city and main port of Cape Verde, in the Atlantic Ocean. It lies on the northwest shore of São Vicente Island, about 560 miles (900 km) off the west African coast. The city's deepwater harbour on Porto Grande Bay is an important refueling point for transatlantic freighters. Mindelo port has been a submarine cable station since 1875. A new shipyard, financed by a loan from the European Investment Bank, was completed in the early 1980s. Pop. (1990 prelim.) 47,080.