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Geography
Location: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 24 00 W
Map references: World
Area:
total: 4,030 sq km
land: 4,030 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area—comparative: 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
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: 30 sq km (1993 est.)
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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban
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
People
Population: 405,748 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 92,721; female 91,083)
15-64 years: 49% (male 92,658; female 104,264)
65 years and over: 6% (male 9,936; female 15,086) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.44% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 33.49 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 6.78 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -12.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 45.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.96 years
male: 67.66 years
female: 74.36 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.95 children born/woman (1999 est.)
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 creole 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.)
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
Data code: CV
Government 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
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
Legal system: derived from the legal system of Portugal
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13 January 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 18 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2001); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president
election results: Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro elected president; percent of vote—Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (independent) 80.1%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—MPD 59%, PAICV 28%, PCD 6%; seats by party—MPD 50, PAICV 21, PCD 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia
Political parties and leaders: Movement for Democracy or MPD [Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and president]; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Dr. Oresimo SILVEIRA, president]
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, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
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 Lawrence Neal BENEDICT
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
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 1995 was only 8%, 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 1999 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$581 million (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 7% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$1,450 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 8%
industry: 18%
services: 74% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.3% (1998)
Labor force: NA
Unemployment rate: NA %
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 (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 40 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish
Exports: $43 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Exports—commodities: shoes, garments, fish, bananas, hides,
Exports—partners: Portugal, Germany, Spain, France, UK, Malaysia
Imports: $215 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Imports—commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels
Imports—partners: Portugal 25%, Netherlands, France, UK, Spain, US
Debt—external: $220 million (1998)
Economic aid—recipient: $111.3 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1—96.400 (November 1998), 99.41 (1998), 93.177 (1997), 82.591 (1996), 76.853 (1995), 81.891 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 22,900 (1995 est.)
Telephone system:
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 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997 est.)
Televisions: 7,000 (1991 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 1,100 km
paved: 858 km
unpaved: 242 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal
Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,620 GRT/13,920 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 6 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Armed Forces (AF) (includes all armed force elements, both ground and naval)
Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 84,018 (1999 est.)
Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 47,672 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures—dollar figure: $3.8 million (1996)
Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1.8% (1996)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international: none
Illicit drugs: used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Africa destined for Western Europe
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