2019 Edition

Background

The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. The fusing of European and various African cultural traditions is reflected in Cabo Verde’s Krioulo language, music, and pano textiles. 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. Cabo Verde continues to sustain one of Africa's most stable democratic governments and one of its most stable economies, maintaining a currency formerly pegged to the Portuguese escudo and then the euro since 1998. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cabo Verde's expatriate population - concentrated in Boston and Western Europe - is greater than its domestic one. Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century – a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese Jews. Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable. Islands in the east are very dry and are home to the country's growing tourism industry. The more western islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged their soil fertility and vegetation. For centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.

Area

Land

4,033 sq km

Total

4,033 sq km

Water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Climate

temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic

Coastline

965 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Mt. Fogo (a volcano on Fogo Island) 2,829 m

Lowest Point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment Current Issues

deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; prolonged droughts and improper use of land (overgrazing, crop cultivation on hillsides lead to desertification and erosion); environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing

Environment International 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

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

Irrigated Land

35 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

18.6% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

11.7% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0.7% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

6.2% (2011 est.)

Forest

21% (2011 est.)

Other

60.4% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map References

Africa

Maritime Claims

Contiguous Zone

24 nm

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically activevolcanism: Fogo (2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano

Natural Resources

salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum

Population Distribution

among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population

Terrain

steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Age Structure

0 14 Years

28.7% (male 82,035 /female 81,082)

15 24 Years

19.64% (male 55,811 /female 55,798)

25 54 Years

40.02% (male 110,646 /female 116,804)

55 64 Years

6.4% (male 16,154 /female 20,245)

65 Years And Over

5.24% (male 11,272 /female 18,526) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

19.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Current Health Expenditure

5.2% (2016)

Death Rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century – a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese Jews. Over the centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.Labor migration historically reduced Cabo Verde’s population growth and still provides a key source of income through remittances. Expatriates probably outnumber Cabo Verde’s resident population, with most families having a member abroad. Cabo Verdeans have settled in the US, Europe, Africa, and South America. The largest diaspora community in New Bedford, Massachusetts, dating to the early 1800s, is a byproduct of the transatlantic whaling industry. Cabo Verdean men fleeing poverty at home joined the crews of US whaling ships that stopped in the islands. Many settled in New Bedford and stayed in the whaling or shipping trade, worked in the textile or cranberry industries, or operated their own transatlantic packet ships that transported compatriots to the US. Increased Cabo Verdean emigration to the US coincided with the gradual and eventually complete abolition of slavery in the archipelago in 1878.During the same period, Portuguese authorities coerced Cabo Verdeans to go to Sao Tome and Principe and other Portuguese colonies in Africa to work as indentured laborers on plantations. In the 1920s, when the US implemented immigration quotas, Cabo Verdean emigration shifted toward Portugal, West Africa (Senegal), and South America (Argentina). Growing numbers of Cabo Verdean labor migrants headed to Western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. They filled unskilled jobs in Portugal, as many Portuguese sought out work opportunities in the more prosperous economies of northwest Europe. Cabo Verdeans eventually expanded their emigration to the Netherlands, where they worked in the shipping industry. Migration to the US resumed under relaxed migration laws. Cabo Verdean women also began migrating to southern Europe to become domestic workers, a trend that continues today and has shifted the gender balance of Cabo Verdean emigration.Emigration has declined in more recent decades due to the adoption of more restrictive migration policies in destination countries. Reduced emigration along with a large youth population, decreased mortality rates, and increased life expectancies, has boosted population growth, putting further pressure on domestic employment and resources. In addition, Cabo Verde has attracted increasing numbers of migrants in recent decades, consisting primarily of people from West Africa, Portuguese-speaking African countries, Portugal, and China. Since the 1990s, some West African migrants have used Cabo Verde as a stepping stone for illegal migration to Europe.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

6.9 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

14.4 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

55.4 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

48.4 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

87.3% of population

Improved Total

91.7% of population

Improved Urban

94% of population

Unimproved Rural

12.7% of population

Unimproved Total

8.3% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

6% of population

Education Expenditures

5.2% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

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

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.6% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<100 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

2,400 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

17.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

24.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

21.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Portuguese (official), Krioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African languages)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

75.1 years

Male

70.3 years

Total Population

72.7 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

82% (2015)

Male

91.7%

Total Population

86.8%

Major Infectious Diseases

note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Major Urban Areas Population

168,000 PRAIA (capital) (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

58 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

26.7 years

Male

25 years

Total

25.8 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Cabo Verdean

Noun

Cabo Verdean(s)

Net Migration Rate

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

11.8% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.77 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

568,373 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.32% (2018 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 77.3%, Protestant 4.6% (includes Church of the Nazarene 1.7%, Adventist 1.5%, Assembly of God 0.9%, Universal Kingdom of God 0.4%, and God and Love 0.1%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Christian Rationalism 1.9%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, and New Apostolic 0.5%), Muslim 1.8%, other 1.3%, none 10.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

54.3% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

72.2% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

81.6% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

45.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

27.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

1.4% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

12 years (2017)

Male

12 years

Total

12 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.95 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.8 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.61 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.94 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.21 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

36.4% (2017)

Male

29.5%

Total

32.5%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

1.97% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

66.2% of total population (2019)

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

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

14 55 N, 23 31 W

Name

Praia

Time Difference

UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cabo Verde

Dual Citizenship Recognized

yes

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

5 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposals require support of at least four fifths of the active National Assembly membership; amendment drafts require sponsorship of at least one third of the active Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership; constitutional sections, including those on national independence, form of government, political pluralism, suffrage, and human rights and liberties, cannot be amended; revised 1995, 1999, 2010 (2017)

History

previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of Cabo Verde

Conventional Short Form

Cabo Verde

Etymology

the name derives from Cap-Vert (Green Cape) on the Senegalese coast, the westernmost point of Africa and the nearest mainland to the islands

Local Long Form

Republica de Cabo Verde

Local Short Form

Cabo Verde

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador John "Jeff" Daigle (since 28 June 2019)

Embassy

Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia

Fax

[238] 261-13-55

Mailing Address

C. P. 201, Praia

Telephone

[238] 260-89-00

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Carlos W. VEIGA (since 18 January 2017)

Consulate's General

Boston

Fax

[1] (202) 965-1207

Telephone

[1] (202) 965-6820

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

Chief Of State

President Jorge Carlos FONSECA (since 9 September 2011)

Election Results

Jorge Carlos FONSECA reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge Carlos FONSECA (MPD) 74%, Albertino GRACA (independent) 23%, other 3%

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 2 October 2016 (next to be held in 2021); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Ulisses CORREIA E. SILVA (since 22 April 2016)

Flag Description

five unequal horizontal bands; the top-most band of blue - equal to one half the width of the flag - is followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of the width, and a bottom stripe of blue equal to one quarter of the flag width; a circle of 10 yellow, five-pointed stars is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the length of the flag from the hoist side; blue stands for the sea and the sky, the circle of stars represents the 10 major islands united into a nation, the stripes symbolize the road to formation of the country through peace (white) and effort (red)

Government Type

parliamentary republic

Independence

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), 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

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 7 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and administrative sections)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

judge appointments - 1 by the president of the republic, 1 elected by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Superior Judicial Council (SJC), a 16-member independent body chaired by the chief justice and includes the attorney general, 8 private citizens, 2 judges, 2 prosecutors, the senior legal inspector of the Attorney General's office, and a representative of the Ministry of Justice; chief justice appointed by the president of the republic from among peers of the Supreme Court of Justice and in consultation with the SJC; judges appointed for life

Subordinate Courts

appeals courts, first instance (municipal) courts; audit, military, and fiscal and customs courts

Legal System

civil law system of Portugal

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party MPD 54.5%, PAICV 38.2%, UCID 7%, other 0.3%; seats by party - MPD 40, PAICV 29, UCID 3; composition - men 57, women 15, percent of women 20.8%

Elections

last held on 20 March 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA

Name

"Cantico da Liberdade" (Song of Freedom)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

National Symbol S

ten, five-pointed, yellow stars; national colors: blue, white, red, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

rz African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV [Janira Hopffer ALMADA] Democratic and Independent Cabo 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 [Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA] Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA] Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

546.7 million (2017 est.)

