Cabo Verde - Cape Verde
James Hayes-Bohanan, Ph.D.

Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater, Massachusetts EUA
 UPDATED March 8, 2006
March 14
 Return via Sal

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Cape Verde Map

Our return flight was a geopolitical lesson unto itself. With the opening of the new airport in Praia, Cape Verdeans can now travel to many parts of the world more conveniently, and in fact we were able to fly from Boston directly to the new airport. Because the United States imposes stricter security requirements, however, it was not possible for us to leave directly from Praia. Rather, we were required to transfer to the airport at Santa Maria, on the island of Sal, which already has FTA/TSA approval from the United States govenment.

The airport at Sal (the island's name is Portuguese for "Salt") was constructed by the Italian dictator Mussolini, who found it a convenient refueling stop between Italy and Argentina. This is just one of many examples of Cape Verde's often strategic position in the world. It has such a rich and varied history in part because it has been a convenient place for ships and aircraft to stop, from the slaving and whaling ships of previous centuries to modern airlines such as that of South Africa.