Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony from 1462 until 1975, and was ruled jointly with Guinea-Bissau. - 1961 Joint struggle for independence of Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau begins.
- 1974 Guinea-Bissau independent.
- 1975 Cape Verde independent.
- 1981 Final split from Guinea-Bissau.
- 1991 MPD wins first multiparty poll.
- 2001 General election returns PAICV to power.
From "The Financial Times World Desk Reference" © Dorling Kindersley 2004 | 
