Maio (Portuguese for "May"), is the easternmost of the Sotavento islands of Cape Verde. Maio is located south of the island of Boa Vista and east of Santiago. Administratively, the island forms one concelho (municipality): Maio.
History
The island was discovered in 1460. It was first settled at the end of the 16th century, when the land was used to raise livestock, especially goats. Salt was first exploited in the 17th century which caused the population to grow. The English exported salt to Europe from Porto Inglês, hence the name of that city.
The inconclusive Battle of Maio was fought between British and French frigate squadrons off the island's southern coast on 23 January 1814 in the last stages of the Napoleonic Wars. Due to persisting drought many inhabitants emigrated from Maio in the 20th century. It is 24.1 km long and 16.3 km wide. The tallest mountain on the island (436 m) is near the east coast, in a mountain range named Monte Penoso. Bays includes Baía do Galeão and Baía da Santana to the north and in the southeast is a lagoon named Lagoa Cimidor. The uninhabited islet Ilhéu Laje Branca lies near its north coast. The island's main town is Porto Inglês, near which its airport, Maio Airport lies.
thumb|right|City of Porto Inglês at sunset
Municipality
Administratively, the island of Maio is covered by one municipality, Concelho do Maio. This municipality consists of one freguesia (civil parish), Nossa Senhora da Luz, which also covers the whole island. The freguesia is subdivided into the following settlements:
- Alcatraz
- Barreiro (town)
{| class="wikitable sortable" style=text-align:right
!rowspan=2|Party
!colspan=2|Municipal Council
!colspan=2|Municipal Assembly
|-
!Votes%
!Seats
!Votes%
!Seats
|-
|align=left|MpD||56.82||5||55.92||8
|-
|align=left|OIAM||40.51||0||41.07||5
|}
Population
In the 1830s, the population was estimated at 2,500. Most people in Maio are Roman Catholic.