General: The uninhabited islands of Cape Verde were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; subsequently, the islands became the center of the trade in slaves exported from the African continent. Most of the people of Cape Verde are descendants of the Portuguese and Africans. The country achieved independence in 1975. See areacodesexplorer.com to know more about Cape Verde History.
Geography
Location: West Africa, a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal.
Geographical coordinates: 16° 00′ N. latitude, 24° 00′ W
Reference map: Area
: total: 4,033 km2; land surface area: 4,033 km2; water surface area: 0 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island.
Land borders: 0 km.
Coastline: 965 km.
Maritime claims: measured from the coasts of the islands of the archipelago; neutral waters: 24 nautical miles; exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles; territorial waters: 12 nautical miles.
Climate: moderate; warm dry summer; precipitation is scarce and unpredictable.
Terrain: mountainous, volcanic.
Maximum and minimum heights: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m; highest point: Mount Fogo 2,829 m (volcano on Fogo Island)
Natural resources: salt, basalt, pozzuola-na (silica-containing volcanic ash used to make hydraulic cement), limestone, kaolin, fish.
Land use: arable land: 11%; cultivated land: 0%; pastures: 6%; forests and plantations: 0%; others: 83% (1993 est.).
Irrigated land: 1,500 to 2,000 ha (1999 est.).
Natural Hazards: long droughts; wind “harmattan”, worsening visibility; volcanic and seismic activity.
Current environmental problems: soil erosion caused by excessive grazing and improper agriculture, in particular the cultivation of crops on steep mountain slopes; deforestation, explained by the need for fuel; desertification; damage to the environment that threatens the survival of several species of birds and reptiles; uncontrolled fishing.
International agreements on environmental protection: member: Biodiversity, Climate change, Desertification, Environmental change, Hazardous waste, Law of the sea, Marine pollution; signed but not ratified: no.
Note to the section “Geography”: strategic location 500 km from the west coast of Africa, close to the main sea routes connecting north and south; an important communication point; an important refueling point for ships and aircraft.
Population
Population: 405,163 (July 2001 est.).
Age structure: under 14: 42.79% (male 87,458; female 85,895); 15 to 64 years old: 50.76% (male 97,812; female 107,834); over 65: 6.45% (male 10,204; female 15,960) (2001 est.).
Population growth: 0.92% (2001 est.).
Birth rate: 28.71 newborns / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Mortality: 7.19 deaths / 1000 people. (2001 est.).
Migration: -12.37 people / 1000 people (2001 est.).
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male/female; up to 15 years: 1.02 male/female; from 15 to 64 years old: 0.91 male/female; over 65: 0.64 male/female; for the general population: 0.93 male/female (2001 est.);
Child mortality: 53.22 deaths/1000 births (2001 est.).
Life expectancy: for the general population: 69.21 years; men: 65.93 years; women: 72.6 years (2001 est.).
General birth rate: 4.05 children/wives. (2001 est.).
Proportion of the adult population infected with HIV: no data available.
Number of people infected with HIV: no data.
Mortality due to AIDS: no data available.
Nationality: noun: Cape Verdean; adjective: pertaining to Cape Verde.
Ethnic groups: Creoles (mulattos) 71%, Africans 28%, Europeans 1%.
Believers: Catholics (adhering to a mixture of Catholic and local religious views); Protestants (mainly members of the Nazarene Church).
Language(s): Portuguese, Creole (a mixture of Portuguese and African dialects).
Literacy: definition: persons aged 15 and over who can read and write; for the general population: 71.6%; men: 81.4%; women: 63.8% (1995 est.). State Name:
Politics
conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde;
conventional short form: Cape Verde; local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde; local short form: Cabo Verde.
State structure: republic.
Capital: Praia.
Administrative division: 14 districts (concelho): Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Paul, Porto Novo, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Saly, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, San Vicente, San Nico Lau, Tarrafal, Fogo; note: it is possible to approve a new administrative structure of 16 districts (Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Porto Novo, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Saly, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, San Vicente, San -Domingos, San Nicolau, San Filipe, Tarrafal).
Dependent Territories:
Independence: from July 5, 1975 (until 1975 – overseas province of Portugal).
National holiday: Independence Day, July 5 (since 1975).
Constitution: The new constitution came into force on September 25, 1992.
Legal system: Based on the legal system of Portugal.
Suffrage: from 18 years old; universal.
chief of state: President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March 2001);
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 1991);
Government: Council of Ministers appointed by the President on the proposal of the Prime Minister from among the members of the National Assembly; elections: the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term; elections last held on 1-1 and 25 February 2001 (next to be held in February 2006); the prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and approved by the president; election results: Pedro PIRES elected president; percentage of votes – Pedro PIRES 49.43%, Carlos VIEGA (Carlos VIEGA) (MPD) 49.42%; note – victory was determined by a margin of only 12 votes.
Legislature: unicameral National Assembly (72 members elected by popular vote for a five-year term); elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held in December 2005); election results: distribution of votes by parties – PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; distribution of seats by party – PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 2.
Judiciary: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia).
Political parties and leaders: African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) (Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, Chairman); Democratic Alliance for Change (ADM) (Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO) (coalition of PCD, PTS, UCID); Party of Democratic Renewal (PRD) (Jacinto SANTOS, president); Movement for Democracy (MPD) (Antonio Gualberto do ROSARIO, president); Party for Democratic Unification (PCD) (Eurico MONTEIRO, president); Labor and Solidarity Party (PTS) (Dr. Oresimo SILVEIRA, President); Social Democratic Party (PSD) (Joao ALEM, president); Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde (UCID) (Antonio MONTEIRO, PRESIDENT).
Political influence groups and their leaders:
Participation in international organizations: ACCT, 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, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer).
Diplomatic representation in the USA: head of mission: Ambassador Ferdinand Amilcar Spencer LOPES; office: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; phone: [1] (202) 965-6820; fax: [\] (202) 965-1207; consulates general: Boston.
US Mission: Chief of Mission: Ambassador Michael D. METELITS; embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 81, Praia; postal address: S. R. 201, Praia; phone: [238] 61 56 16; fax: [238] 61 13 55.
Description of the flag: three horizontal stripes of blue (top; this stripe is twice as wide as the others), white (with a thin horizontal red stripe in the middle) and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is located closer to the staff on a red stripe and partially runs along the blue stripes.
