Area Code 265 – Santa Catarina, Santiago

Geographic Overview

The area code +238 265 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the municipality of Santa Catarina, located on the island of Santiago in Cape Verde. Santiago is the largest and most populous island of the archipelago, hosting the national capital, Praia, in its southeastern part. Santa Catarina, situated in the northern interior of the island, is known for its agricultural activity and the town of Assomada, the municipal seat. The code covers the entire municipality, including Assomada and surrounding rural localities.

Dialing Formats

When calling a landline in Santa Catarina from abroad, you must dial the international prefix (e.g., 00 from most countries, or + from mobile), followed by the Cape Verde country code +238, and then the seven-digit subscriber number that begins with 265. The complete international format is +238 265 XXXX (where XXXX is the local line number). For example, a typical number might be +238 265 1234.

Within Cape Verde, calls to another geographic number in a different area code require dialing the full national number, including the NDC. However, since Cape Verde uses a closed dialing plan, you must always dial the full seven-digit number even for local calls. Thus, to call Santa Catarina from Praia, you would dial 265 XXXX (without the country code).

Regulatory and Technical Notes

The numbering plan of Cape Verde is administered by the National Communications Agency (ANAC). Geographic numbers are allocated to fixed-line operators, primarily Cabo Verde Telecom (CvT), which holds the incumbent fixed-line license. These numbers are traditionally associated with PSTN services, but they may also be used for VoIP services that provide fixed-line substitution, as long as the service is registered and uses the geographic number for routing.

There are no overlay codes in Cape Verde; each geographic area has a unique NDC. The number length is fixed at seven digits for all subscriber numbers, including the NDC. Mobile numbers begin with 9 or 5, distinguishing them from geographic codes.

For callers from outside Cape Verde, it is essential to replace the international access code with the plus sign (+) when dialing from a mobile phone. The plus sign ensures the call is routed correctly regardless of the caller's location. When calling from a fixed line, use the international prefix of the originating country (e.g., 011 from the US, 00 from most European countries).

As Cape Verde uses a single time zone (CVT, UTC-1), there is no time zone variation within the country, simplifying scheduling for international calls.