The Republic of Cape Verde (i /ˌkeɪp ˈvɜrd/; Portuguese: Cabo Verde,
pronounced [ˈkabu ˈveɾd]; Kabuverdianu: Kabu Verd) is an island country,
spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic
Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. The islands,
covering a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500
sq mi), are of volcanic origin and while three of them (Sal, Boa Vista
and Maio) are fairly flat, sandy and dry, the remaining ones are
generally rockier and have more vegetation. Because of the infrequent
occurrence of rainfall the overall landscape is not particularly green,
despite what the country's name suggests (verde is Portuguese for
"green"). The name of the country stems instead from the nearby Cap
Vert, on the Senegalese coast.
