Ribeira Brava is a town on the island of São Nicolau, Cape Verde. It is the seat of the Ribeira Brava Municipality. Its population was 1,936 at the 2010 census and is the second most populated place on the island behind Tarrafal de São Nicolau The town is situated in the valley of the river Ribeira Brava, east of the main mountain range of the island. The name of the river is Portuguese for "rough stream", referring to the violent behaviour of the river during rains.Directly Ribeira Brava is located 9 km northeast of Tarrafal de São Nicolau, it is 54 km on the island's main highway, it is also south of Preguiça and the island's airport and its port and west of Carriçal.About Ribeira BravaRibeira Brava serves as the center of business and trade for the surrounding areas from the beginning of its founding, in the 17th Century. It was for many years the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in the archipelago. The city has a colonial look with Portuguese style buildings, charming parks and gardens, small winding streets, and steep hills with stunning views. The Seminário-Liceu de São José, founded in Ribeira Brava in 1866 and abolished in 1930's to make way to political prisoners from Portugal, was an important center of higher education in the archipelago.The Middle Portuguese spelling was Ribeyra Brava it was in use from its founding until 1911 during the 1911 Orthography Reform made by Portugal which removed the y and became replaced with an i, it changed to its current form of Ribeira Grande. Most residents continued used the older form until when Brazil changed theirs in 1931. The common name in São Nicolau Creole where it is known as "Stanxa" (Estância), the other form is "Rbera Brava".