Portuguese Cape Verde Algiers between the Portuguese government and the PAIGC, recognising the independence of Guinea-Bissau and the right to independence of Cape Verde. On 5 July 1975, at Praia, Portugal's Prime Minister Vasco Goncalves turned over power to National Assembly President Abilio Duarte, and Cape Verde became independent. Portuguese Cape Verde Cape Verde was a colony of the Portuguese Empire from the initial settlement of the Cape Verde Islands in 1462 until the independence of Cape Verde in 1975. The islands of Cape Verde were discovered between 1460 and 1462 by Portuguese and Genoese sailors in the service of the Portuguese Crown.
Catholic Church in Cape Verde Catholic Church in Cape Verde The Catholic Church in the Cape Verde is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are over 430,000 Catholics in the country which represents over 90% of the total population. The country is divided into two dioceses: Mindelo and Santiago de Cabo Verde. The Catholic Church was established by Portuguese traders in 1533 on the island. Diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Cape Verde were established in 1976. The Diocese of Mindelo was divided from the original Diocese of Santiago in 2003, creating the current configuration