Cape Verde. English. |
| The World Factbook 2002 | ||
| Cape Verde | 
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| Introduction | Cape Verde |
| Background: |
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 | Cape Verde |
| Location: |
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
16 00 N, 24 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Political Map of the World |
| 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 |
| People | Cape Verde |
| Population: |
408,760 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 41.9%
(male 86,466; female 84,918) 15-64 years: 51.5% (male 100,684; female 109,841) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 10,363; female 16,488) (2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.85% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
27.81 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.01 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-12.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
51.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
69.52 years female: 72.91 years (2002 est.) male: 66.23 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.91 children born/woman (2002 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 population: 71.6% male: 81.4% female: 63.8% (1995 est.) |
| Government | Cape Verde |
| 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 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Calheta, 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, 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 [Anibal MEDINA, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, 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, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jose BRITO consulate(s) general: Boston FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820 chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON embassy: Rua Abilio m. Macedo 81, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 61 56 16, 61 56 17 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 | Cape Verde |
| Economy
- overview: |
Cape Verde 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, and public services accounting for 70% 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 accounts 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, 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 2002 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $600 million (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
3% (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2001 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% (2001) |
| Labor
force: |
NA |
| 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: |
41 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
38.13 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish |
| Exports: |
$27.3 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides |
| Exports
- partners: |
Portugal 45%, UK 20%, Germany 20%, Guinea-Bissau 5% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$218 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |
| Imports
- partners: |
Portugal 52%, Germany 7%, France 4%, UK 3% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$301 million (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$136 million (1999) |
| Currency: |
Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) |
| Currency
code: |
CVE |
| Exchange
rates: |
Cape Verdean escudos per US dollar - 123.556 (January 2002), 115.877 (2000), 102.700 (1999), 98.158 (1998), 93.177 (1997) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Communications | Cape Verde |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
60,935 (2002) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
28,119 (2002) |
| 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 is scheduled for completion in 2003 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 15 (and 17 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) |
| Radios: |
100,000 (2002 est.) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002) |
| Televisions: |
15,000 (2002 est.) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cv |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2002) |
| Internet
users: |
12,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Cape Verde |
| Railways: |
0 km |
| Highways: |
total: 1,100 km paved: 858 km unpaved: 242 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
none |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 4 ships (1,000
GRT or over) totaling 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
9 note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 6 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
| Military | Cape Verde |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Coast Guard |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49: 92,486 (2002 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49: 52,215 (2002 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$9.3 million (FY01) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.6% (FY01) |
| Transnational Issues | Cape Verde |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
| Illicit
drugs: |
used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center |
Source:
The World Factbook 2002
Last Updated: 19 March 2003
2000-2007
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