[1] Many more live abroad in the Cape Verdean diaspora in mainland Africa, Europe, U.S., Brazil, et cetera.

The difficulty of survival in a country with few natural resources has historically induced Cape Verdeans to emigrate.

In fact, of the more than 1 million people of Cape Verdean ancestry in the world, only a little more than one-third actually live on the islands.

Cape Verdean populations also settled Spain, Germany, Canada, and other CPLP countries (Angola, Brazil and Guinea-Bissau).

Moreover, historical linguists often attribute Cape Verdean Creole as the oldest "New World" contact language.