1.
[syn: Cape Verde, Republic of Cape Verde]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Cape Verde
n 1: an island country in the Atlantic off the coast of Senegal
[syn: Cape Verde, Republic of Cape Verde]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Cape Verde
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: 89.83% (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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: 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/ 775 (2001)
AIDS:
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 NA
leaders:
International organization ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
participation: 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Michael
US: 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 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 lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: 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 11 (and 14 repeaters),
shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 100,000 (2002 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (2002)
Televisions: 15,000 (2002 est.)
Internet country code: .cv
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 8,000 (2001)
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: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2001)
Military Cape Verde
-------------------
Military branches: Army, Coast Guard
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 92,486 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 52,215 (2002 est.)
service:
Military expenditures - dollar $9.3 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.6% (FY01)
GDP:
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