Capo Verde, as it is formally known as a country, consists of nine major islands and dozens of small islets off the coast of West Africa, in the area known as the Cape Verde Archipelago. The country, a former Portuguese colonial entity, has been independent for forty years. Due to its location, it has become a significant supply station for ships and for aircraft flying the London-Cape Town route (although less so as newer planes can fly nonstop). Tourism is a growing part of the economy, helped by having a wealth of pristine beaches. Santiago is the largest island, and Praia the capital (inset map included). This version benefits by having a detailed map of West Africa on the reverse side. As most communications with Cape Verde would be by air from Europe, such as map is provided more for illustrative purposes than for practical use from the islands. The map is, however, quite detailed and covers from central Mauritania east to western Niger an