Ilhéu de Cima is an uninhabited island of Cape Verde. It is part of the Ilhéus do Rombo islet group, located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Ilhéu Grande, the other main islet of the group, and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) northeast of the island Brava. They are administratively a part of the Brava municipality. Surrounding islets include Ilhéu Luiz Carneiro, Ilhéu Sapado, and Ilhéu do Rei. The island is part of the integral nature reserve Ilhéus do Rombo,[1] famous for its seabird colonies.[2]

Ilhéu de Cima
Ilhéu de Cima
Ilhéu de Cima is located in Cape Verde
Ilhéu de Cima
Ilhéu de Cima
Ilhéu de Cima is located in Atlantic Ocean
Ilhéu de Cima
Ilhéu de Cima
Geography
LocationAtlantic Ocean
Coordinates14°58′16″N 24°38′17″W / 14.971°N 24.638°W / 14.971; -24.638
Total islands3
Area1.5 km2 (0.58 sq mi)
Length2.2 km (1.37 mi)
Width0.94 km (0.584 mi)
Highest elevation77 m (253 ft)
Administration
Concelhos (Municipalities)Brava
Demographics
Population0

The southern part of the islet is the highest, culminating at 77 metres (253 ft).[3] This is where the Ilhéu de Cima Lighthouse is situated,[4] the only building on the island. The islet was mentioned as "Ghuay" in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.[5]

Notable endemic fauna found on the island include the Iago sparrow. In the mid-1950s, W. R. P. Bourne observed females remaining in flocks while males began to take up locations on rocky slopes from which they could sing.[6] A species of sponge Esperiopsis cimensis was found in the deep waters surrounding the islet.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Nature reserves of Cape Verde" (PDF).
  2. ^ birdlife.org
  3. ^ Sailing Directions (Enroute), Pub. 143: West Coast of Europe and Northwest Africa (PDF). Sailing Directions. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2017. p. 247.
  4. ^ List of Lights, Pub. 113: The West Coasts of Europe and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Azovskoye More (Sea of Azov) (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2018. p. 428.
  5. ^ Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1747). "Carte des Isles du Cap Verd = Kaart van de Eilanden van Kabo Verde" (in French).
  6. ^ Bourne, W. R. P. (1955). "The Birds of the Cape Verde Islands". Ibis. 97 (3): 508–556. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1955.tb04981.x.
  7. ^ van Soest, Rob W. M., Elly J. Beglinger & Nicole J. De Voogd, 2012: Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from northwest Africa. European journal of taxonomy, 18: 1–21.