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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 6 usable: 6 with permanent-surface runways: 6 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2

Merchant marine [time series]

7 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,717 GRT/19,000 DWT

Ports [time series]

Mindelo, Praia

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

interisland microwave radio relay system, high-frequency radio to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; over 1,700 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 6 FM, 1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(dependent territory of the UK)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 75,431; fit for military service 44,358 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 20% of GDP (including fishing); 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 scanty rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports

Budget [time series]

revenues $104 million; expenditures $133 million, including capital expenditures of $72 million (1991 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-90), $93 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $586 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $36 million

Electricity [time series]

15,000 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1 - 75.47 (January 1993), 73.10 (1992), 71.41 (1991), 64.10 (November 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$5.7 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: fish, bananas, hides and skins partners: Portugal 40%, Algeria 31%, Angola, Netherlands (1990 est.)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$156 million (1991)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$120 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment partners: Sweden 33%, Spain 11%, Germany 5%, Portugal 3%, France 3%, Netherlands, US (1990 est.)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 18% (1988 est.); accounts for 4% of GDP

Industries [time series]

fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair, construction materials, food and beverage production

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.7% (1991 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $310 million (1990 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$800 (1990 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

4% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a serious, 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, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing sector accounts for 4%. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. In 1988 fishing represented only 3.5% of GDP. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants and foreign aid. Economic reforms launched by the new democratic government in February 1991 are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy.

Unemployment rate [time series]

25% (1988)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 4,030 km2 land area: 4,030 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island

Climate [time series]

temperate; warm, dry, summer; precipitation very erratic

Coastline [time series]

965 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

20 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

in the southeastern North Atlantic Ocean, 500 km west of Senegal in Western Africa

Map references [time series]

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

14 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal

Capital [time series]

Praia

Constitution [time series]

7 September 1980; amended 12 February 1981, December 1988, and 28 September 1990 (legalized opposition parties)

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Carlos Alberto Santos SILVA chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: (202) 965-6820 consulate general: Boston

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

People's National Assembly: last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (79 total) MPD 56, PAICV 23; note - this multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of single-party rule President: last held 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results - Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (MPD) received 72.6% of vote

Executive branch [time series]

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

Flag [time series]

a new flag of unknown description reportedly has been adopted; previous flag consisted of 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

Independence [time series]

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (since 22 March 1991) Head of Government: Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13 January 1991)

Legal system [time series]

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN (Cape Verde assumed a nonpermanent seat on the Security Council on 1 January 1992), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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 [time series]

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and chairman; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph SEGARS embassy: Rua Hoji Ya Henda 81, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 61-56-16 or 61-56-17 FAX: [238] 61-13-55

People

Birth rate [time series]

47.02 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

9.43 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

59.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

102,000 (1985 est.) by occupation: agriculture (mostly subsistence) 57%, services 29%, industry 14% (1981) note: 51% of population of working age (1985)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 62.18 years male: 60.3 years female: 64.15 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 66% male: NA female: NA

Nationality [time series]

noun: Cape Verdean(s) adjective: Cape Verdean

Net migration rate [time series]

-7.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

410,535 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.03% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.41 children born/woman (1993 est.)