Cabo Verde: Gulag of the South Atlantic: Racism, Fishing Prohibitions, and Famines

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Periodical article

Title:	Cabo Verde: Gulag of the South Atlantic: Racism, Fishing Prohibitions, and Famines
Author:	Brooks, George E.
Year:	2006
Periodical:	History in Africa
Volume:	33
Pages:	101-135
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Cape Verde
Subjects:	colonial economy environmental degradation history Ethnic and Race Relations History and Exploration Politics and Government Law, Human Rights and Violence colonialism
External link:	http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/history_in_africa/v033/33.1brooks.pdf
Abstract:	The two streams of the Canary Current flowing past the Cape Verde archipelago nourish some of the richest marine resources on the globe. Yet, for centuries Portuguese colonial officials leagued with plantation owners to prohibit Cabo Verdeans from owning fishing craft and other vessels to prevent the escape of slaves, mutinous soldiers, exiled criminals, and political deportees. Denied the bounty of the sea and afflicted by multi-year droughts, tens of thousands of destitute people perished during the famines. This made Cabo Verde a gulag during Portuguese rule. This article traces the history of Cabo Verde since the 15th century, focusing on the exploitation of the archipelago's fragile ecosystems by the Portuguese and the toll of environmental degradation. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]