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; Cabo 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. Cabo 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 Cabo Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cabo 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: Africa

Area
Total: 4,033 km²
Land: 4,033 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 176
Comparative: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 965 km

Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: steep rugged rocky volcanic

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m

Natural resources: salt basalt rock limestone kaolin fish clay gypsum

Land use
Agricultural land: 18.6%
Forest: 21%
Other: 60.4%

Irrigated land: 34.76 km² (2004)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.3 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
Volcanism: Fogo which last erupted in 1995 is Cabo Verde's only active volcano

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: 545,993 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 174
Growth rate: 1.36% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 87
Below poverty line: 30% (2000 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cabo Verdean
Adjective: Cabo Verdean

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

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 77.3% Protestant 3.7% (includes Church of the Nazarene 1.7% Adventist 1.5% Universal Kingdom of God 0.4% and God and Love 0.1%) other Christian 4.3% (includes Christian Rationalism 1.9% Jehovah's Witness 1% Assembly of God 0.9% and New Apostolic 0.5%) Muslim 1.8% other 1.3% none 10.8% unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.1%
15-24 years: 20.99%
25-54 years: 38.53%
55-64 years: 5.29%
65 years and over: 5.08% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 52%
Youth dependency ratio: 45.1%
Elderly dependency ratio: 7%
Potential support ratio: 14.4%

Median age
Total: 24.5 years
Male: 23.6 years
Female: 25.3 years

Population growth rate: 1.36% (2015 est.)
Rank: 87

Birth rate: 20.33 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 82

Death rate: 6.11 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 161

Net migration rate: -0.63 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 140

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 65.5% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.99% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: PRAIA (capital) 145,000 (2014)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 1 male/female
25-54 years: 0.95 male/female
55-64 years: 0.73 male/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 23.45 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 26.89 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.91 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 76

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.85 years
Male: 69.58 years
Female: 74.19 years
Rank: 147

Total fertility rate: 2.29 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 93

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 61.3% (2005)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.31 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 2.1 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.09% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 44
People living with hivaids: 3,400 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 112
Deaths: 100 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 125

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11.7% (2014)
Rank: 131

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 5% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 76

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 87.6%
Male: 92.1%
Female: 83.1%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cabo Verde
Conventional short form: Cabo Verde
Local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
Local short form: Cabo Verde
Etymology: the name derives from Cap-Vert on the Senegalese coast the westernmost point of Africa and the nearest mainland to the islands

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Praia
Geographic coordinates: 14 55 N 23 31 W
Time difference: UTC-1

Administrative divisions: 22 municipalities (concelhos singular - concelho); Boa Vista Brava Maio Mosteiros Paul Porto Novo Praia Ribeira Brava Ribeira Grande Ribeira Grande de Santiago Sal Santa Catarina Santa Catarina do Fogo Santa Cruz Sao Domingos Sao Filipe Sao Lourenco dos Orgaos Sao Miguel Sao Salvador do Mundo Sao Vicente Tarrafal Tarrafal de Sao Nicolau

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day 5 July (1975)

Constitution: previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992; revised 1995 1999 2010 (2015)

Legal system: civil law system of Portugal

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cabo Verde
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jorge Carlos FONSECA
Head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 7 August 2011 with a second round on 21 August 2011 (next to be held in 2016); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president
Election results: percent of vote in second round - Jorge Carlos FONSECA 53.4% Manuel Inocencio SOUSA (PAICV) 46.6%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional
Elections: last held on 6 February 2011
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAICV 38 MPD 32 UCID 2

