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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish

Budget [time series]

revenues: $188 million expenditures: $228 million, including capital expenditures of $116 million (1996)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$202 million (1996)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $70 million (1995)

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought, and a high birth rate. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for almost 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in 1995 was only 8%, of which fishing accounts for 1.5%. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances constitute a supplement to GDP of more than 20%. Economic reforms, launched by the new democratic government in 1991, are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Prospects for 1998 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

7,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

92 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

40 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1-95.400 (December 1997), 93.177 (1997), 82.591 (1996), 76.853 (1995), 81.891 (1994), 80.427 (1993)

Exports [time series]

total value: $12.8 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: shoes, garments, fish, bananas, hides, partners: Portugal, Spain, France, UK

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year Communications

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

purchasing power parity-$538 million (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 8% industry: 18% services: 74% (1996 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$1,370 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

4.5% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $237 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels partners: Portugal 41%, Netherlands, France, Spain, US

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair,

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

6.2% (1996)

Labor force [time series]

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog and digital exchanges; work is in progress on a submarine fiber-optic cable system scheduled for completion in 1998 international: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

22,900 (1995 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (1997 est.)

Televisions [time series]

7,000 (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA %

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 4,030 sq km land: 4,030 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly larger than Rhode Island

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

965 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico 2,829 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

overgrazing of livestock and improper land use such as the cultivation of crops on steep slopes has led to soil erosion; demand for wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; overfishing

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

16 00 N, 24 00 W

Geography - note (Geography-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

Irrigated land [time series]

30 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 11% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 0% other: 83% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Western Africa, group of Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Map references [time series]

World

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural hazards [time series]

prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active

Natural resources [time series]

salt, basalt rock, pozzuolana (a siliceous volcanic ash used to produce hydraulic cement), limestone, kaolin, fish

Terrain [time series]

steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

14 districts (concelhos, singular-concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal note: there may be a new administrative structure of 16 districts (Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Nicolau, Sao Filipe, Sao Vicente, Tarrafa)

Constitution [time series]

new constitution came into force 25 September 1992

Country name [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

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence Neal BENEDICT (17 June 1996) embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 81, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 61 56 16

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission is Charge d'Affaires Manuel MATOS chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March 1991) head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho VEIGA (since 13 January 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 18 February 1996 (next to be held NA February 2001); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president election results: Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro elected president; percent of vote-Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (independent) 80.1%

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

[1] (202) 965-1207 consulate(s) general: Boston

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

[238] 61 13 55

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

International organization participation [time series]

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, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia

Legal system [time series]

derived from the legal system of Portugal

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-MPD 59%, PAICV 28%, PCD 6%; seats by party - MPD 50, PAICV 21, PCD 1

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Praia

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

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

Movement for Democracy or MPD [Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and president]; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president]

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$3.4 million (1994)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

2.2% (1997 est.)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 81,265 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 46,235 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 46% (male 92,175; female 90,557) 15-64 years: 48% (male 90,183; female 102,541) 65 years and over: 6% (male 9,765; female 14,636) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

34.47 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

7.04 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

47.53 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.5 years male: 67.21 years female: 73.89 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 71.6% male: 81.4% female: 63.8% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Cape Verdean(s) adjective: Cape Verdean

Net migration rate [time series]

-12.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

399,857 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.49% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.87 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.08 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

none

Illicit drugs [time series]

increasingly used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Africa destined for Western Europe CAYMAN ISLANDS (dependent territory of the UK)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

6 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 1,100 km paved: 858 km unpaved: 242 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 4 (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,620 GRT/13,920 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1 (1997 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal

Railways [time series]

0 km