Assomada

Assomada is a city on the Sotavento island of Santiago in Cape Verde. It is the seat of the municipality of Santa Catarina, which comprises the central western part and much of the interior of the island, and it is the largest city in that region. Assomada lies at about 550 m elevation on a plateau surrounded by mountains, farmland, and hills in the center of Santa Catarina. Surrounding communities bordering Assomada includes Gil Bispo to the northeast, Palha Carga to the west and Boa Entrada to the north.Assomada lies at approximately the midpoint on the highway that runs the length of the island of Santiago from Praia in the south to the seaside port of Tarrafal in the north. It is also connected by road to the eastern port of Pedra Badejo. Assomada is located 26 km northwest of Praia.The etymology of the name is a portuguese word, the other word assomar and assomar-se indicates that a city is in a highest portion of an island, in an area of the highest part of a plateau on the island. It is the etymology of the other two Assomadas, one in the Azores and the other in the Madeira Islands.GeographyAssomada has an urban area of about 550 ha or 5.5 km².In 2015, it had about 15,000 people throughout the city and is the second largest on the island. The city has grown considerably since the independence of Cape Verde, and the regional center attracts many people coming from the interior and other parts of the island in search for work.