The  Republic of Cabo Verde is an archipelago composed of 10 volcanic islands situated in the Atlantic Ocean some 350 miles off the coast of Senegal. The islands cover a combined area of slightly over 1,500 square miles and has a population composed mostly of mixed European and sub-Saharan African heritage (80%), black (17%) and white (3%). The population is mostly Roman Catholic. The country, which is a member of the African Union, also  has a large diaspora community that slightly outnumbers the inhabitants on the islands.The BLAC Foundation’s interest in this country is focused on its Portuguese based lingua franca known as Cabo Verdean Creole.