Current Environmental Issues: 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

Geography

Source: CIA

Location: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Geographic Coordinates: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Area:

total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Land Boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 965 km

Maritime Claims:

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural Hazards:prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

Terrain

Steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Elevation Extremes:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)

Climate

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

Government

Government Type: Republic

Capital: Praia

Independence Date: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Legal System: based on the legal system of Portugal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

International Agreement

Environmental-international Agreement:

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

People and Society

Population: 426,998 (July 2008 est.)

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 36.1% (male 77,533/female 76,489)
15-64 years: 57.4% (male 120,208/female 125,009)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 10,226/female 17,533) (2008 est.)

Population Growth Rate: 0.595% (2008 est.)

Birthrate: 23.95 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death Rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net Migration Rate: -11.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth:

total population: 71.33 years
male: 67.99 years
female: 74.76 years (2008 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 3.17 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Languages: Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.6%
male: 85.8%
female: 69.2% (2003 est.)

Water

Total Renewable Water Resources: 0.3 cu km (1990)

Freshwater Withdrawal (domestic, industrial, agricultural):

total: 0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000)

Agriculture

Agricultural Products: bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish

Irrigated Land: 30 sq km (2003)

Resources

Natural Resources: salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum

Land Use:

arable land: 11.41%
permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.85% (2005)

Energy

Health

Prevalence Rate of HIV/AIDS in Adults: 0.035% (2001 est.)

Conflict

International Disputes: none

Economy

This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. About 82% 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 supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program.

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $1.603 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $1.428 billion (2007 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: 6.9% (2007 est.)

GDP-per capita (PPP): $3,200 (2007 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:

agriculture: 9.3%
industry: 16.7%
services: 74% (2007 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line: 30% (2000)

Household Income or Consumption by Percentage Share:

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

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

Exports: fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides

Export Partners: Spain 36.1%, Portugal 28.5%, Morocco 6.8%, UK 6.7%, US 6.4% (2006)

Imports: foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

Import Partners: Portugal 40.3%, Netherlands 10.9%, France 6.5%, Spain 5.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.9%, Italy 4.7%, Brazil 4.5% (2006)

Economic Aid Recipients: $160.6 million (2005)

Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)

Communications

Telephones-main line in use: 71,600 (2006)

Telephones- mobile/cellular: 108,900 (2006)

Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 0, FM 22 (plus 12 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2001)

Television Broadcast Stations: 1 (plus 7 repeaters) (2001)

Internet Hosts: 344 (2007)

Internet Users: 29,000 (2005)

Transportation

Airports: 8 (2007)

Roadways:

total: 1,350 km
paved: 932 km
unpaved: 418 km (2000)

Ports and Terminals: Porto Grande