The Cape Verde Islands are located between 14 and 17° northern latitude and 22 and 25° western longitude in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean at the height of Senegal. The total area of the archipelago covers 4,033 square kilometres and includes ten larger islands, of which nine are inhabited, and five smaller uninhabited islands.About 135 million years ago, the islands rose out of the sea due to plate-tectonic shifts and volcanic eruptions. Through the various effects of wind and rain, the islands sometimes display a greatly contrasting surface structure.
The eastern islands, which are distinguished by a flat relief, are differentiated from the mountainous western islands.
While dry, flat desert landscapes and white sandy beaches predominate in the east with Sal, Boavista and Maio, rugged mountain ranges with green valleys and volcanoes can be found in the western archipelago with Santo Antão, São Vicente, São Nicolao, Santiago, Fogo and Brava.The coasts on the eastern islands are shallow as they slope into the sea, while the western islands have steep cliffs of up to 800 metres bordering on the ocean.