The Northern region has been well eroded by the rough seas and the strong Northeast winds. Along the coast there are numerous and very beautiful beaches of fine golden sand.
Agriculture and livestock farming are carried out using underground waters brought to the surface wuth hydraulic pumps powered by the wind.
The islanders kive extremely simple lives and show great friendliness to visitors.
Geography
Twenty-five km to the east of Santiago, the island of Maio is, like Sal and Boavista, one of the flatest islands of the archipelago. Submitted to the influence of wind erosion, the island shows scarcely no vestiges ot its vulcanic past. With a surface area of omly 269 sq. km., the highest point of maio Island is Monte Penoso, stand at 436 m. Despite the considerable aridity of its soil, part of the island wasreforested, alost exclusively with acacias, so that Maio now has the largest forested land area in the country. There are salt pits to the south-east, and the north-east is fertile, with cultivated fields
Location
MAIO belongs to the leeward group and is located south of the island of BOAVISTA and about 25 km east of SANTIAGO. It has a surface area of 268 km2, the longest point, in a north-south direction being 24 km and the widest point, in an east-west direction is 16 km. The island is on the whole fairly flat, the highest point, in the middle, is Monte Penoso, with an altitude of 436 m. The valleys are arid and dry and not very deep. Although the island is volcanic in origin, there are few signs to show it. The climate is very dry and the land is essentially calcium based s rock. There is little irrigated land. Even though the climate is not particularly favorable, the island does in fact have the biggest forest park in Cabo-Verde.
BANK/BANCO:
Village of Maio
Phone: 551 118
Village of Maio
Phone: 551 103
History
Discovered on May 1460, the island was used initially as grazing land for the livestock introduced to it. The population of Maio rose at the begining of the 1th century, with explotation ot its salt pits. Controlled by Englismen, this activity prospered nad reached its peak in the 19th century, with exports to Brasil. The island, which at one point was exporting 11,000 tons of salt a year, was coveted and sacked several times by pirates. In the 20th century, with the end of marketing of its salt, and do to the drought much of Maio's population was forced to join the country's other emigrants. The island currently has some 5,950 inhabitants, mainly devoted to the traditional fishing and agriculture.
