| 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. |
| Location: |
Western Africa,
group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of
Senegal |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
16 00 N, 24 00 W |
| Area: |
total:
4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than Rhode Island |
| Maritime
claims: |
measured from
claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Climate: |
temperate; warm,
dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic |
| Terrain: |
steep, rugged,
rocky, volcanic |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on
Fogo Island) |
| Natural
resources: |
salt, basalt
rock, pozzuolana (a siliceous volcanic ash used to produce
hydraulic cement), limestone, kaolin, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
11%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 83% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,500 to 2,000
hectares (1999) |
| Natural
hazards: |
prolonged
droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility;
volcanically and seismically active |
| Environment
- current issues: |
overgrazing of
livestock and improper land use such as the cultivation of
crops on steep slopes has led to soil erosion; demand for
wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation;
desertification; environmental damage has threatened several
species of birds and reptiles; overfishing |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping
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 |
| Population: |
405,163 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
42.79% (male 87,458; female 85,895)
15-64 years: 50.76% (male 97,812; female
107,834)
65 years and over: 6.45% (male 10,204; female
15,960) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.92% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
28.71
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.19 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-12.37 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
53.22
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 69.21 years
male: 65.93 years
female: 72.6 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.05 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| 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: 71.6%
male: 81.4%
female: 63.8% (1995 est.) |
| 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 |
| Administrative
divisions: |
14 districts (concelhos,
singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul,
Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina,
Santa Cruz, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal; note - there
may be a new administrative structure of 16 districts (Boa
Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo,
Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao
Domingos, Sao Nicolau, Sao Filipe, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal) |
| 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 |
| Legal
system: |
derived from the
legal system of Portugal |
| 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 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the prime minister from
among the members of the National Assembly
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: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members
are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
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 NEVES,
chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico
MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic
Renovation Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS, president];
Movement for Democracy or MPD [Antonio Gualberto do ROSARIO,
president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr.
Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or
PTS [Dr. Oresimo SILVEIRA, president]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president]; Union for an
Independent Democratic Cape Verde or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO,
president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB,
CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Ferdinand Amilcar Spencer
LOPES
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 Michael D. METELITS
embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 81, Praia
mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
telephone: [238] 61 56 16
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 |
| Economy
- overview: |
Cape Verde's low
per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base,
including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of
long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with
commerce, transport, and public services accounting for
almost 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population
lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in
1998 was only 13%, of which fishing accounts for 1.5%. About
90% 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 constitute a
supplement to GDP of more than 20%. Economic reforms,
launched by the new democratic government in 1991, are aimed
at developing the private sector and attracting foreign
investment to diversify the economy. Prospects for 2001
depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances,
and the momentum of the government's development program. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $670 million (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $1,700 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
13%
industry: 19%
services: 68% (1998) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
4% (2000) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
24% (1999 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$188 million
expenditures: $228 million, including capital
expenditures of $116 million (1996) |
| Industries: |
food and
beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining,
ship repair |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
40 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
37.2 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, corn,
beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish |
| Exports: |
$40 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
fuel, shoes,
garments, fish, bananas, hides |
| Exports
- partners: |
Portugal, UK,
Germany, Spain, France, Malaysia |
| Imports: |
$250 million
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs,
industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |
| Imports
- partners: |
Portugal,
Netherlands, France, UK, Spain, US |
| Debt
- external: |
$260 million
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$111.3 million
(1995) |
| Currency: |
Cape Verdean
escudo (CVE) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Cape Verdean
escudos per US dollar - 123.080 (December 2000), 115.877
(2000), 102.700 (1999), 98.158 (1998), 93.177 (1997), 82.591
(1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
45,644 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
19,729 (1997) |
| 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 was
scheduled for completion in 1998
international: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF
radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 0, FM 11 (and
14 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
2,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cv |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
5,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
1,100 km
paved: 858 km
unpaved: 242 km (1996) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Mindelo, Praia,
Tarrafal |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,523 GRT/11,798 DWT
ships by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 1 (2000
est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
8
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2000) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Coast
Guard/Marines |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 89,543 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 50,615 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$4 million (FY96) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.8% (FY96) |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
used as a
transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin
America and Africa destined for Western Europe |
|
