The archipelago forming the Republic of Cape Verde consists of 21 islands and inlets, 9 of which are inhabited. First discovered by Portuguese sailors around 1455, the islands were set up as a strategically secure base for trade along the West African coast and became stopover points for such famous navigators as Vasco Da Gama and Christopher Columbus. This small nation achieved independence from Portuguese rule in 1975, first as a nationalist one-party state and then in 1991 transforming into a plural democracy. Since independence, its growing tourism business has improved the living conditions of this once poor and undeveloped nation into the promising up-and-coming country it is today. This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cape Verde offers a comprehensive history of the country, linking the pre-colonial and colonial past with postcolonial events. Through newly created maps, a detailed chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on important political and cultural events, historical figures, places, political organizations, and cultural groups as well as abstract cultural, social, political, and economic topics, this valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, and teachers of African studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to providing the most extensive and up-to-date assessment of Cape Verde history available.

About the Author
Richard A. Lobban, Jr. is Professor and Chair of Anthropology and former Director of African Studies at Rhode Island College. He is also the author of numerous books, journal articles, and encyclopedia entries on Cape Verde and has been central in organizing Cape Verde Study Abroad programs with the University of Rhode Island. Paul Khalil Saucier is a Doctoral Candidate at Northeastern University in sociology and anthropology. Over the years he has taught various courses on African history, specifically Cape Verdean history, African-American history and political thought, social theory, and cultural studies at Northeastern University, the University of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island College.

Reviews
this book is highly recommended for public and academic libraries and institutions supporting African and African American studies. * American Reference Books Annual, March 2008 *
...a dictionary on the history of Cape Verde, with entries on political and cultural events, figures, places, organizations, and groups. It does not start with the early Portuguese sightings in the mid- fifteenth century as the beginning of the country's society and history, but rather goes further back into the regional history of the neighboring Upper Guinea coast in West Africa and adjacent savannas. It is meant for undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, and teachers of African studies. A chronology is included. For this edition, the dictionary has been updated and expanded, with new maps and photos. A new introduction on the land and people, history, and economic and social development, is also included. * Reference and Research Book News, November 2007 *



Book Information
ISBN 9780810849068
Author Richard A. Lobban
Format Hardback
Page Count 360
Imprint Scarecrow Press
Publisher Scarecrow Press
Weight(grams) 635g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 146mm * 29mm