 December 1984 off Tumpat, Malaya ( 5°50′N 102°36′E / 5.833°N 102.600°E / 5.833; 102.600 ). Empire Seabright
7695-791: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in February 1945 and completed in March 1945. Sold in 1947 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Selangor . Sold in 1967 to Sharikat Perk. Sendirian, Malaya. Scrapped in December 1967 in Singapore. Empire Seashore was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd. Launched on 17 March 1945 and completed in May 1945. Sold in 1945 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Scudai . Sold in 1967 to Sharikat Perk. Sendirian, Malaya. Sold in 1974 to Borneo Maritime Transport Corporation (Private) Ltd, Singapore and renamed Tropic Trader . To Borneo Maritime Transport (Sabah) Sendirian, Labuan in 1978 and renamed Scudai . Scrapped in 1968 in Singapore. Empire Seasilver
7790-412: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in July 1945 and completed in September 1945. Sold in 1947 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Serudom . Sold in 1962 to Tiong Lam Hang Shipping SA, Panama and renamed Jurong . Sold in 1967 to Cosmos Shipping Co Sa, Panama and renamed Soon Hong . Renamed Soon Lee in c1975, scrapped in March 1976 in Singapore. Empire Seaman
7885-453: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in June 1945 and completed in October 1945. Sold in 1946 to Middle East Coastal Services Ltd, Cyprus and renamed Birhakim . Sold in 1949 to Indian General Navigation and Railway Co, Calcutta and renamed Tanda . Sold in 1961 to Pakistan River Steamers Ltd, Pakistan . Sold in 1975 to Bangladesh Inland Water Corporation, Bangladesh and renamed C5-212 . Empire Seafarer
7980-696: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in March 1945 and completed in May 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Seramban . Scrapped in December 1965 in Singapore. Empire Seal was a 7,965 GRT, twin screw motor ship built for American-Hawaiian Steamship Co by the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation , Chester, Pennsylvania launched 14 November 1921 as Californian with engines built and separately installed after launch by William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Company , Philadelphia. Engine trials were run 1—2 May 1922 off
8075-619: Was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in March 1945 and completed in May 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Seramban . Scrapped in December 1965 in Singapore. Empire Seagrass was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding & Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched and completed in September 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Salong . Sold in 1962 to Kee Lee Shipping Co Ltd, Singapore and renamed Pulau Tekong . Sold in 1965 to Madam Dolly Seah, Singapore. Sold in 1968 to Ting Chu Ling, Sarawak. Empire Seagreen
8170-501: Was a 7,359 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Doxford & Sons Ltd Sunderland. Launched on 16 September 1943 and completed in January 1944. Allocated in 1945 to the French Government and renamed Jacques Bingen . Sold in 1954 to Rederi A/B Sigyn and renamed Sottern . Operated under the management of Lundren & Borjesson, Sweden. Sold in 1963 to Zirda Compagnia Navigazione SA and renamed Red Rose . Operated under
8265-431: Was a 8,129 tanker which was built by Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd., Wallsend. Launched on 29 March 1941 and completed in September 1941. To Norwegian Government in 1942 and renamed Norfjell . Sold to Skibsrederei A/S Ringfonn, Oslo in 1946 and renamed Nordfonn . New diesel engine in 1947. Sold to Mil Tankerei A/s in 1957 and renamed Norsk Jarl . Arrived at Bo'ness for breaking on 27 June 1960. Empire Sceptre
8360-523: Was a cargo ship which was built by John Readhead & Sons Ltd, South Shields. Launched on 24 August 1944. Taken over by the Admiralty and completed in 1945 as hull repair and maintenance ship Beauly Firth . Sold in 1948 to Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Stanfirth (7,285 GRT). Operated under the management of J A Billmeier & Co Ltd. Sold in 1961 to Compagnia Navigazione y de Comercio Degedo Ltda, Costa Rica and renamed Akamas . Operated under
8455-495: Was captured and escorted to Falmouth . To MoWT and renamed Empire Seaman . Scuttled on 4 December 1940 as a blockship in a Channel port . Empire Seaman was a 2,905 GRT cargo ship which was built by William Gray & Co Ltd, West Hartlepool. Launched on 17 July 1943 and completed in October 1943. Sold in 1946 to Burnett Steamship Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne and renamed Burnhope . Sold in 1961 to N Michalos & Sons Maritime Co Ltd, Greece and renamed Antonios Michalos . Struck
8550-660: Was elected president in August 2011 and re-elected in October 2016. He is also supported by the MpD. In November 2021, Cape Verde opened its first embassy in Nigeria. In 2013 then United States President Barack Obama said Cape Verde is "a real success story". Among other achievements, it has been recognized with the following assessments: Cape Verde follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states. Angola, Brazil, China, Libya, Cuba, France, Guinea-Bissau, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Russia, Luxembourg, and
8645-535: Was formed approximately 40–50 million years ago during the Eocene era. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited. They were discovered by Genoese and Portuguese navigators around 1456. According to Portuguese official records, the first discoveries were made by Genoa-born António de Noli , who was afterwards appointed governor of Cape Verde by the Portuguese king Afonso V . Other navigators mentioned as contributing to discoveries on
8740-561: Was offered for sale and scrap in December 1979. Empire Seabeach was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle . Launched in February 1945 and completed in April 1945. Sold in 1946 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Sedenak . Sold in 1967 to Sharikat Perk Sendirian, Malaya. Sold in 1969 to Tan Yong Sing Shipping Co, Singapore and renamed Selamat . Ran aground on 17 July 1971 at Kalampunian Island , Borneo ( 07°03′N 116°44′E / 7.050°N 116.733°E / 7.050; 116.733 ) and abandoned as
8835-611: Was repaired. Sold in 1967 to Mohsin E Aldarazy & Brothers, Bahrain and renamed Al Fatch . Empire Seafoam was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Goole Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd, Goole. Launched on 4 February 1946 and completed in July 1946. Sold in 1946 to Middle East Coastal Services Ltd, Cyprus and renamed Mareth . Sold in 1949 to British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd and renamed Teesta . Sold in 1950 to Rivers Steam Navigation Co, London. Sold in 1961 to Pakistan River Steamers Ltd. Sold in 1975 to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corp and renamed C5-213 . Empire Seaforth
8930-554: Was sworn in as the new President of Cape Verde . On 2 February 2024, Cape Verde became the third African country to be free of malaria . Cape Verde is a stable semi-presidential representative democratic republic . In 2020 it was the most democratic nation in Africa , ranking 2023 as 45th in the world, according to the electoral democracy score of the V-Dem Democracy indices . The constitution – adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995 and 1999 – defines
9025-480: Was to have been a 522 GRT coaster built by Goole Shipbuilding and Repairing Co Ltd but her construction was cancelled by the MoWT due to the cessation of hostilities. Empire Seaview was a 522 GRT coaster which was built by Henry Scarr Ltd, Hessle. Launched in August 1945 and completed in October 1945. Sold in 1947 to Straits Steamship Co Ltd and renamed Segamat . Scrapped in December 1966 in Singapore. Empire Seaward
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