Etymology

The country is named after the Cap-Vert peninsula on the coast of Senegal. The name Cap-Vert comes from the Portuguese name Cabo Verde, which means "green cape." Portuguese explorers used this name in 1444, several years before they discovered the islands. In the past, the name was changed to English as Cape Verde. In 2013, a group of officials from the country told the United Nations that only Cabo Verde should be used for official purposes.