Praia

Praia (Portuguese for "beach"), population 113,664 (2005), is the capital of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal. Praia is also the largest city in Cape Verde after Mindelo and municipally Santa Catarina. It lies on Santiago island in the Sotavento archipelago. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation's two international airports. The city centre is known as Platô due to its location on a small plateau. Praia is located at 14°55' North, 23°31' West (14.91667, -23.51667).

Praia is Cape Verde's largest city, and a commercial center and a port that ships coffee, sugar cane, and tropical fruits. Praia also has a fishing industry. There are resort beaches nearby.

A variant of Capeverdean Crioulo spoken in Praia is known as Crioulo de Santiago or Bádiu.