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. The fusing of European and various African cultural traditions is reflected in Cabo Verde’s Crioulo language, music, and pano textiles. 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 sustain 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. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century - a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese Jews. Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable. Islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits. The more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged their soil fertility and vegetation. For centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.

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

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

Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Elevation: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean

Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum

Land use
Agricultural land: 18.6% (2011 est.)
Forest: 21% (2011 est.)
Other: 60.4% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 35 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically activevolcanism: Fogo (2,829 m), 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

Population
Distribution: among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population: 568,373 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 173
Growth rate: 1.32% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 83
Below poverty line: 30% (2000 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cabo Verdean(s)
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 4.6% (includes Church of the Nazarene 1.7%, Adventist 1.5%, Assembly of God 0.9%, Universal Kingdom of God 0.4%, and God and Love 0.1%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Christian Rationalism 1.9%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, and New Apostolic 0.5%), Muslim 1.8%, other 1.3%, none 10.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile: Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century - a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese Jews. Over the centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.Labor migration historically reduced Cabo Verde’s population growth and still provides a key source of income through remittances. Expatriates probably outnumber Cabo Verde’s resident population, with most families having a member abroad. Cabo Verdeans have settled in the US, Europe, Africa, and South America. The largest diaspora community in New Bedford, Massachusetts, dating to the early 1800s, is a byproduct of the transatlantic whaling industry. Cabo Verdean men fleeing poverty at home joined the crews of US whaling ships that stopped in the islands. Many settled in New Bedford and stayed in the whaling or shipping trade, worked in the textile or cranberry industries, or operated their own transatlantic packet ships that transported compatriots to the US. Increased Cabo Verdean emigration to the US coincided with the gradual and eventually complete abolition of slavery in the archipelago in 1878.During the same period, Portuguese authorities coerced Cabo Verdeans to go to Sao Tome and Principe and other Portuguese colonies in Africa to work as indentured laborers on plantations. In the 1920s, when the US implemented immigration quotas, Cabo Verdean emigration shifted toward Portugal, West Africa (Senegal), and South America (Argentina). Growing numbers of Cabo Verdean labor migrants headed to Western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. They filled unskilled jobs in Portugal, as many Portuguese sought out work opportunities in the more prosperous economies of northwest Europe. Cabo Verdeans eventually expanded their emigration to the Netherlands, where they worked in the shipping industry. Migration to the US resumed under relaxed migration laws. Cabo Verdean women also began migrating to southern Europe to become domestic workers, a trend that continues today and has shifted the gender balance of Cabo Verdean emigration.Emigration has declined in more recent decades due to the adoption of more restrictive migration policies in destination countries. Reduced emigration along with a large youth population, decreased mortality rates, and increased life expectancies, has boosted population growth, putting further pressure on domestic employment and resources. In addition, Cabo Verde has attracted increasing numbers of migrants in recent decades, consisting primarily of people from West Africa, Portuguese-speaking African countries, Portugal, and China. Since the 1990s, some West African migrants have used Cabo Verde as a stepping stone for illegal migration to Europe.

Age structure
0-14 years: 28.7% (male 82,035 /female 81,082)
15-24 years: 19.64% (male 55,811 /female 55,798)
25-54 years: 40.02% (male 110,646 /female 116,804)
55-64 years: 6.4% (male 16,154 /female 20,245)
65 years and over: 5.24% (male 11,272 /female 18,526) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55.4 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 48.4 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.9 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.4 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 25.8 years
Male: 25 years
Female: 26.7 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 153

Population growth rate: 1.32% (2018 est.)
Rank: 83

Birth rate: 19.7 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 79

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 163

Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 128

Population distribution: among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population

Urbanization
Urban population: 65.7% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 1.97% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 168,000 PRAIA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; prolonged droughts and improper use of land (overgrazing, crop cultivation on hillsides lead to desertification and erosion); 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.75 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 21.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 24.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 17.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 77

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.7 years (2018 est.)
Male: 70.3 years (2018 est.)
Female: 75.1 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 147

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 95

Drinking water source
Urban: 6% of population
Rural: 12.7% of population
Total: 8.3% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 0.79 physicians/1000 population (2015)

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

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 45.7% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 27.8% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 56
People living with hivaids: 2,400 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 129
Deaths note: <100 (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases: note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11.8% (2016)
Rank: 134

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 55

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 86.8% (2015 est.)
Male: 91.7% (2015 est.)
Female: 82% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years (2015)
Male: 13 years (2015)
Female: 13 years (2015)

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 (Green Cape) on the Senegalese coast, the westernmost point of Africa and the nearest mainland to the islands

Government type: parliamentary 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)

