Timeline of Boa Vista, Cape Verde

The following is a timeline of the island of Boa Vista, Cape Verde.

Prehistoric era

• 16 million years ago: the Fundo das Figueiras formation formed^[1]
• 15 to 12.5 million years ago: langhium and serravallium rocks were under formation including the volcanic cone, the Monte Passarão complex, the Monte Caçador complex and the Pico Forcado formation.^[2]
• 9.5 million years ago: the Chão de Calheta formation started to form
• 4.5 million years ago: the Chão da Calheta formed^[2]
• During the Ice Age, the island was possibly connected with Maio, though a third of that island was underwater, it formed a part of the "East Island". Its size was approximately 3,000 to 3,500 km2 at the time. It was north-south, it was about 150–200 km long and its width was 20 km and 50 km in the northern part
• Around 6,000 to 5,000 BC: The Eastern Island of Cape Verde broken up into Boavista, Middle and Maio Islands, the Middle Island would later be underwater and became a nearly shallow part of the ocean.
• Around 4,000 to 3,000 BC: Ilhéu de Sal Rei and Ilhéu do Baluarte separated from Boa Vista Island.

Colonial era

• 1462 - The island was discovered
• 1497 - October 29: Rodrigo Afonso became the first captain of the island
• 1505 - January 3: Pero Correia (then spelt Péro Correia) became the second captain of the island
• 1520s or 1530s: António Correia became the third captain of the island
• 1542 - Maria Correia became the fourth and last captain of the island
• 1587 - The island's first settlement now known as Povoação Velha established, it would be populated to around 50 inhabitants
• 1620 - Saltpans attracted English captains, slaves mined the salt, Sal Rei was later founded
• 1650 - Population: around 1 500
• 1680 - Chapel built around Estância
• 1720 - Population: around 2 000
• 1800
  • Population: around 2 500 to 3 000
  • Chapel of Santo António (Saint Anthony) built
• 1810 - Island capital moved from Povoação da Boa Vista to Rabil for its paper production
• 1815 - Sal Rei sacked by pirates
• 1817 - Sal Rei sacked for the second time, the fortress started construction to protect the town and the island
• 1818 - A pirate ship from South America seized the fort, likely one of the last pirate raids in any of the Cape Verde islands.
• 1820 - Forte Duque de Bragança (today, commonly known as Forte de Sal Rei) built on Ilhéu de Sal Rei completed
• Mid 1850s - Population: around 4 000
• 1828 - Our Lady of Conception Church (Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição) built near Rocha Estância.
• 1843
  • The Anglo-Portuguese Commission on the Abolition of Slavery' took place, it would be abolished 44 years later.
  • June: USS Columbus along with William Harwar Parker visited Gata in the northeastern part of the island, one of the first American ships to visit Cape Verde
• 1845 - Yellow fever epidemic struck the island
• 1848 - December: USS Yorktown visited Gata in the northeast of the island, William Harwar Parker again visited the area for his patrol against slavery
• 1878 - Slavery abolished in the island of Boa Vista
• 1900 - Population: around 3 000
• 1930 - Population 2 454
• 1935 - The Municipality solely includes the island along with its nearby islets.
• 1940 - Population: 2 779^[3]
• 1950 - Population: 2 985^[3]
• 1952 - August 28: Sal-Rei FC established
• 1956 - Sporting Clube da Boa Vista football (soccer) club established
• 1960 - Population: 3 263^[3]
• 1968 - September 1: The cargo ship Cabo Santa Maria was wrecked and ran aground at Praia de Atalanta in the north of the island, its ruins now rusty can still be seen today.^[4]
• 1970 - Population: 3 569^[3]

After independence in 1975-1999

• 1975 - July 5: Cape Verde declared independence from Portugal and became and independent nation
• 1976 - Onze Estrelas football (soccer) club established
• 1977 - July 3: Académica Operária football (soccer) club founded
• 1978 - Boa Vista Island League established
• 1980 - Population: 3 372^[3]
• Around the 1980s: the village of Espingueira became abandoned
• 1990
  • Population: 3 452^[3]
  • Ilhéu do Baluarte became an integral nature reserve^[5]

21st century

• 2000 - Population: 4 209^[6]
• 2002 - The island's aerodrome became an airport
• 2003 - Hotels and villas established west of Rabil
• 2005 - July 18: Ilhéu de Curral Velho and adjacent coast Important Bird Area became a Ramsar site

Rabil Airport Terminal in November 2007 when the airport was to fully operate

• 2007 - Rabil Airport (now Aristides Pereira International Airport) became enlarged with a 2,100 meter runway and paved.^[7]
• 2008
  • Estadio Municipal Arsénio Ramos completed and opened
  • Windmills started construction in the northwestern extremity of the island
  • Hotels and villas spread north of Sal Rei
• 2009 - Sal Rei Perimeter Road opened
• Around 2009 - Rabil - Curral Velho paved road completed
• 2010
  • Population - 8 554^[8]
  • Around five hotels and villas built west of Rabil
  • Villas built in the area of Curral Velho
• 2011
  • Onze Estrelas participated in the Boa Vista Island League for the first time
  • Enlargement of the island's only port
• 2011 or 2012
  • Sal-Bofareira-Norte Road completed

Sal Rei along with its port then under expansion in 2012

• • Boa Vista may have reached the population at 10,000
• 2014
  • May 9: the municipality became twinned with the town of Zocca
  • Enlargement of the island's port completed^[9]
• 2015 - August 31: Hurricane Fred struck the island, Povoação Velha was without electricity for five days^[10]

See also

• Timeline of Brava, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Fogo, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Maio, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Sal, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Santiago, Cape Verde
• Timeline of Santo Antão, Cape Verde
• Timeline of São Nicolau, Cape Verde
• Timeline of São Vicente, Cape Verde

References

1. Dyhr, C. T.; Holm, P. M. (2009). A volcanological and geochemical investigation of Boa Vista, Cape Verde Islands;40Ar/39Ar geochronology and field constraints. 189. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. p. 19-32.
2. Ramalho, R. (2010). Tracers of uplift and subsidence in the Cape Verde Archipelago.
3. Source: Statoids
4. A Semana
5. "Protected areas of Cape Vetrde".
6. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas.
7. "Cape Verde: New Boavista international airport receives first flights". Macauhub English. 7 November 2007.
8. Portal do Instituto Nacional de Estatística: INE - CENSO 2010.
9. http://asemana.publ.cv/spip.php?article93891&ak=1
10. Fonseca, Sanny (2015-08-31). "Boa Vista: Furacão Fred deixa 50 casas destruídas em Povoação Velha" [Hurricane Fred Destroyed About 50 Houses in Povoação Velha]. A Semana (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2015-08-31.