Map of Cabo Verde | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; they subsequently became a trading center for African slaves. Most Cape Verdeans descend from both groups. Independence was achieved in 1975.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 965 km

Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines)
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: temperate; warm, dry, summer precipitation very erratic

Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Elevation

Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish

Land use: 9% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 85% other; includes 1% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location 500 km from African coast near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site


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Population: 374,984 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Cape Verdean(s; adjective--Cape Verdean

Ethnic groups: about 71% Creole (mulatto), 28% African, 1% European

Languages: Portuguese and Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African words

Religions: Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 49 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 11 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active; deforestation; overgrazing

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 63 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 48% (1986)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde

Government type: republic

Capital: Praia

Administrative divisions: 12 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho; Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal; there may be 2 new districts named Porto Novo and Santa Cruz

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Constitution: 7 September 1980, amended 12 February 1981 and December 1988

Legal system

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 15

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July 1975; Head of Government--Prime Minister Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since 5 July 1975; Deputy Minister Aguinaldo Liboa RAMOS (since NA February 1990)

Legislative branch: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP; Army, Navy, and Air Force are separate components of FARP

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES; Chancery at 3,415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,007; telephone (202) 965-6,820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston; US--Ambassador Terry McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia; telephone p238o 614-363 or 253

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 60% of GDP during the period 1984-86. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing and manufacturing sectors are 4% each. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential of the islands is not fully exploited (the fish catch--mostly lobster and tuna--came to only 10,000 tons in 1985). Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants, cash grants, food aid, and foreign loans.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 16% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops--corn, beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 0% (1986 est.)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $80 million; expenditures $87 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1988 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $8.9 million (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: fish, bananas, salt
Partners: Portugal, Angola, Algeria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Italy

Imports: $124 million (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products
Partners: Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, US, FRG

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $140 million (December 1988)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1--72.31 (February 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985)


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 11.8% of GDP (1981)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,308 GRT/16,172 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs