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 Match 47   DB Rec# - 7,499  Dataset-WOFACT

Title         :Cape Verde 
Text          : 
                                   Cape Verde 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Western Africa, group of Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of 
    Senegal 
Map references: 
    World 
Area: 
  total area: 
    4,030 sq km 
  land area: 
    4,030 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    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 


International disputes: 
    none 
Climate: 
    temperate; warm, dry, summer; precipitation very erratic 
Terrain: 
    steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic 
Natural resources: 
    salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    9% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    6% 
  forest and woodland: 
    0% 
  other: 
    85% 
Irrigated land: 
    20 sq km (1989 est.) 
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 indigenous species of birds and reptiles; overfishing 
  natural hazards: 
    prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and 
    seismically active 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, 
    Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, 
    Desertification 
 
                                    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: 
    435,983 (July 1995 est.) 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    50% (female 106,539; male 110,301) 
  15-64 years: 
    47% (female 114,931; male 88,029) 
  65 years and over: 
    3% (female 9,781; male 6,402) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    2.98% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    45.32 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    8.65 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    -6.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 


Infant mortality rate: 
    55.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    63.01 years 
  male: 
    61.1 years 
  female: 
    65.01 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    6.23 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Cape Verdean(s) 
  adjective: 
    Cape Verdean 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% 
Religions: 
    Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs 
Languages: 
    Portuguese, Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African words 
Literacy: 
    age 15 and over can read and write (1990) 
  total population: 
    63% 
  male: 
    75% 
  female: 
    53% 
Labor force: 
    102,000 (1985 est.) 
  by occupation: 
    agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%, services 29%, industry 14% (1981) 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Republic of Cape Verde 
  conventional short form: 
    Cape Verde 
  local long form: 
    Republica de Cabo Verde 
  local short form: 
    Cabo Verde 
Digraph: 
    CV 
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 
Independence: 
    5 July 1975 (from Portugal) 
National holiday: 


    Independence Day, 5 July (1975) 
Constitution: 
    new constitution came into force 25 September 1992 
Legal system: 
    NA 
Suffrage: 
    18 years of age; universal 
Executive branch: 
  chief of state: 
    President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March 1991; election last 
    held 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results - Antonio 
    Monteiro MASCARENHAS (independent) received 72.6% of vote 
  head of government: 
    Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13 January 
    1991) 
  cabinet: 
    Council of Ministers; appointed by prime minister from members of the 
    Assembly 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral 
  People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular): 
    elections last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996); results 
    - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (79 total) MPD 56, PAICV 23; note - 
    the 1991 multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of single-party rule 
Judicial branch: 
    Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia) 
Political parties and leaders: 
    Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and 
    chairman; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro Verona
 
    Rodrigues PIRES, chairman 
Member of: 
    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, UN (Cape Verde assumed a nonpermanent seat on the Security Council
 
    on 1 January 1992), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO 
 
                                   Government 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
  chief of mission: 
    (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jose Eduardo BARBOSA (since 12 February 1994) 
  chancery: 
    3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 
  telephone: 
    [1] (202) 965-6820 
  FAX: 
    [1] (202) 965-1207 
  consulate(s) general: 
    Boston 
US diplomatic representation: 
  chief of mission: 
    Ambassador Joseph M. SEGARS 
  embassy: 
    Rua Abilio Macedo 81, Praia 
  mailing address: 
    C. P. 201, Praia 
  telephone: 
    [238] 61 56 16 
  FAX: 


    [238] 61 13 55 
Flag: 
    three horozontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a 
    horozontal 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 
 
Overview: 
    Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, 
    serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought, and a 
    high birthrate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, 
    and public services accounting for 60% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the 
    population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 20%; the
 
    fishing sector accounts for 4%. 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 remittances from 
    emigrants and foreign aid, which form important supplements to GDP. 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 1995 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid 
    flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development 
    program. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $410 million (1993 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    3.5% (1992 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $1,000 (1993 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    7% (1992) 
Unemployment rate: 
    26% (1990 est.) 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $174 million 
  expenditures: 
    $235 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1993 est.) 
Exports: 
    $4.4 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) 
  commodities: 
    fish, bananas, hides and skins 
  partners: 
    Netherlands, Portugal, Angola 
Imports: 
    $173 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.) 
  commodities: 
    foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment 
  partners: 
    Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Spain 
External debt: 
    $156 million (1991) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 3.6% (1990 est.); accounts for 8% of GDP 
Electricity: 


  capacity: 
    15,000 kW 
  production: 
    40 million kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    73 kWh (1993) 
Industries: 
    fish processing, salt mining, garment industry, ship repair, construction 
    materials, food and beverage production 
 
                                     Economy 
Agriculture: 
    accounts for 20% of GDP (including fishing); largely subsistence farming; 
    bananas are the only export crop; other crops - corn, beans, sweet potatoes,
 
    coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and 
    scanty rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both 
    domestic consumption and small exports 
Illicit drugs: 
    increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from 
    Latin America and Africa destined for Western Europe 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-90), $93 million; Western (non-US) 
    countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $586 million; OPEC 
    bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $36 
    million 
Currency: 
    1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos 
Exchange rates: 
    Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1 - 85.537 (1st Quarter 1994), 80.427 
    (1993), 68.018 (1992), 71.408 (1991), 70.031 (1990) 
Fiscal year: 
    calendar year 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    1,100 km (1992) 
  paved: 
    680 km 
  unpaved: 
    420 km 
Ports: 
    Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal 
Merchant marine: 
  total: 
    7 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,609 GRT/19,052 DWT 
    cargo 6, chemical tanker 1 
Airports: 
  total: 
    6 
  with paved runways over 3,047 m: 
    1 
  with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    5 
 


                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    over 1,700 telephones; telephine density - about 4 telephones/1,000 persons 
  local: 
    NA 
  intercity: 
    interisland microwave radio relay system, high frequency radio links to 
    Senegal and Guinea-Bissau 
  international: 
    2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    1 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP; includes Army and Navy), Security
 
    Service 
Manpower availability: 
    males age 15-49 80,867; males fit for military service 47,225 (1995 est.) 
Defense expenditures: 
    exchange rate conversion - $3.4 million, NA% of GDP (1994) 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996