Cape Verde has a population of approximately half a million people. A large proportion (236,000) of Cape Verdeans live on the main island, Santiago.
Cape Verde climate is milder than that of the African mainland, because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures on the islands and cold Atlantic currents produces an arid atmosphere around the archipelago.
The territory of Cabo Verde is divided into 22 concelhos (municipalities), and subdivided into 32 freguesias (equivalent to civil parish).