Cabo Verde

Branches

People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP; includes Army and Navy), Security Service

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $3.4 million, NA% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 84,003 males fit for military service: 48,885 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone system

domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system international: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

1,740 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1 (1987 est.)

Televisions

7,000 (1991 est.) Defense

Agriculture

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

Budget

revenues: $174 million expenditures: $235 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1993 est.)

Currency

1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic 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, the share of agriculture in GNP is only 13%, of which fishing 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 1996 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.

Electricity

capacity: 15,000 kW production: 40 million kWh consumption per capita: 73 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates

Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1 - 77.860 (December 1995), 76.853 (1995), 81.891 (1994), 80.427 (1993), 68.018 (1992), 71.408 (1991)

Exports

$4.4 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: fish, bananas partners: Netherlands, Portugal, Angola, Spain

External debt

$156 million (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $440 million (1994 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: 13% industry: 17% services: 70% (1992 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,040 (1994 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.6% (1994 est.)

Illicit drugs

increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Africa destined for Western Europe

Imports

$173 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment partners: Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Brazil, France, Cote d'Ivoire

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5% (1994 est.)

Labor force

102,000 (1985 est.) by occupation: agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%, services 29%, industry 14% (1981)

Unemployment rate

35% (1994 est.)

Area

total area: 4,030 sq km land area: 4,030 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Climate

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

Coastline

965 km

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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 24 00 W

Geographic 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

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 9% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 0% other: 85%

Location

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

Map references

World

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish

Terrain

steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico 2,829 m

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

Capital

Praia

Constitution

new constitution came into force 25 September 1992

Data code

CV

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Alberto Santos SILVA-CARLOS chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820

Executive branch

chief of state: President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March 1991) elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 18 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2001); results - Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (independent) received 80.1% of vote head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13 January 1991) nominated by the People'sNational Assembly and appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by prime minister from members of the Peoples National Assembly

FAX

[1] (202) 965-1207 consulate(s) general: Boston

FAX

[238] 61 13 55

Flag

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

Independence

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

International organization participation

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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular): elections last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held NA); results - MPD 59%, PAICV 28%, PCD 6%; seats - (72 total) MPD 50, PAICV 21, PCD 1

Name of country

conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde conventional short form: Cape Verde local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde local short form: Cabo Verde

National holiday

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

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; Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 50% (male 114,206; female 110,276) 15-64 years: 46% (male 90,593; female 117,485) 65 years and over: 4% (male 6,450; female 10,056) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

44.31 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

8.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

54.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 63.39 years male: 61.47 years female: 65.41 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 71.6% male: 81.4% female: 63.8%

Nationality

noun: Cape Verdean(s) adjective: Cape Verdean

Net migration rate

-6.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

449,066 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.93% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female all ages: 0.89 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.12 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 6 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 5 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 1,100 km paved: 680 km unpaved: 420 km (1992 est.)

Merchant marine

cargo 3, chemical tanker 1 (1995 est.) total: 4 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,632 GRT/8,872 DWT

Ports

Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal

Railways

0 km