Revenues

493.5 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2009

7.5%

31 December 2010

7.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

9.61%

31 December 2017

9.5%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$40 million

2017

-$109 million

Debt External

31 December 2016

$1.688 billion

31 December 2017

$1.713 billion

Economy Overview

Cabo Verde’s economy depends on development aid, foreign investment, remittances, and tourism. The economy is service-oriented with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy and depends on conditions in the euro-zone countries. Cabo Verde annually runs a high trade deficit financed by foreign aid and remittances from its large pool of emigrants; remittances as a share of GDP are one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.Although about 40% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. The island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages, exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought, and poor soil for growing food on several of the islands, requiring it to import most of what it consumes. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited.Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy and mitigate high unemployment. The government’s elevated debt levels have limited its capacity to finance any shortfalls.

Exchange Rates

2013

83.114

2014

99.426

2015

99.688

2016

99.688

2017

101.8

Currency

Cabo Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$148.4 million

2017

$189 million

Exports Commodities

fuel (re-exports), shoes, garments, fish, hides

Exports Partners

Spain 45.3%, Portugal 40.3%, Netherlands 8.1% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

48.6% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

18.3% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

50.1% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-51.1% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

32.2% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

1.9% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

8.9% (2017 est.)

Industry

17.5% (2017 est.)

Services

73.7% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$1.776 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$6,600

2016

$6,800

2017

$7,000

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$3.468 billion

2016

$3.631 billion

2017

$3.777 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

1%

2016

4.7%

2017

4%

Gross National Saving

2015

35.6% of GDP

2016

34.8% of GDP

2017

32.4% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

40.6% (2000)

Lowest 10

1.9%

Imports

2016

$687.3 million

2017

$836.1 million

Imports Commodities

foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

Imports Partners

Portugal 43.9%, Spain 11.6%, Netherlands 6.1%, China 6.1% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2.9% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

-1.4%

2017

0.8%

Labor Force

196,100 (2007 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

30% (2000 est.)

Public Debt

2016

127.6% of GDP

2017

125.8% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$572.7 million

31 December 2017

$617.4 million

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$602.1 million

31 December 2017

$774 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$39.9 million

31 December 2017

$64.6 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$1.735 billion

31 December 2017

$2.088 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$1.316 billion

31 December 2017

$1.61 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$602.1 million

31 December 2017

$774 million

Taxes And Other Revenues

27.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

9%

2017

9%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

867,800 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

91.8% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

92.6% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

93% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

367.4 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

21% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

162,500 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

395 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

5,600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

5,607 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

3 (2017 est.)

Total

14,493

Broadcast Media

state-run TV and radio broadcast network plus a growing number of private broadcasters; Portuguese public TV and radio services for Africa are available; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available (2019)

Internet Country Code

.cv

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

48.2% (July 2016 est.)

Total

266,562

Telephone System

Domestic

12 per 100 fixed-line and 109 per 100 mobile-cellular; fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998; broadband services launched early in the decade; moving to 4G in mid-2019 (2018)

General Assessment

good system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995; major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT) (2018)

International

country code - 238; landing points for the Atlantis-2, EllaLink, Cabo Verde Telecom Domestic Submarine Cable Phase 1, 2, 3 and WACS fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links to South America, Africa, and Europe; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

12 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

64,970

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

109 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

612,259

Airports

9 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

3 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

3 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

9 (2017)

Under 914 M

2 (2017)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

D4 (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

general cargo 20, oil tanker 3, other 20 (2018)

Total

43

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

1,728,152 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

567,182 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

5 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

2 (2015)

Ports And Terminals

Porto Grande

Roadways

Paved

932 km (2013)

Total

1,350 km (2013)

Unpaved

418 km (2013)

Military And Security Forces

Armed Forces: Army (also called the National Guard, GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV, includes naval infantry) (2013)

Military Expenditures

2014

0.54% of GDP

2015

0.57% of GDP

2016

0.63% of GDP

2017

0.54% of GDP

2018

0.55% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 2-years conscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2013)

Disputes International

none

Illicit Drugs

used as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe, particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil, Portugal, and Guinea-Bissau; has taken steps to deter drug money laundering, including a 2002 anti-money laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial Intelligence Unit

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

115 (2018)