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

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Constitution
History: previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992 (2017)
Amendments: proposals require support of at least four-fifths of the active National Assembly membership; amendment drafts require sponsorship of at least one-third of the active Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; constitutional sections including those on national independence, form of government, political pluralism, suffrage, and human rights and liberties cannot be amended; revised 1995, 1999, 2010 (2017)

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 (since 9 September 2011)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ulisses CORREIA E. SILVA (since 22 April 2016)
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 (eligible for a second term); election last held on 2 October 2016 (next to be held in 2021); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president
Election results: Jorge Carlos FONSECA reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge Carlos FONSECA (MPD) 74%, Albertino GRACA (independent) 23%, other 3%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021)
Election results: percent of vote by party MPD 54.5%, PAICV 38.2%, UCID 7%, other 0.3%; seats by party - MPD 40, PAICV 29, UCID 3; composition - men 57, women 15, percent of women 20.8%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 7 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and administrative sections)
Judge selection and term of office: judge appointments - 1 by the president of the republic, 1 elected by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Superior Judicial Council (SJC), a 16-member independent body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general, 8 private citizens, 2 judges, 2 prosecutors, the senior legal inspector of the Attorney Generals office, and a representative of the Ministry of Justice; chief justice appointed by the president of the republic from among peers of the Supreme Court of Justice and in consultation with the SJC; judges appointed for life
Subordinate courts: appeals courts, first instance (municipal) courts; audit, military, and fiscal and customs courts

Political parties and leaders: rz African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV [Janira Hopffer ALMADA]Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO]Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES]Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO]Movement for Democracy or MPD [Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA]Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO]Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA]Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]

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 Carlos VEIGA (since 18 January 2017)
In the us chancery: 3,415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 965-6,820
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207
In the us consulate: Boston
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald L. HEFLIN (since 5 February 2015)
From the us embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia
From the us mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
From the us telephone: [238] 260-89-00
From the us FAX: [238] 261-13-55

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 (Song of Freedom)
Lyricsmusic: Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA: note: adopted 1996

Economy overview: Cabo Verde’s economy 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. 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.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.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:
Rank: 182

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 75

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 157

Gross national saving:
Rank: 25

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 50.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 18.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 32.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.9% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 48.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -51.1% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 17.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 73.7% (2017 est.)

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: 2.9% (2017 est.)
Rank: 107

Labor force: 196,100 (2007 est.)
Rank: 174

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 131

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 40.6% (2000)
Highest 10: 40.6% (2001)

Budget
Revenues: 493.5 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 546.7 million (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 131

Taxes and other revenues: 27.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 98

Public debt:
Rank: 8

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 39

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 42

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 89

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 161

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 165

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 158

Current account balance:
Rank: 87

Exports:
Rank: 190
Partners: Spain 45.3%, Portugal 40.3%, Netherlands 8.1% (2017)
Commodities: fuel (re-exports), shoes, garments, fish, hides

Imports:
Rank: 188
Commodities: foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels
Partners: Portugal 43.9%, Spain 11.6%, Netherlands 6.1%, China 6.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 145

Debt external:
Rank: 155

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 119

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 113

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 153,027 (2012)
Access electrification total population: 70.6% (2012)
Access electrification urban areas: 84.4% (2012)
Access electrification rural areas: 46.8% (2012)
Production: 395 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 172
Consumption: 367.4 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 179
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 115
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 131
Installed generating capacity: 162,500 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 171
Generation sources fossil fuels: 79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 84
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 60
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 162
Generation sources other renewable sources: 21% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 35

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 117
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 102
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 105
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 114

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 126
Products consumption: 5,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 173
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 139
Products imports: 5,607 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 166

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 112
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 128
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 77
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 101
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2016 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 118

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 867,800 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 172

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 64,970 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 153
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 612,259 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 109 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 166

Telephone system
General assessment: good system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995; major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT) (2017)
Domestic: 12 per 100 fixed-line and 109 per 100 mobile-cellular; fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998; broadband services launched early in the decade (2017)
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); new agreement between CVT and private company and subsea fibre connectivity in 2020 will promote growth in Internet, cloud computing and 5G services to the region, reaching Europe and Latin America (2017)

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: 266,562 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 48.2% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 162

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 14,493 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
Rank: 163

Military expenditures:
Rank: 137

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

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 5 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 567,182 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 1,728,152
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: D4 (2016)

Airports: 9 (2013)
Rank: 157
With paved runways total: 9 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2017)

Roadways
Total: 1350 km (2013)
Paved: 932 km (2013)
Unpaved: 418 km (2013)
Rank: 179

Merchant marine
Total: 42 (2017)
By type: general cargo 19, oil tanker 2, other 21 (2017)
Rank: 119

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Porto Grande

Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 115 (2017)

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