World Cup debutants Cabo Verde hold Spain in goalless draw

• Cabo Verde created history in their debut World Cup match by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw in Atlanta on June 15.

• Cabo Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha recorded seven saves,  holding Spain’s star-studded lineup to a shocking 0-0 draw. 

• Cabo Verde is the third-smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the World Cup.

Key facts about Cabo Verde:

• Cabo Verde is located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean and 500 km off Africa’s west coast.

• It is a ten-island archipelago with an estimated population of 520,500 residing on nine islands.

• The archipelago was uninhabited until the Portuguese discovered it in 1456.

• Cabo Verde gained independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975. 

• Praia is the capital and largest city of Cabo Verde.

• Only 10 per cent of its land is arable, and mineral resources are scarce. Since the 1990s, the country has made significant strides, largely due to the rapid growth of tourism, which constitutes 25 per cent of its GDP.

• In 2013, the Republic of Cabo Verde changed its official name from Republic of Cape Verde.

• The official language is Portuguese, but most people also speak a Creole dialect — Crioulo — which is based on archaic Portuguese but influenced by African and European languages. 

• Cabo Verde has a rich tradition of Crioulo literature and music.