Morocos is a constituent republic of Verde Region.
| Morocos Republic | |
|---|---|
| Island of Santo Antão | |
| Constituent Republic of Vekllei | |
 |
|
| Part of the Verde Region | |
| Above the railheads, old mule tracks are the only real way in or out, and many locals still prefer to get around on horse or muleback. | |
| Population | 162,337 |
| Demographics |
60% São Tomense & Forro 20% Badiu 10% African
10% other
|
| Economy | Arable farming Food & drink, Plantations & spices |
| Produces | Coffee, Sugar, Rum, Grogue, Bananas |
| Working week | 19.0 hours |
| Specialisation | Agriculture, Land & Sea |
| Accession | 1945, as part of the British Atlantic Territories |
| Area | 785 km² |
| Capital | Novo |
| Languages | English, Verde Creole, Portuguese |
The Morocos Republic is a constituent republic of Vekllei in the Atlantic, at the northwestern end of the Cabo Verde archipelago. It lies across a channel from Viana, and is connected to it by ferry. It is a striking island of steep gorges and conspicuous relief, dominated by mountains that reach close to 2,000 metres.
The mountains run through the centre of the island and drop into gorges known locally as ribeiras. Like much of the archipelago, the south coast is dry and barren. As the terrain climbs into the mountains of the northeast, the trade winds bring rain, and terraces grow coffee, sugarcane and bananas almost down to the water. The tops and slopes of the mountains are quite lush and spectacularly pretty. The republic is famous for its ribeiras, narrow valleys that snake through the interior of the island, and for the walking paths cut into their cliffs.
The capital of Novo is dry and coastal, and began as a coaling stop with a customs shed attached. The island lost much of its population to emigration during the 20th Century, mostly to America, Portugal and the Netherlands. It has been recovering since federalisation but remains below its 1950s peak. Because the population is recovering, some smallholdings abandoned by earlier generations have come back into cultivation, in places under commons arrangements. New arrivals from other Verde islands and elsewhere in the Commonwealth live mostly in Novo and the larger valley towns.
Most of the economy comprises municipal goods and smallholdings. A lot of coffee and sugarcane is grown on the terraces, and the surplus is generally exported. About a fifth of all the coffee in Verde comes from the ribeiras, and most of it is bought by the Ribeira Grande Cooperative. The cane is mostly distilled into grogue, a strong local rum, and nearly every household in the ribeiras has a still.
Novo is windswept and not especially attractive, and most visitors only pass through it on their way to the mountains. The capital has a small port, through which most fuel and machinery are imported. Ferries depart there for Viana and the rest of the archipelago. The Valley Railway Company and the Sol Mountain Express run lines inland from Novo, but above the railheads old mule tracks are the only real way in or out, and many locals still prefer to get around on horse or muleback. There is also a small airport with Commonwealth services west of town, and NS Morocos, an auxiliary station of the Armed Forces’ Saharan Division, is based on the island.
Climate
The northeast valleys catch the trade winds and stay cool and damp from November to March, when the upper terraces can go for days without sun. The rest of the year is drier but still green by Cabo Verde standards. Novo and the west coast are hot and dry year-round, and the peaks can be cold, even frosty, at any time of year.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 24° 20° 23° 20° 24° 20° 25° 20° 25° 21° 26° 22° 27° 23° 28° 24° 28° 24° 28° 24° 27° 23° 25° 22°
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 24° 20° 23° 20° 24° 20° 25° 20° 25° 21° 26° 22° Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 27° 23° 28° 24° 28° 24° 28° 24° 27° 23° 25° 22°
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
- Festa do Grogue Late Jul
- Assumption Day 15 Aug
- All Saints Day 1 Nov
- Christmas Day 25 Dec
- Butter
- Electronic Components
- Fish
- Flour
- Glass
- Wheat
- Lubricants
- Molasses
- Palm Oil
- Paper
- Petroleum
- Salt
- Sugar
- Timber
- Cova de Paul (crater gardens on the central plateau)
- Ribeira Grande Valley (terraced agriculture and the main valley market town)
- Ponta do Sol (cliffside village at the mouth of Ribeira Grande)
- Corvo Coastal Trail
- Ribeira Grande Cooperative roasting plant
- Paul Line railhead
- Novo Port
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 14.3%
- Education 11.7%
- Healthcare 9.4%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 8.2%
All 19 groups
Hide table
- Agriculture, Land & Sea 14.3%
- Education 11.7%
- Healthcare 9.4%
- Skilled Trades & Construction 8.2%
| Occupation | Share | Posts |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Land & Sea | 14.3% | 28,500 |
| Education | 11.7% | 23,300 |
| Healthcare | 9.4% | 18,600 |
| Skilled Trades & Construction | 8.2% | 16,300 |
| Domestic | 7.8% | 15,400 |
| Government & Civil Administration | 6.6% | 13,000 |
| Arts & Media | 5.7% | 11,400 |
| Industry | 5.1% | 10,100 |
| Transport | 4.5% | 8,910 |
| Security & Defence | 4.3% | 8,520 |
| Retail, Distribution & Logistics | 4.2% | 8,290 |
| Economic Planning | 3.2% | 6,450 |
| Hospitality & Participatory Trades | 2.9% | 5,690 |
| Sport & Recreation | 2.8% | 5,580 |
| Energy & Resources | 2.5% | 4,890 |
| Science & Research | 2.2% | 4,300 |
| Information & Communications | 2.1% | 4,220 |
| Law & Justice | 1.9% | 3,740 |
| Religious & Ceremonial | 0.9% | 1,820 |
Register estimates of posts located in the republic, rounded; figures under 50 suppressed. Includes 140 posts held by non-residents.