Tarrafal de São Nicolau, Cape Verde
Tarrafal de São Nicolau is a city[2] in the western part of the island of São Nicolau, Cape Verde. With a population of 3,733 (2010 census), it is the most populous settlement of the island. It is the seat of the Tarrafal de São Nicolau Municipality, and the main port of the island. It is situated on the west coast, 9 km southwest of Ribeira Brava.
Tarrafal de São Nicolau | |
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Settlement | |
Town of Tarrafal de São Nicolau with its harbor and its boats | |
Tarrafal de São Nicolau | |
Coordinates: 16.566°N 24.357°W | |
Country | Cape Verde |
Island | São Nicolau |
Municipality | Tarrafal de São Nicolau |
Civil parish | São Francisco de Assis |
Population (2010)[1] | |
• Total | 3,733 |
Postal code | 3121 |
ID | 32109 |
Subdivisions
The city is divided into neighborhoods (bairros) including:
- Alto Fontaínhas
- Alto Saco
- Amarelo Pintado
- Campedrada
- Chã de Poça
- João Baptista
- Telha
History
Before the 19th century, the roadstead of Tarrafal was little used because it was far from the main settlement of the island, Ribeira Brava.[3]:14 It was mentioned as Terrafal in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.[4] It became an anchorage for whaling ships in the 19th century, and fish processing infrastructure was built, leading to further growth of the settlement.[3]:14–16 The settlement became a town in the early 1990s[3]:16 and a city in 2010.[2]
Transport
The port of Tarrafal was constructed in 1991. It has 2 quays and a roll-on/roll-off ramp and a passenger terminal. The total length of the quays is 137 m, and the maximum depth is 7 m.[5] There are ferry connections from Tarrafal to the islands of São Vicente (Mindelo) and Santiago (Praia).[6]
References
- "2010 Census results". Instituto Nacional de Estatística Cabo Verde (in Portuguese). 24 November 2016.
- Cabo Verde, Statistical Yearbook 2015, Instituto Nacional de Estatística, p. 32
- Inventário dos recursos turísticos do município do Tarrafal de São Nicolau, Direcção Geral do Turismo
- Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1747). "Carte des Isles du Cap Verd = Kaart van de Eilanden van Kabo Verde" (in French).
- "Porto do Tarrafal" (in Portuguese). ENAPOR. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- Cabo Verde Fast Ferry's website