Map of Cabo Verde | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 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.


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Location: Western Africa group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal

Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N 24 00 W

Map reference: Political Map of the World

Area
Total: 4,033 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 4,033 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 965 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Contiguous zone: 24 NM

Climate: temperate; warm dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic

Terrain: steep rugged rocky volcanic

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)

Natural resources: salt basalt rock limestone kaolin fish

Land use
Arable land: 9.68%
Permanent crops: 0.5%
Other: 89.82% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 30 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

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


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Population: 412,137 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 0.79% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 30% (2000)

Nationality
Noun: Cape Verdean
Adjective: Cape Verdean

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

Languages: Portuguese Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)

Religions: Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41% (male 85,254; female 83,716)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 103,690; female 111,992)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,498; female 16,987) (2003 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 18.7 years
Male: 17.9 years
Female: 19.6 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 0.79% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 26.95 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 6.86 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -12.16 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion; demand for wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2003 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 50.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 45.01 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 55.83 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 69.83 years
Male: 66.53 years
Female: 73.23 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.77 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 775 (2001)
Deaths: 225 (as of 2001)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 76.6%
Male: 85.8%
Female: 69.2% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
Conventional short form: Cape Verde
Local short form: Cabo Verde
Local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde

Government type: republic

Capital: Praia

Administrative divisions: 17 municipalities (concelhos singular - concelho); Boa Vista Brava Maio Mosteiros Paul Praia Porto Novo Ribeira Grande Sal Santa Catarina Santa Cruz Sao Domingos Sao Filipe Sao Miguel Sao Nicolau Sao Vicente Tarrafal

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day 5 July (1975)

Constitution: new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increasing the powers of the president and a further revision in 1999 to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)

Legal system: derived from the legal system of Portugal

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Pedro 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; election last held 11 and 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president
Election results: Pedro PIRES elected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 49.43%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 49.42%; note - the election was won by only twelve votes

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA December 2005)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by party - PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 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 chairman]; Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS president]; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM president]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB ECA ECOWAS FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IOM (observer) ITU NAM OAU OPCW (signatory) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
In the us consulates general: Boston
In the us fax: [1] (202) 965-1207
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 965-6,820
In the us chancery: 3,415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON
From the us embassy: Rua Abilio m. Macedo 81, Praia
From the us mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
From the us telephone: [238] 61 56 16, 61 56 17
From the us fax: [238] 61 13 55

Flag description: three horizontal bands of light blue (top double width) white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third) and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 72% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas the share of agriculture in GDP in 2001 was only 11% of which fishing accounts for 1.5%. 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. Prospects for 2003 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows tourism remittances and the momentum of the government's development program.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $1400 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11%
Industry: 17%
Services: 72% (2001)

Agriculture products: bananas corn beans sweet potatoes sugarcane coffee peanuts; fish

Industries: food and beverages fish processing shoes and garments salt mining ship repair

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 21% (2000 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 30% (2000)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $112 million
Expenditures: $198 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2002)

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: $30 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: fuel shoes garments fish hides
Partners: Portugal 38.5% UK 26.4% France 23.1% US 8.2% (2002)

Imports: $220 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs industrial products transport equipment fuels
Partners: Portugal 49.1% Netherlands 7.2% Germany 5.7% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $325 million (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - NA (2002) 123.21 (2001) 115.88 (2000) 102.7 (1999) 98.16 (1998)


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Electricity
Production: 42.03 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 39.08 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 60,935 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 28,119 (2002)

Telephone system
General assessment: effective system, being improved
Domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog and digital exchanges; work is in progress on a submarine fiber-optic cable system which is scheduled for completion in 2003
International: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .cv
Service providers isps: 1 (2002)
Users: 12,000 (2002)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $9.3 million (FY02)
Percent of gdp: 1.6% (FY02)

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
Note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2002)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 1
Note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center