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointments - 1 by the president of the republic 1 elected by the National Assembly and the remainder by the Supreme Council of Magistrates a 9-member independent body presided over by the chief justice and includes the high judicial inspector 2 presidential appointees 3 elected by the National Assembly and 2 by their court peers; chief justice appointed by the president of the republic from among peers of the Supreme Court and in consultation with the Supreme Council of Magistrates; judge tenure NA
Subordinate courts: first instance courts; audit military and fiscal and customs courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AOSIS AU CD CPLP ECOWAS FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA NAM OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Luis Fialho ROCHA
In the us chancery: 3,415 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] 965-6,820
In the us FAX: [1] 965-1207
In the us consulate general: Boston
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald L. HEFLIN
From the us embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 6 Praia
From the us mailing address: C. P. 201 Praia
From the us telephone: [238] 2-60-89-00
From the us 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 is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the length of the flag from the hoist side; blue stands for the sea and the sky the circle of stars represents the 10 major islands united into a nation the stripes symbolize the road to formation of the country through peace (white) and effort (red)

National symbols: ten five-pointed yellow stars; national colors: blue white red yellow

National anthem
Name: 'Cantico da Liberdade'
Lyrics and music: Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA
Note: adopted 1996

National heritage


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Economy overview: Cabo Verde’s economy is vulnerable to external shocks and depends on development aid foreign investment remittances and tourism. The economy is service-oriented with commerce transport tourism and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy and depends on conditions in the euro zone countries. Although about 40% of the population lives in rural areas the share of food production in GDP is low. The island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought and poor soil for growing food on several of the islands requiring it to import most of what it consumes. The fishing potential mostly lobster and tuna is not fully exploited. Cabo Verde annually runs a high trade deficit financed by foreign aid and remittances from its large pool of emigrants; remittances as a share of GDP are one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy and mitigate high unemployment. The government’s elevated debt levels have limited its capacity to finance any shortfalls.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 181

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 158

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 156

Gross national saving:
Rank: 24

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 59.6%
Government consumption: 16.2%
Investment in fixed capital: 35.2%
Investment in inventories: -1.5%
Exports of goods and services: 33.9%
Imports of goods and services: -43.4%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.9%
Industry: 18.4%
Services: 71.8%

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: 2.6% (2014 est.)
Rank: 94

Labor force: 196,100 (2007 est.)
Rank: 172

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 131

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 30% (2000 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.9%
Highest 10: 40.6%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $426 million
Expenditures: $567.6 million
Surplus or deficit: -7.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 199

Taxes and other revenues: 22.9% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 142

Public debt:
Rank: 9

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 20

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 41

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 73

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 163

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 159

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 148

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 85

Exports:
Rank: 183
Commodities: fuel (re-exports) shoes garments fish hides
Partners: Spain 46.1% Poland 22.4% Portugal 11.8% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 185
Commodities: foodstuffs industrial products transport equipment fuels
Partners: Algeria 72.5% Portugal 10% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 151

Debt external:
Rank: 153

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 307 million kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 177
Consumption: 285.5 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 181
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 128
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 138
Installed generating capacity: 108,500 kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 172
Generation sources fossil fuels: 76.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 98
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 75
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 167
Generation sources other renewable sources: 23.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 9

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 122
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 113
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 178
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 121

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 171
Products consumption: 2,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 184
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 169
Products imports: 2,646 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 177

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 175
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 134
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 84
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 185
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 128

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 385,700 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 187

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 58,500
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 11
Fixed lines rank: 156
Mobile cellular total: 613,400
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 114
Mobile cellular rank: 166

Telephone system
General assessment: effective system extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
Domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom; 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 (2011)

Broadcast media: state-run TV and radio broadcast network plus a growing number of private broadcasters; Portuguese public TV and radio services for Africa are available; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .cv
Users total: 213,900
Users percent of population: 39.7%
Users rank: 153

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 2-yearsconscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 9 (2013)
Rank: 157
With paved runways total: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 1350 km
Paved: 932 km
Unpaved: 418 km
Rank: 180

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 13
By type: cargo 3 chemical tanker 2 passenger/cargo 7 petroleum tanker 1
Foreign owned: 3
Registered in other countries: 1 (2010)
Rank: 104

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Porto Grande


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 115

Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; has taken steps to deter drug money laundering including a 2002 anti-money laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial Intelligence Unit (2008)