Morocos Republic

Morocos is a constituent republic of Verde Commonwealth.

Morocos Republic
Island of Santo Antão
Constituent Republic of Vekllei
Part of the Verde Commonwealth
Accession	1945, as part of the British Atlantic Territories
Area	785 km²
Capital	Novo
Languages	English, Verde Creole, Portuguese
Population	162,337

The Morocos Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei at the northwestern extreme of the Cabo Verde archipelago, the largest island in the group and the most topographically dramatic. Mountains rising to nearly 2,000 metres emerge directly from the ocean and drop into gorges (ribeiras) so deep and narrow that some villages at the bottom see only a few hours of direct sunlight in winter. The contrast between the west of the island, which is bone dry and almost treeless, and the northeast, where the same mountains wring moisture from the trade winds and produce a lush valley culture of coffee, sugarcane and banana, is so extreme that they seem to belong to different islands entirely.

The ribeiras of the northeast are the island’s defining feature and the basis of much of its culture. The paths that follow them are cut into cliff faces and bridge across gorges, and are among the most celebrated hiking terrain in the Verde Commonwealth. Each ribeira has its own microclimate, its own crop specialities and its own small communities scattered along the valley floor and up the stepped terraces above. The ribeira coffee is the most exported produce of the island; the sugarcane is processed into grogue, the strong cane spirit that is the standard drink of the republic and consumed in great quantities.

The capital, Novo, is a port town on the island’s south coast, exposed to wind and not especially picturesque, but functional and growing. It serves primarily as a point of transit – most of Morocos is not the capital, and most people who come to Morocos come for the mountains. The island has ferry connections to Viana and the wider Verde archipelago, and the airport handles regular Commonwealth services. Rail lines extend from Novo into the two main ribeiras, partly replacing the mule tracks that were the primary inland transport for several hundred years.

Morocos has been recovering population since federalisation. The island had been losing people to emigration for decades, and the flow has not fully reversed, but the rate has reduced and new arrivals from other Verde islands and elsewhere in the Commonwealth have settled in the capital and the larger valley towns.

Climate

Highly variable by location. The northeast valleys are cool, wet and lush; the west is hot and extremely dry. The mountains can be cold at altitude year-round.

Public Holidays

• New Year’s Day 1 Jan
• Heroes Day 20 Jan
• Republic Day 17 Apr
• Good Friday
• Commonwealth Day 1 May
• St. John’s Day 24 Jun
• Assumption Day 15 Aug
• All Saints Day 1 Nov
• Christmas Day 25 Dec