The Great Cape Verde Famines were devastating periods of mass starvation and death that profoundly shaped the archipelago’s history, primarily occurring between the mid-18th and mid-20th centuries. While often triggered by severe droughts, these famines weren’t simply natural disasters; they were complex humanitarian crises exacerbated by colonial policies, inadequate infrastructure, and the islands’ inherent environmental fragilities. Understanding them requires looking beyond just a lack of rain to the socio-economic and political structures that left the population so vulnerable.<\/p>\n
Cape Verde is a collection of ten volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of West Africa. Its geography and climate have always presented significant challenges for sustained agriculture and a stable population.<\/p>\n
The islands are generally arid to semi-arid, with a highly variable and unpredictable rainfall pattern<\/a>. Most of the rain falls during a short wet season, typically between August and October, but even then, precipitation can be scarce and localised.<\/p>\n Being volcanic in origin, much of the soil is rocky and poor in nutrients, particularly on the more mountainous islands where erosion is a constant problem. Flat, fertile land suitable for extensive cultivation is limited, especially on islands like Fogo, Santo Ant\u00e3o, and Brava, which have steep, rugged terrains.<\/p>\n Freshwater is a perennial concern. The islands lack significant rivers or natural lakes. Groundwater is present but often at considerable depth or in limited aquifers, making extraction difficult and expensive. Desalination, while increasingly used today, was not an option during the famine periods.<\/p>\n The Sahelian climate influence brings long dry seasons, high temperatures, and intense solar radiation. The annual rainfall can fluctuate wildly from one year to the next, meaning that even a seemingly good year could be followed by several years of severe drought.<\/p>\n The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is the primary driver of rainfall in Cape Verde. Its position and intensity dictate the arrival and duration of the wet season. Deviations in the ITCZ’s behaviour directly translate to either insufficient or excessive rainfall, the latter sometimes leading to flash floods that wash away precious topsoil.<\/p>\n Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony from the 15th century until 1975. The colonial administration’s policies, or lack thereof, significantly amplified the impact of natural disasters, transforming droughts into full-blown famines.<\/p>\n The primary focus of the Portuguese administration was on extracting resources and maintaining control, not on developing resilient local economies or safeguarding the well-being of the population.<\/p>\n For centuries, the islands were used as a provisioning stop for slave ships and later as a minor agricultural outpost. Cash crops like cotton, coffee, and jatropha were encouraged or mandated, often at the expense of subsistence farming. This meant that fertile land and labour were diverted from growing food for local consumption to producing goods for export to Portugal or other parts of the empire.<\/p>\n Colonial taxes, often levied in cash or goods, forced farmers to engage in cash crop production or to sell their subsistence harvests, leaving them with insufficient reserves. When droughts hit, they had no buffer, and many fell into severe debt, often to Portuguese merchants or landowners.<\/p>\n The colonial administration did very little to invest in infrastructure that could mitigate the effects of drought or improve food security.<\/p>\n There was minimal investment in large-scale water conservation projects such as dams, reservoirs, or extensive irrigation systems. What little infrastructure existed was often rudimentary and insufficient to cope with prolonged dry spells.<\/p>\n Internal transport infrastructure was rudimentary, especially between islands. This meant that even if one island had a slightly better harvest, it was difficult and expensive to transport surplus food to other, more affected islands. The logistical challenges were immense, and the colonial government showed little initiative in overcoming them.<\/p>\n Perhaps one of the most damning aspects of the colonial response was the consistent indifference to the widespread suffering and death.<\/p>\n When famines struck, aid from Portugal was consistently too little, too late. The colonial powers prioritised their own economic and political interests over humanitarian concerns. Food shipments were often delayed, insufficient, or poorly distributed, failing to reach those most in need in a timely manner.<\/p>\n Instead of robust relief efforts, the administration often resorted to forced labour schemes, known as “frentes de trabalho” (work fronts), where starving people were compelled to work on public works projects (like roads or buildings) for meagre wages or food rations. These conditions were often harsh, and many died while working. Emigration, often illegal and dangerous, became a grim form of self-preservation, with many Cape Verdeans leaving for other Portuguese colonies or further afield.<\/p>\n Cape Verde experienced numerous severe famines<\/a>, but certain periods stand out due to their catastrophic mortality rates.<\/p>\n These early famines set a grim precedent, often resulting in massive population declines.<\/p>\n This period is considered one of the earliest recorded major famines, leading to widespread deaths and significant emigration. It highlighted the islands’ vulnerability to climatic shifts and the colonial administration’s nascent, often ineffective, response.<\/p>\n Several droughts in the 1830s, particularly the one from 1830-1833, caused extensive mortality, estimated to have wiped out a significant portion of the population on some islands. Records from this time paint a stark picture of extreme hunger and disease.<\/p>\n This famine is often cited as one of the worst, with mortality estimates ranging from 30% to over 50% of the total population, particularly on islands like Santo Ant\u00e3o, S\u00e3o Nicolau, and Brava. The causes were a series of successive droughts, compounded by a lack of international attention (due to events like the American Civil War) and continued colonial neglect.<\/p>\nGeological Youth and Soil Quality<\/h4>\n
Scarce Freshwater Sources<\/h4>\n
Climate and Its Unpredictability<\/h3>\n
The Role of Atmospheric Phenomena<\/h4>\n
The Colonial Context and Its Consequences<\/h2>\n
Economic Exploitation and Neglect<\/h3>\n
Plantation Agriculture<\/h4>\n
Taxation and Indebtedness<\/h4>\n
Inadequate Infrastructure and Planning<\/h3>\n
Lack of Water Management<\/h4>\n
Poor Transport and Distribution<\/h4>\n
Indifference to Human Suffering<\/h3>\n
Delayed and Insufficient Aid<\/h4>\n
Forced Labour and Emigration<\/h4>\n
Major Famine Episodes and Their Toll<\/h2>\n
The 18th and 19th Century Crises<\/h3>\n
The Great Famine of 1747-1750<\/h4>\n
The Famines of the 1830s<\/h4>\n
The 1863-1866 Catastrophe<\/h4>\n
The 20th Century Famines<\/h3>\n
| Year<\/th>\n | Estimated Death Toll<\/th>\n | Primary Cause<\/th>\n | Rainfall Deficit (%)<\/th>\n | Impact on Population (%)<\/th>\n | Relief Efforts<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941-1942<\/td>\n | 45,000<\/td>\n | Severe drought and crop failure<\/td>\n | 60<\/td>\n | 25<\/td>\n | Food aid from Portuguese government, limited international assistance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| 1947-1948<\/td>\n | 30,000<\/td>\n | Extended drought and locust infestations<\/td>\n | 55<\/td>\n | 18<\/td>\n | Local relief programmes, some external support<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| 1957-1958<\/td>\n | 20,000<\/td>\n | Repeated drought and soil degradation<\/td>\n | 50<\/td>\n | 12<\/td>\n | Improved agricultural practices introduced, food distribution<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Since gaining independence in 1975, Cape Verde has made significant strides in breaking the cycle of famine and building greater resilience.<\/p>\n Strategic Investment in Water Management<\/h3>\n |