Cabo Verde

republicIndependence 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Cabo Verde as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalPraia

Area4,030 km2

Populationas each edition published it

374,984 people July 1990 · 611,014 in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.03% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 62.18 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.7 children per woman 1990 · 2.08 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

65 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 21.9 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 4% in 1993

Corrected. Source files these entries under Canada. Cape Verde and Canada shared the code ca in the text editions. All corrections

Geography

13 fields

Land useshare of 4,030 km2

arable land 9%meadows and pastures 6%other 85%NEGL% permanent crops; NEGL% forest and woodland; includes 1% irrigated

Total area

4,030km2

land area: 4,030 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Coastline

965km

land boundaries: noneMaritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);

Climate

temperate; warm, dry, summer precipitation very erratic

Natural resources

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

Environment

subject to prolonged droughts;
harmattan wind can obscure visibility;
volcanically and seismically active;
deforestation;
overgrazing

Note

strategic location 500 km from African coast near major north-south sea routes;
important communications station;
important sea and air refueling site

People

14 fields

Population

374,984

(July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

49Death

Ethnic divisions

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

Labor force

102,000

(1985 est.); 57% agriculture (mostly subsistence), 29% services, 14% industry (1981); 51% of population of working age (1985)

Literacy

48%

(1986)

Nationality

noun--Cape Verdean(s); adjective--Cape Verdean

Religion

Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

Language

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

Organized labor

Trade Unions of Cape Verde Unity Center (UNTC-CS) closely associated with ruling party

Government

Republic

16 fields

National People's Assembly, 83 seats, elected 7 December 1985one dot, one seat

PAICV 83

Administrative divisions

12 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho);
Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal;
there may be 2 new districts named Porto Novo and Santa Cruz

Constitution

7 September 1980, amended 12 February 1981 and December 1988

Executive branch

president, prime minister, deputy minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

Judicial branch

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia) Chief of State--President Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July 1975);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since 5 July 1975);
Deputy Minister Aguinaldo Liboa RAMOS (since NA February 1990)

Political parties and leaders

only party--African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Aristides Maria Pereira, secretary general

Suffrage

universal at age 15 President--last held 13 January 1986 (next to be held January 1991);
results--President Aristides Maria Pereira (PAICV) was reelected without opposition;
National People's Assembly--last held 7 December 1985 (next to be held December 1990);
results--PAICV is the only party;
seats--(83 total) PAICV 83

Member of

ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES;
Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007;
telephone (202) 965-6820;
there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston;
US--Ambassador Terry McNAMARA;
Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia);
telephone [238] 614-363 or 253

Flag

two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side;
in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell;
uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia;
similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band

Economy

Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$158million

per capita $494; real growth rate 6.1% (1987)

Inflation, consumer prices

3.8%

(1987)

Unemployment rate

25%

(1988)

External debt

$140million

(December 1988)

Budget

Revenues

$80 millionExpenditures

$87 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1988 est.)

Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 60% of GDP during the period 1984-86. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%;

the fishing and manufacturing sectors are 4% each. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential of the islands is not fully exploited (the fish catch--mostly lobster and tuna--came to only 10,000 tons in 1985). Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants, cash grants, food aid, and foreign loans.

Exports

$8.9 million (f.o.b., 1987);
commodities--fish, bananas, salt;
partners--Portugal, Angola, Algeria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Italy

Imports

$124 million (c.i.f., 1987);
commodities--petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products;
partners--Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, US, FRG

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1986 est.)

Electricity

14,000 kW capacity; 18 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1989)

Industry

fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair

Agriculture

accounts for 16% of GDP;
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 limited rainfall;
annual food imports required;
fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-88), $83 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $540 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $36 million

Currency

Cape Verdean escudo (plural--escudos); 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1--72.31 (February 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

5 fields

Airports, 6 total, 6 usable

permanent-surface runways

4runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Ports

Mindelo and Praia

Merchant marine

5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,308 GRT/16,172 DWT

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

interisland radio relay system, high-frequency radio to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau;
1,740 telephones;
stations--5 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV;
2 coaxial submarine cables;
1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station