Locate of Cape Verde. Source: Vardion/Wikipedia

Source: CIA World Factbook

Capre Verde is a nation of islands 600 km off the western shore of Africa (Mauritania and Senegal) in the Atlantic Ocean. The islands are divided among the Barlavento ("windward") islands (Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista) and the Sotavento ("leeward") islands (Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava).

Cape Verde's major environmental issues include: 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; and overfishing. It is susceptible to prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; and volcanic and seismic activity.

The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

Geography

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

Geographic Coordinates: 16 00 N, 24 00 W

Area: 4,033 km² (4,033 km² land and 0 km² water)

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

Land Boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 965 km

Maritime Claims:

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

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 Environmental Agreements

Cape Verde is party to international agreements on: 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, and Wetlands.

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: 71.33 years

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

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

Literacy: 76.6% (male: 85.8% -  female: 69.2% [2003 est.])

Water

Total Renewable Water Resources: 0.3 cu km (1990)

Freshwater Withdrawal: Total: 0.02 cu km/yr (7% domestic, 2% industrial, 91% agricultural). 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.

Energy

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)

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)

Ports and Terminals: Porto Grande

Further Reading

1. CIA World Factbook