Cabo Verde

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

total:

0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)

per capita:

39 cu m/yr (2000)

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

volcanism:

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

• soil erosion;
• deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel;
• water shortages;
• desertification;
• environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles;
• illegal beach sand extraction;
• overfishing

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

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

noun:

Cape Verdean(s)

adjective:

Cape Verdean

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.6 male(s)/female

total population:

0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Cape Verde

conventional short form:

Cape Verde

local long form:

Republica de Cabo Verde

local short form:

Cabo Verde

name:

Praia

geographic coordinates:

14 55 N, 23 31 W

time difference:

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

• 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

• 25 September 1992;
• a major revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increased the powers of the president;
• a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)

chief of state:

President Jorge Carlos FONSECA (since 9 September 2011)

head of government:

Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 7 August 2011 with a second round runoff on 21 August 2011;
• prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president

election results:

percent of vote (second round) - Jorge Carlos FONSECA 53.4%, Manuel Inocencio SOUSA 46.6%

• Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia;
• Court of Audit;
• Military Courts;
• Fiscal and Customs Courts

• African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman];
• Democratic and Independent Cape 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 [Jorge SANTOS];
• Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO];
• Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES];
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Fatima Lima VEIGA

chancery:

3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 965-6820

FAX:

[1] (202) 965-1207

consulate(s) general:

Boston

chief of mission:

Ambassador Adrienne O'NEAL

embassy:

Rua Abilio Macedo n6, Praia

mailing address:

C. P. 201, Praia

telephone:

[238] 2-60-89-00

FAX:

[238] 2-61-13-55

• 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)

name:

"Cantico da Liberdade" (Song of Freedom)

lyrics/music:

Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA

note: adopted 1996

lowest 10%:

1.9%

highest 10%:

40.6% (2001)

general assessment:

effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995

domestic:

• major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT);
• fiber-optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services;
• cellular service introduced in 1998;
• broadband services launched in 2004

international:

• country code - 238;
• landing point for the Atlantis-2 fiber-optic transatlantic telephone cable that provides links to South America, Senegal, and Europe;
• HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

• 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 (2007)

total:

1,350 km

country comparison to the world: 178

paved:

932 km

unpaved:

418 km (2000)

males age 16-49:

132,087

females age 16-49:

136,956 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

106,864

females age 16-49:

117,518 (2010 est.)

male:

6,029

female:

6,026 (2010 est.)

• 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 (2008)