Cape Verde Population: 531,046
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| Background | |
| The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. 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. Cape Verde continues to exhibit 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, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. |
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| Geography | |
| Strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site | |
| 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 Size comparison: slightly larger than Rhode Island |
| Land Boundaries: | 0 km |
| Coastline: | 965 km |
| Maritime claims: | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and 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, clay, gypsum |
| Land use: | arable land: 11.41% permanent crops: 0.74% other: 87.85% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 30 sq km (2003) |
| Natural hazards: | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cape Verde's only active volcano |
| Current Environment Issues: | soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
| International Environment 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People | |
| Population: | 531,046 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 31.2% (male 83,355/female 82,503) 15-24 years: 21.8% (male 57,825/female 57,842) 25-54 years: 37.3% (male 95,970/female 102,217) 55-64 years: 4.5% (male 9,766/female 13,910) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 10,416/female 17,242) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 23.1 years male: 22.3 years female: 23.9 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.428% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 21.21 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 26.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 29.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 71 years male: 68.78 years female: 73.27 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 2.39 children born/woman (2013 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 (official), Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.3% male: 89.3% female: 79.4% (2010 est.) |
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| Government | |
| 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 |
| 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: | 25 September 1992; a major revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increased the powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) |
| Legal system: | civil law system of Portugal |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Jorge Carlos FONSECA (since 9 September 2011) 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 (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 7 August 2011 with a second round runoff on 21 August 2011; prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president election results: percent of vote (second round) - Jorge Carlos FONSECA 53.4%, Manuel Inocencio SOUSA 46.6% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 6 February 2011 (next to be held by 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PAICV 38, MPD 32, UCID 2 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia; Court of Audit; Military Courts; Fiscal and Customs Courts |
| Political parties and leaders: | African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic and Independent Cape 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 [Jorge SANTOS]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | other: environmentalists; political pressure groups |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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 Maria De Fatima Lima Da VEIGA 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 Adrienne O'NEAL embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 2-60-89-00 FAX: [238] 2-61-13-55 |
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| Economy | |
| The economy is service oriented with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought and poor soil for agriculture on several of the islands. Although about 40% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. 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 its large pool of emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Despite the lack of resources, sound economic management has produced steadily improving incomes. Continued economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy and mitigate high unemployment. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. Cape Verde became a member of the WTO in July 2008. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.188 billion (2012 est.) $2.088 billion (2011 est.) $1.985 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $1.857 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 4.8% (2012 est.) 5.2% (2011 est.) 5.4% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,100 (2012 est.) $4,000 (2011 est.) $3,900 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 8.1% industry: 15.8% services: 76.1% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 196,100 (2007) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | |
| Unemployment rate: | 21% (2000 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 30% (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 40.6% (2000) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.4% (2012 est.) 4.5% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 46.4% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $539.2 million expenditures: $724.4 million (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 83.1% of GDP (2012 est.) 77.5% of GDP (2011 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: | 4% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 277 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 257.6 million kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$257.9 million (2012 est.) -$287.8 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $205.1 million (2012 est.) $211 million (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides |
| Exports - partners: | Spain 64.4%, Portugal 18.5% (2011) |
| Imports: | $1.038 billion (2012 est.) $1.06 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |
| Imports - partners: | Portugal 36.8%, Netherlands 25.3%, Spain 7%, Italy 5.2%, China 5.2% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $393.5 million (31 December 2012 est.) $339 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $741.3 million (31 December 2012 est.) $824.2 million (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 86.42 (2012 est.) 79.32 (2011 est.) 83.259 (2010 est.) 79.38 (2009) 73.84 (2008) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 74,500 (2011) country comparison to the world: 155 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 396,400 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995 domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998; broadband services launched in 2004 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) (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .cv |
| Internet hosts: | 38 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 150,000 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 9 (2012) country comparison to the world: 159 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 1,350 km paved: 932 km unpaved: 418 km (2000) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 13 by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 2, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Greece 1, Spain 1, UK 1) registered in other countries: 1 (unknown 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Porto Grande |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Armed Forces: Army (also called the National Guard, GN), Cape Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV; includes naval infantry) (2012) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age (est.) for selective compulsory military service; 14-month conscript service obligation (2006) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 132,087 females age 16-49: 136,956 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 106,864 females age 16-49: 117,518 (2010 est.) |
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