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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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 |
|
