World Countries Info 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. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.
Independence was achieved in 1975.
Geography of Cape Verde
|
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
water: 0 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly larger than Rhode
Island |
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km |
|
Coastline:
|
965 km |
|
Maritime claims:
|
measured from claimed
archipelagic baselines
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
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 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
prolonged droughts;
seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and
seismically active |
|
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 |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection
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 of Cape Verde
|
Population:
|
415,294 (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 40% (male 83,835; female
82,318)
15-64 years: 53.3% (male 106,846; female 114,312)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,580; female 17,403) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 19 years
male: 18.2 years
female: 19.9 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.73% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
26.13 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
|
6.72 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-12.07 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 49.14 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 43.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total : 70.14 years
male: 66.83 years
female: 73.54 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
3.62 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.04% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
775 (2001) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
225 (as of 2001) |
|
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 : 76.6%
male: 85.8%
female: 69.2% (2003 est.)
|
Government
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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:
|
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 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 [Isaias RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao
ALEM, president] |
Economy
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 accounted 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 2004 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid
flows, tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $600 million
(2002 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
4% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 11%
industry: 17%
services: 72% (2001) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
30% (2000) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
3% (2002) |
|
Labor force:
|
NA (1980) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
21% (2000 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $112 million
expenditures: $198 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
|
Industries:
|
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes
and garments, salt mining, ship repair |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
|
42.03 million kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
39.08 million kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes,
sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish |
|
Exports:
|
$50.68 million f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Portugal 38.1%, France 23.8%, UK 23.8%, US
9.5% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$315.5 million f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
foodstuffs, industrial products, transport
equipment, fuels |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Portugal 47.7%, Netherlands 7.1%, Germany
5.6% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$325 million (2002) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$136 million (1999) |
|
Currency:
|
Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) |
|
Currency code:
|
CVE |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar -
97.7 (2003), 117.17 (2002), 123.23 (2001), 115.88 (2000), 102.7 (1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Some Copyrights Reserved © 2006 Free Global Information
|
