Fogo (Fire) was first called the island of São Filipe, and it was discovered in 1460. Its settlement started right after that of Santiago. The island is round and it looks like a volcano in shape. There is in fact a volcano that is still active, and the last eruption happened in April of 1995. The surface area of the island is 476 Km2, and it is the highest point of the Archipelago with the top of the volcano measuring 2.829 meters of height.

Right after its occupation, Fogo played a very important role in the economy of the country. The agricultural activity of Santiago was expanded to Fogo, and the cotton cultivated there served as money to buy slaves in the African Coast, thus obeying the rules of the Portuguese Crown dictating that slaves could only be bought with goods produced in the Archipelago. Clothes made of the cotton produced in Fogo were very popular. The frequent droughts also affected the island of Fogo, so that the people had to search for better life conditions. In fact, many inhabitants joined the American whaleboats that frequently anchored in Fogo in search of food and other provisions. At the end of the 18th century, the whalers recruited workers from the island of Brava, and during the 19th century many inhabitants of these two islands emigrated to the United States of America.

Source: Cape Verde Tourist Guide