Cape Verde

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Western Africa, group of Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Area

Total area: 4,030 sq km
Land area: 4,030 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land Boundaries

0 km

Coastline

965 km

Maritime Claims

Measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

International Disputes

None

Climate

Temperate; warm, dry, summer; precipitation very erratic

Terrain

Steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico 2,829 m

Natural Resources

Salt
Basalt rock
Pozzolana
Limestone
Kaolin
Fish

Land Use

Arable land: 9%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 6%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 85%

Irrigated Land

20 sq km (1989 est.)

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 indigenous species of birds and reptiles; overfishing
Natural hazards: prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active
International agreements: party to - Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification

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

PEOPLE

Population

449,066 (July 1996 est.)
435,983 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

50% (male 114,206; female 110,276) (July 1996 est.)
50% (male 110,301; female 106,539) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

46% (male 90,593; female 117,485) (July 1996 est.)
47% (male 88,029; female 114,931) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

4% (male 6,450; female 10,056) (July 1996 est.)
3% (male 6,402; female 9,781) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.93% (1996 est.)
2.98% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

44.31 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
45.32 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

8.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
8.65 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-6.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-6.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.89 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

54.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
55.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 63.39 years (1996 est.), 63.01 years (1995 est.)
Male: 61.47 years (1996 est.), 61.1 years (1995 est)
Female: 65.41 years (1996 est.), 65.01 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

6.12 children born/woman (1996 est.)
6.23 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Cape Verdean(s)
Adjective: Cape Verdean

Ethnic Divisions

Creole (mulatto) 71%
African 28%
European 1%

Religions

Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

Languages

Portuguese, Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African words

Literacy

Age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Total population: 71.6%
Male: 81.4%
Female: 63.8%

Labor Force

102,000 (1985 est.)

By occupation:

Agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%
Services 29%
Industry 14% (1981)

GOVERNMENT

Names

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

Digraph

Type

Republic

Capital

Praia

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

Independence

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Constitution

New constitution came into force 25 September 1992

Legal System

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March 1991) elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 18 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2001); results - Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (independent) received 80.1% of vote
Head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13 January 1991) nominated by the People's National Assembly and appointed by the president
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by prime minister from members of the Assembly

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

Elections last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held NA); results - MPD 59%, PAICV 28%, PCD 6%; seats - (72 total) MPD 50, PAICV 21, PCD 1

Judicial Branch

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)

Political Parties and Leaders

Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and chairman; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman; Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD)

Member of

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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

National Anthem

National anthem

Flag

Three horozontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horozontal 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, serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought, and a high birthrate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 60% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GNP is only 13%, of which fishing accounts for 4%. 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 remittances from emigrants and foreign aid, which form important supplements to GDP. 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 1996 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $440 million (1994 est.); $410 million (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4.6% (1994 est.)
3.5% (1992 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$1,040 (1994 est.)
$1,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

5% (1994 est.)
7% (1992)

Unemployment Rate

35% (1994 est.)
26% (1990 est.)

Budget

Revenues: $174 million
Expenditures: $235 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1993 est.)

Exports

$4.4 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

Commodities:

Fish
Bananas
Hides and skins

Partners:

Netherlands
Portugal
Angola
Spain

Imports

$173 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

Commodities:

Foodstuffs
Consumer goods
Industrial products
Transport equipment

Partners:

Portugal
Netherlands
Germany
Spain
Brazil
France
Cote d'Ivore

External Debt

$156 million (1991)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 3.6% (1990 est.); accounts for 8% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 15,000 kW
Production: 40 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 73 kWh (1993)

Industries

Fish processing
Salt mining
Garment industry
Ship repair
Construction materials
Food and beverage production

Agriculture

Accounts for 20% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops - corn, beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and scanty rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports

Illicit Drugs

Increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Africa destined for Western Europe

Economic Aid

Recipient: U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-90), $93 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $586 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $36 million

Currency

1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

Exchange Rates

Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1 - 77.860 (December 1995), 76.853 (1995), 81.891 (1994), 80.427 (1993), 68.018 (1992), 71.408 (1991), 70.031 (1990)

Fiscal Year

Calendar year

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: 1,100 km (1992)
Paved: 680 km
Unpaved: 420 km

Ports

Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal

Merchant Marine

Total: 4 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,632 GRT/8,872 DWT
By type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1 (1995 est.)

Airports

Total: 6
With paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

Over 1,740 telephones

Domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system, high frequency radio links to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau
International: 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0
Radios: NA

Television

Broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 7,000 (1991 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP; includes Army and Navy), Security Service

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 84,003; males fit for military service 48,885 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $3.4 million, NA of GDP (1994)

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 9 december 1997

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