Brava is an island in Cape Verde. It is the smallest inhabited island of Cape Verde, in the Sotavento group. First settled in the 1540s, its population grew after Mount Fogo on neighbouring Fogo erupted in 1675. Its main industry was long whaling, but the island is now primarily agricultural.
Geography
Pratically the whole island is a stratovolcano. It lies in the lee of the enormous Fogo volcano. Volcanic activity on the island has been mainly located along three sets of lineaments, which all intersect at the crest of ground that forms the highest part of the island. Brava has no documented historical eruptions, but its youthful volcanic morphology and the fact that earthquake swarms still occur indicate the potential for future eruptions.
North of Brava are two small islands with 4 islets, 3 of them are west of Ilhéu de Cima. The islands are Ilhéu Grande.
The island’s main town is Vila Nova Sintra. The island has schools, a lyceum, a gymnasia, churches, and a square (praça) including one in honour of the famous musician Eugénio Tavares.
Nova Sintra.All of the five villages lie north of the mountaintop, which has four main roads including Furna - Vila Nova Sintra and Fajã de Agua and south to Nova Sintra do Monte and slightly south of the mountaintop. The two large islands north of Brava are uninhabited. The mountain valleys dominate the south, the east and the west. The north has a few valleys.
Precipitation arrives from the trade wind clouds. The island is covered with a leeward cloud so that evaporation is reduced and the vegetation is more abundant. Key inhabited places include the village of Vila Nova Sintra. The village of Furna has a commercial port.
History
Brava was founded in 1462 by the Portuguese and the first settlement was founded in 1573. The slave trade was common in Cidade Velha. The persons that were from Madeira and Minho in Northern Portugal did not participate any longer. In 1680, the inhabitants fled to the nearby large island of Fogo after the volcano erupted and lava began to flow and devastate. In the 17th and the 18th centuries, pirates raided the bays of the island and continued until the 19th century when whale-catching was common from the ships of Europe and North America. Emigration began as the whale-catching ships sailed people from Brava to the northeastern part of North America especially along the Eastern Seaboard. Most of the immigrants from Brava settled in Boston, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island and New Bedford, Massachusetts. Brava most famous son is the musician Eugénio Tavares, which he used the traditional morna and was written in Cape Verdean Creole. A statue dedeciated to Eugénio Tavares is in the main square of Vila Nova Sintra and is encircled with a beautiful garden that are filled with trees, sunflowers, flowers, grass and other types of plants. Other notable persons includes Hermano da Pina and Armando da Pina who lives in the Eastern Seaboard which has his ancestry to his parents in Brava.
Population
Brava is one of the least inhabited islands of Cape Verde. The population has been decreasing over the years, primarly due to the migration to other islands and emigration (specially to the United States).
Economy
The main economy of the island is agricultural, related to irrigation and fishing (the island’s main production). Trading and private households depend on income from Cape Verdean residents from North America.
The airline service ended in 2004. Brava never had tourism. Tourism slowly boomed. The island is unsuitable for beach tourism because the steep shoreline allows few beaches.
