The Cape Verde islands have a generally hot semi-arid climate, with rainfall mostly limited to the months August and September.
It requires far more rain than Cabo Verde usually receives, but the cultural norms established during Portuguese rule prioritized this familiar crop over more ecologically appropriate and drought-resistant millet and sorghum varieties common in West Africa.
[4] Several thousands of islanders emigrated, for instance accepting contract labour on the cocoa plantations of Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe.
[3] The Estado Novo government of Portugal showed little interest in its African colony, and failed to take measures to improve access to fresh water, or supply food aid.
[5] The third and final part of the novel Chiquinho by Baltasar Lopes da Silva is focused on the calamity of drought, a major problem in Cape Verde, which results in famine and many deaths.