Cabo Verde

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

• among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable;
• islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled;
• the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations;
• 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, as shown in this population distribution map

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

volcanism:

Fogo (2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano

• strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes;
• one of four North Atlantic archipelagos that make up Macaronesia;
• the others are Azores (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain), and Madeira (Portugal)

noun:

Cabo Verdean(s)

adjective:

Cabo Verdean

total:

29.3 years (2025 est.)

male:

27.9 years

female:

29.6 years

• among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable;
• islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled;
• the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations;
• 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, as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.62 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

21.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

26.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

18.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

74.3 years (2024 est.)

male:

72 years

female:

76.7 years

total:

4.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

2.28 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

1.82 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.6 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

9.8% (2025 est.)

male:

15.3% (2025 est.)

female:

4.5% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

1.8% (2018)

women married by age 18:

8.4% (2018)

men married by age 18:

1.5% (2018)

• deforestation due to demand for firewood;
• water shortages;
• droughts;
• desertification;
• soil erosion;
• illegal beach sand extraction;
• overfishing

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

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

urban population:

68% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

1.83% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

132,600 tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

17.4% (2022 est.)

municipal:

155.895 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

5.614 million cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

103.217 million cubic meters (2022)

conventional long form:

Republic of Cabo Verde

conventional short form:

Cabo Verde

local long form:

Republica de Cabo Verde

local short form:

Cabo Verde

etymology:

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

name:

Praia

geographic coordinates:

14 55 N, 23 31 W

time difference:

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

etymology:

the earlier Portuguese name was Villa de Praia ("Village of the Beach"); it was shortened to Praia in 1974

• 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, São Domingos, São Filipe, São Lourenco dos Orgaos, São Miguel, São Salvador do Mundo, São Vicente, Tarrafal, Tarrafal de São Nicolau

history:

previous 1981; latest effective 25 September 1992

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

President Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 9 November 2021)

head of government:

Prime Minister Jose Ulisses CORREIA e SILVA (since 22 April 2016)

cabinet:

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

election/appointment process:

• president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president

most recent election date:

17 October 2021

election results:

• 2020: Jose Maria Pereira NEVES elected president;
• percent of vote - Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (PAICV) 51.7%, Carlos VEIGA (MPD) 42.4%, Casimiro DE PINA (independent) 1.8%, Fernando Rocha DELGADO (independent) 1.4%, Helio SANCHES (independent) 1.14%, Gilson ALVES (independent) 0.8%, Joaquim MONTEIRO (independent) 3.4%

; 2016: Jorge Carlos FONSECA reelected president; percent of vote - Jorge Carlos FONSECA (MPD) 74.1%, Albertino GRACA (independent) 22.5%, other 3.4%

expected date of next election:

October 2026

legislature name:

National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

72 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

proportional representation

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

5 years

most recent election date:

4/18/2021

parties elected and seats per party:

• Movement for Democracy (MpD) (38);
• African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde (PAICV) (30);
• Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde (UCID) (4)

percentage of women in chamber:

44.4%

expected date of next election:

April 2026

highest court(s):

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

• African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV
• Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID
• Democratic Christian Party or PDC
• Democratic Renewal Party or PRD
• Movement for Democracy or MPD
• Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD
• Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS
• Social Democratic Party or PSD

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jose Luis do Livramento MONTEIRO ALVES DE BRITO (since 23 December 2020)

chancery:

3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 965-6820

FAX:

[1] (202) 965-1207

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.embcv-usa.gov.cv/

consulate(s) general:

Boston

chief of mission:

Ambassador Jennifer ADAMS (since 10 September 2024)

embassy:

Rua Abilio Macedo 6, Praia

mailing address:

2460 Praia Place, Washington DC 20521-2460

telephone:

[238] 260-8900

FAX:

[238] 261-1355

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://cv.usembassy.gov/

description:

• five unequal horizontal bands;
• the top band of blue is half the height of the flag;
• under it are three narrow bands of white, red, and white, and a bottom stripe of blue;
• a circle of 10 five-pointed yellow stars is centered on the red stripe and sits toward the left side of the flag

meaning:

• blue stands for the sea and sky;
• the stripes symbolize the country's formation through peace (white) and effort (red);
• the stars represent the 10 major islands

• adopted in 1992, the coat of arms features the national symbol of ten stars that represent the country’s islands;
• the stylized torch and triangle at the center of the circle symbolize freedom and national unity, and the three blue lines represent the ocean and sky;
• the name of the country is written in Portuguese, the official language;
• the plumbob at the top of the circle -- used in construction to make accurate vertical lines -- represents justice, righteousness, and truth;
• the chain links symbolize a commitment to the people and their well-being

title:

"Cantico da Liberdade" (Song of Freedom)

lyrics/music:

Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA

history:

adopted 1996

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Cidade Velha; Historic Center of Ribeira Grande

• stable, middle-income, developing island economy;
• strong GDP growth led by tourism sector recovery;
• sustained poverty reduction through PEDS II development plan;
• high reliance on foreign remittances and aid to finance external debt

agriculture:

4.7% (2024 est.)

industry:

10.5% (2024 est.)

services:

69.4% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

28.2% (2024 est.)

male:

24.6% (2024 est.)

female:

33.8% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

2.2% (2015 est.)

highest 10%:

32.3% (2015 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

• state-run TV and radio 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)

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

1

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

1

key ports:

Porto da Praia, Porto Grande

• the FACV is responsible for external defense;
• it also has an internal security role in collaboration with the police if required;
• its duties include monitoring and patrolling the country's air and maritime spaces, participating in training exercises, conducting search and rescue, countering narcotics and other forms of illicit trafficking, and supporting the police and civil society (2025)

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — Cabo Verde did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period and was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/cabo-verde/