Praia

	Map showing, in red, Praia in the Santiago island.
	Coordinates: 14°55′15″N 23°30′30″W / 14.92083°N 23.50833°WCoordinates: 14°55′15″N 23°30′30″W / 14.92083°N 23.50833°W
Country	Cape Verde
Municipality	Praia (seat)
Area
• Total	94 km2 (36 sq mi)
Elevation	1 m (3 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	127,832
• Density	1,360/km2 (3,522/sq mi)
Website	Official website

Praia is the capital of the island nation of Cape Verde. It lies on Santiago island in the Sotavento archipelago. The city has, in 2010, a population of 127,832. Praia is Cape Verde's largest city. It is also the commercial center of the country. The name Praia means "beach" in Portuguese.

Praia has a port that transports coffee, sugar cane, and tropical fruits. Praia also has a fishing industry. The city is home to one of the nation's two international airports. There are resort beaches nearby.

Things to see

Some of the interesting things to see in Praia include:

Albuquerque Square
The old city hall
The Presidential Palace - built in the end of the 19th century, it was used for the Portuguese governor

Praia has many schools, churches, beaches, ports, and a university named after Jean Piaget.

A depiction of Praia during the 1781 Battle of Porto Praya.
BARROW()pPORTOPRAYA,ISLANDOFST.JAGO(cropped)
Astronaut Photo of Praia, Cape Verde taken from the International Space Station (ISS) during Expedition 23 on April 20, 2010.
Nossa Senhora da Graça church
Escola Grande on Rua Serpa Pinto.
Secondary school (Liceu) Domingos Ramos in Praia, Cape Verde
Tourism is an important contributor to Praia's economy
Praia International Airport.
Presidential Palace of Cape Verde.
Farol de D. Maria Pia.