Assomada is a city on the Sotavento (leeward) island of Santiago in Cape Verde. Since 1912, it is the seat of the municipality of Santa Catarina, which comprises the central western part and much of the interior of the island. It is the largest city in that region. Geography Assomada lies at about elevation on a plateau surrounded by mountains, farmland, and hills in the center of Santa Catarina. Assomada is located northwest of Praia. It has an urban area of about . In 2021, it had about 21,297 inhabitants, making it the second largest city on the island. Assomada plays an important commercial role and has a pleasant combination of urban areas and fields. Assomada lies near the midpoint of the highway that runs the length of the island of Santiago from Praia (the capital) in the south to the northern port of Tarrafal (EN1-ST01). Subdivisions Assomada is subdivided into 22 neighborhoods including Achada Riba, Atrás de Banco, Bolanha, the City Center (central part), Chã de Santos, Covão, Covão Ribeiro, Cruz Vermelha, Cumbém (located in the south), Cutelo, Cutelo Torre, Espinho Branco, Leiria, Lém Vieira, Matinho, Nhagar (located in the north), Pedra Barro, Ponta Fonte Lima, Portãozinho, Tarafalinho and Tras da Empa (Traz d'Empa). Landmarks The market of Assomada, founded in 1931 is one of the largest on the island of Santiago, with a large variety of agricultural products and crafts. Centro Cultural Norberto Tavares, in the former post office, home to the Museu da Tabanca until 2008. Demography According to Cabo Verde 2021 Census, there were 21,297 inhabitants in the city of Assomada. The age and sex distribution at the 2010 census were: Education In addition to a vocational school (i.e., Escola de Formação Profissional), Assomada is home to the University of Santiago, which is a major Cabo Verdean university and a private one, an extensive school complex, including a public high school (Amilcar Cabral High School), two private secondary schools (Centro de Ensino de Assomada and Escola Secundária Abrolhos) and a primary school (escola primária). It is also home to an elite technical high school (i.e.,Grand Duke Henri technical vocational high school), which trains the most promising Cape Verdean youth in career skills. Economy Commerce, financial services (particularly banking), transport, and educational services are the lifeblood of the city. Among the financial entities that contribute much to the local economy are: six commercial banks, hundreds of retail