The uninhabited islands were
discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde
subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an
important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic
shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in
unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and
maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde
continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments.
Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused
significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape
Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape
Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.
Geography
Cape Verde
Location:
Western Africa, group of
islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
Geographic coordinates:
16 00 N, 24 00 W
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km water: 0 sq km
total: 0.02 cu km/yr
(7%/2%/91%) per capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts; seasonal
harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically
active
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; deforestation due
to demand for wood used as fuel; water shortages; desertification;
environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles;
illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location 500 km from
west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important
communications station; important sea and air refueling site
total: 20.6 years
male: 19.9 years female: 21.5 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.595% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
23.95 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.26 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-11.74 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.58
male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.55
deaths/1,000 live births male: 48.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 36.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.33
years male: 67.99 years female: 74.76 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.17 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.035% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
775 (2001)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
225 (as of 2001)
Nationality:
noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean
Ethnic groups:
Creole (mulatto) 71%, African
28%, European 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic (infused with
indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)
Languages:
Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of
Portuguese and West African words)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 76.6%
male: 85.8% female: 69.2% (2003 est.)
Government
Cape Verde
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Cape Verde conventional short form: Cape Verde
local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde local short
form: Cabo Verde
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Praia
geographic coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W time
difference: UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
25 September 1992; a major
revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increased the powers of the
president; a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman
(Provedor de Justica)
Legal system:
based on the legal system of
Portugal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Pedro Verona PIRES (since 22 March 2001) head of
government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February
2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
on the recommendation of the prime minister elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a
second term); election last held 12 February 2006 (next to be held in
February 2011); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and
appointed by the president election results: Pedro PIRES
reelected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 51.2%, Carlos
VIEGA (MPD) 48.8%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or
Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms) elections: last held 22 January 2006
(next to be held in January 2011) election results: percent of
vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%, UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV
41, MPD 29, UCID 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or
Supremo Tribunal de Justia
Political parties and leaders:
African Party for Independence
of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic
Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS,
and UCID); Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES];
Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO]; Democratic and
Independent Cape Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO]; Movement for
Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES]; Party for Democratic Convergence or
PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias
RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]
chief of mission:
Ambassador Fatima Lima VEIGA chancery: 3415 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820
FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207 consulate(s) general: Boston
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Roger D. PIERCE embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo n6, Praia
mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238]
2-60-89-00 FAX: [238] 2-61-13-55
Flag description:
five unequal horizontal bands;
the top-most band of blue - equal to one half the width of the flag - is
followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of
the width, and a bottom stripe of blue equal to one quarter of the flag
width; a circle of 10, yellow, five-pointed stars, each representing one
of the islands, is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the
length of the flag from the hoist side
Economy
Cape Verde
Economy - overview:
This island economy suffers
from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages
exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is
service-oriented, with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services
accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the
population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is
low. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly
lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high
trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants;
remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at
developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to
diversify the economy. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance
of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum
of the government's development program.
foodstuffs, industrial
products, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners:
Portugal 41.1%, Netherlands
10.6%, Spain 6.5%, Italy 5.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Brazil 4.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$160.6 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$343.8 million (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$325 million (2002)
Currency (code):
Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Currency code:
CVE
Exchange rates:
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per
US dollar - 81.235 (2007), 87.946 (2006), 88.67 (2005), 88.808 (2004),
97.703 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Cape Verde
Telephones - main lines in use:
71,600 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
108,900 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial
privatization in 1995 domestic: major service provider is Cabo
Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all
islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service
introduced in 1998; broadband services launched in 2004
international: country code - 238; landing point for the
Atlantis-2 fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links
to South America, Senegal, and Europe; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
(2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 22 (plus 12
repeaters), shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:
100,000 (2002 est.)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 7 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
15,000 (2002 est.)
Internet country code:
.cv
Internet hosts:
344 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2002)
Internet users:
29,000 (2005)
Transportation
Cape Verde
Airports:
8 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8 over
3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 1,350 km
paved: 932 km unpaved: 418 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 13,922 GRT/7,726 DWT by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker
1, passenger/cargo 5 foreign-owned: 2 (Spain 1, UK 1) (2007)
18 years of age (est.) for
selective compulsory military service; 14-month conscript service
obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 103,650
females age 16-49: 103,553 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 83,082
females age 16-49: 88,832 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.7% (2005)
Transnational Issues
Cape Verde
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
used as a transshipment point
for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe; the lack of a
well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a
money-laundering center
