Tarrafal
Settlement
View of the town of Tarrafal
Tarrafal
Coordinates: 15°16′41″N 23°45′07″W / 15.278°N 23.752°W / 15.278; -23.752
Country	Cape Verde
Island	Santiago
Municipality	Tarrafal
Civil parish	Santo Amaro Abade
Population  (2010)[1]
• Total	6,656
ID	71120

Tarrafal (also: Mangui or Mangue) is a city^[2] in the northern part of the island of Santiago, Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 6,656. It is a fishing port situated on the northwestern coast. It constitutes the seat of the Tarrafal Municipality.

The city is situated by the Baía de Tarrafal, at the foot of 643 m high Monte Graciosa.^[3] Tarrafal is at the northern end of two main roads to Praia in the south, one leading through Assomada and São Domingos (EN1-ST01), the other along the east coast through Calheta de São Miguel and Pedra Badejo (EN1-ST02).

The origin of the toponym “Tarrafal” is the Portuguese word “tarrafal”, which means a plantation of the indigenous plant “tarrafe”,^[3] Tamarix senegalensis.^[4] The settlement was mentioned in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin as "Terrafal".^[5] In 1917, the municipality of Tarrafal was separated from Santa Catarina, and the town Tarrafal became its seat.^[6] Between 1936 and 1974, political prisoners were held at the Tarrafal camp, south of the city. At least 32 prisoners died in the camp, which now houses a museum.^[3]

• List of cities and towns in Cape Verde