Cape Verde Islands

This Page was last updated on the 2nd. November, 2006.

Country	Cape Verde
Official Name	Republic of Cape Verde (Republica de Cabo Verde)
Former Name	Cabo Verde (uninhabited islands settled by Portuguese in 1462; status changed from a colony to an overseas province in 1951; various attempts to unite with with Guinea-Bissau; transitional government agreed in December 1974; independence from Portugal on 5 July, 1975.)
Capital	Praia (Sao Tiago Island)
Main Towns	Mindelo (Sao Vincente Island)(pop. 67,844), Praia (pop. 106,052)
Subdivisions	17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho): Boa Vista, Brava, Calheta, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Nicolau, Sao Filipe, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal.
Independence	5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution	1982; revised 1992, 1995, and 1999. New constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president, and a further revision in 1999, to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)
National Holiday	5 July (1975, Independence Day)
UN Membership	16 September 1975
OAU Membership	18 July 1975 – now African Union (AU)
Commonwealth	n/a
Other Organisations	In alphabetical order according to abbreviation/acronym: Agency for the French-Speaking Community (ACCT), Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU), African Development Bank (AfDB or AFDB), Community of Portugese Language speaking countries (CPLP), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Group of 77 at the United Nations (G-77), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), International Criminal Court (ICCt - signatory), International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRM), International Development Association (IDA), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), International Finance Corporation (IFC), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Organisation for Migration (IOM), International Organisation for Migration (IOM - observer), International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW - signatory), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Universal Postal Union (UPU), World Customs Organization (WCO, former Customs Cooperation Council [CCC]), World Health Organisation (WHO), World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), World Tourism Organisation (WToO), World Trade Organisation (WTrO - observer).
Population	World Bank Figures: 423,270 (1999), 434,810 (2000), 446,402 (2001), 458,029 (2002), 469,680 (2003) Other Sources: 435,983 (July 1995), 405,163 (July 2001 est.), 412,137 (July 2003 est.) 418,224 (July 2005 est.)
Area	1,557 sq. mls. (4,033 sq. kms.) Includes 10 islands and 5 islets, divided into the windward (Barlavento) and leeward (Sotavento) groups. The main islands in the Barlavento group are Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista; those of the Sotavento group include Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava. All larger islands except Santa Luzia are inhabited.
Density	99 per sq.km. (1995)
Highest Point	Pico 9,281 ft. (2,829 m.)
Lowest Point	Atlantic Ocean - sea level
Neighbours	None - Atlantic Ocean
Life Expectancy	65 years (1995), total population: 69.21 years, male: 65.93 years, female: 72.6 years (2001 est.) total population: 69.83 years, male: 66.53 years, female: 73.23 years (2003 est.) total population: 70.45 years male: 67.13 years female: 73.86 years (2005 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate	total: 50.5 deaths/1,000 live births, female: 45.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.), male: 55.83 deaths/1,000 live births total: 47.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS	adult prevalence rate: 0.035% (2001 est.) , people living with 775 (2001), deaths:225 (as of 2001)
Adult Literacy Rate	47% (1985), total population: 71.6%, male: 81.4%, female: 63.8% (1995 est.) total population: 76.6%, male: 85.8%, female: 69.2% (2003 est.)
Ethnic Groups	Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
Languages	Portuguese & Creole (or Crioulo, blend of Portuguese and West African words)
Religions	Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant (mainly Church of the Nazarene)
Type of Government	Republic
President	Pedro Verona Pires (since 22 March 2001) Reelected Febuary 2006 winning 51% of vote, narrowly beating hhis rival Carlos Veiga, head of the Movement for Democrasy [last updated 31/10/2006])
Prime Minister	Jose Maria Pereira Neves (head of government, since 1 February 2001) [31/10/2006]
Political Parties	African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV); Democratic Alliance for Change (ADM, coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic Christian Party (PDC); Democratic Renovation Party (PRD); Movement for Democracy (MPD); Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD)]; Party of Work and Solidarity(PTS); Social Democratic Party (PSD)
Ruling Party	PAICV
Currency	Cape Verde Escudo (CVE)(100 centavos, CVEsc) Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 88.808 (2004), 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001), 119.687 (2000)
GDP	GDP: US$825 million (2003) GDP: US$983 million (2004) purchasing power parity - US$600 million (2002 est.) per capita purchasing power parity - US$1,400 (2002 est.)
GNP	US$920 (1994)
Per Capita Income	GDP per capita: US$2,091 (2004)
Population Below Poverty Line	30% (2000)
Land Use	arable land: 9.68% permanent crops: 0.5% other: 89.82% (2001) Irrigated land: 30 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Resources	salt, basalt rock, limestone, pozzolana, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
Oil and Natural Gas	production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.) consumption 2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) exports: NA (2001) imports NA (2001)
Military	Military branches: Army, Coast Guard Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 95,450 (2003 est.) males age 18-49: 84,641 (2005 est.) Military expenditures - dollar figure: $9.3 million, 1.6% of GDP (FY02) US$14.1 million, 1.5% of GDP (2004)
Economic Aid Received	US$136 million (1999) Economic aid received: US$92 million. Largest donors: Portugal (US$11 million); Luxembourg; Japan; and the United States (US$5.9 million)(2002). Aid per Capita (World Bank): US$323 (1999), US$216 (2000), US$173 (2001), US$201 (2002), US$306 (2003)
Debt	Less indebted World Bank Figures: US$174,700,000 (2000), US$231,300,000 (2001), US$265,000,000 (2002), US$328,500,000 (2003) Other Sources: US$325 million (2002)
Major Imports	foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels (2003) Mainly foodstuffs such as Rice Wheat & Maize, small quantites of fuel machinery & textiles, industrial products, transport equipment.
Imports from	Portugal 54.0%, Netherlands 10.5%, Italy 6.5%, Germany, France, UK (2001) Portugal 48%, Netherlands 15%(2003) US$296 million (2003) Portugal 43.2%, US 12.5%, Netherlands 8.7% (2004) US$387.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Major Exports	shoes, fish, garments, bananas (2003) Frozen, canned and fresh fish, garments, shoes, fuel, bananas, livestock produce, salt and entrepot trade
Exports to	Portugal 53.3%, UK 26.6%, US 13.3%, Germany, Guinea-Bissau (2001) Portugal 71%, US 23% (2003) US$54 million (2003) Portugal 62.5%, US 15.8%, UK 11.3% (2004) US$61.11 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

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The White Fathers, Sutton Coldfield, 2 November, 2006

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