Cape Verde when Portuguese explorers discovered and colonized the islands, establishing the first European settlement in the tropics. Ideally located for the Atlantic slave trade, the islands grew prosperous throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, attracting merchants, privateers, and pirates. The end of slavery in the 19th century led to economic decline and emigration. Cape Verde gradually recovered as an important commercial center and stopover for shipping routes. Incorporated as an overseas department of Portugal in 1951, the islands continued to campaign for independence, which was peacefully achieved in 1975. Since the early 1990s, Cape Verde has been a stable representative democracy,
Administrative divisions of Cape Verde Administrative divisions of Cape Verde The territory of Cape Verde is divided into 22 concelhos (municipalities), and subdivided into 32 freguesias (equivalent to civil parish). In Portuguese language usage, there are two words to distinguish the territory and the administrative organ. Administratively, right below the government, there are the municípios (municipalities), who administrate the "concelhos". Therefore, the "concelhos" are the first-level administrative subdivision in Cape Verde. Each municipality has an "Assembleia Municipal" (municipal assembly, the legislative body) and a "Câmara Municipal" (municipal chamber, the executive body). Every four years elections are held for the Assembleia Municipal, the Câmara Municipal and