Praia

Praia
Capital city
Clockwise: View of Monte Vermelho; Praia City Hall; Monumento de Diogo Gomes; aerial view of Praia; Fundação Amílcar Cabral; Palácio da Cultura Ildo Lobo.
Flag Coat of arms
Praia Location of Praia in Cape Verde Show map of Cape Verde Praia Praia (Africa) Show map of Africa
Coordinates: 14°55′05″N 23°30′32″W / 14.918°N 23.509°W / 14.918; -23.509
Island	Santiago
Municipality	Praia
Civil Parish	Nossa Senhora da Graça
Founded	16th century
City	1858
Area
• Total	102.6 km2 (39.6 sq mi)
Population  (2017 estimate)
• Total	159,050
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CVT (UTC−01:00)

Praia (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈpɾajɐ], Portuguese for "beach") is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde.^[1] Located on the southern coast of Santiago island, within the Sotavento Islands group, the city is the seat of the Praia Municipality. Praia is the political, economic and cultural center of Cape Verde.