Tourism in Cape Verde, started in the 1970s on the island Sal and increased slowly in the 1980s and 1990s. The number of tourists increased from approximately 45,000 in 1997 to more than 552,144 in 2013. The vast majority of tourists visit the comparatively flat and scarcely populated islands of Boa Vista, Sal, and Maio with their white sandy beaches. The islands of Cape Verde have a pleasant climate during most of the year with 350 days of sunshine, and some of them offer an impressive mountain scenery as well. Some ecotourism is developing on the island of Fogo around the volcano Pico do Fogo. It should be noted that Cape Verde has won a positive reputation in promoting what is considered the most stable democracy in Africa, a standard of living higher than most African nations, and one of the most politically liberal nations on the continent, and in the world.
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