Edition 2003 — Cape Verde

Administrative divisions

17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal

Age structure

0-14 years: 41% (male 85,254; female 83,716) 15-64 years: 52.3% (male 103,690; female 111,992) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,498; female 16,987) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish

Airports

9
note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2002)
total: 6

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) Military Cape Verde

Area

land: 4,033 sq km
total: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Rhode Island

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. 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. Geography Cape Verde

Birth rate

26.95 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $198 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000)
revenues: $112 million

Capital

Praia

Climate

temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic

Coastline

965 km

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)

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

Currency

Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)

Currency code

CVE

Death rate

6.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$325 million (2002)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
consulate(s) general: Boston

Disputes - international

none

Economic aid - recipient

$136 million (1999)

Economy - overview

This island economy 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, tourism, and public services accounting for 72% 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 are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Prospects for 2003 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.

Electricity - consumption

39.08 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

42.03 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Ethnic groups

Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Exchange rates

Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - NA (2002), 123.21 (2001), 115.88 (2000), 102.7 (1999), 98.16 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state: President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March 2001)
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
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
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001)

Exports

$30 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides

Exports - partners

Portugal 38.5%, UK 26.4%, France 23.1%, US 8.2% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 965-1207; [238] 61 13 55
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Cape Verde

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $600 million (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 11%
industry: 17%
services: 72% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 24 00 W

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

Government type

republic

Highways

paved: 858 km
total: 1,100 km
unpaved: 242 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.04% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

225 (as of 2001)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

775 (2001)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%

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 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Imports

$220 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners

Portugal 49.1%, Netherlands 7.2%, Germany 5.7% (2002)

Independence

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair

Infant mortality rate

female: 45.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 55.83 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 50.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (2002)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.cv

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2002)

Internet users

12,000 (2002) Transportation Cape Verde

Irrigated land

30 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia

Labor force

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 9.68%
other: 89.82% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 0.5%

Languages

Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)

Legal system

derived from the legal system of Portugal

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
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
elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA December 2005)

Life expectancy at birth

female: 73.23 years (2003 est.)
male: 66.53 years
total population: 69.83 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 69.2% (2003 est.) Government Cape Verde
male: 85.8%
total population: 76.6%

Location

Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Map references

Political Map of the World

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Median age

female: 19.6 years (2002)
male: 17.9 years
total: 18.7 years

Merchant marine

convenience: United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of
ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 1
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT

Military branches

Army, Coast Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$9.3 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.6% (FY02) Transnational Issues Cape Verde

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 95,450 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 53,842 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Nationality

adjective: Cape Verdean
noun: Cape Verdean(s)

Natural hazards

prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

Natural resources

salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish

Net migration rate

-12.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

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

Population

412,137 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

30% (2000)

Population growth rate

0.79% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal

Radio broadcast stations

AM 0, FM 15 (and 17 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002)

Radios

100,000 (2002 est.)

Railways