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Cape Verde

The Republic of Cape Verde is an archipelago located in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. This archipelago is mainly formed of 10 large islands and 8 islets. The 10 large islands are: Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal,Boa Vista, Maio, Santiago, Fogo, Brava. Fogo Island has the only active volcano of the country. The archipelago was uninhabited until Portuguese colonization in 1460.The nation ranks 5th in terms of Human Development Index among African countries. Capital Praia is located at 14 55 N, 23 31 W.

HISTORY:- Cape Verde was uninhabited until 1460. Portugal incorporated the land into the Portuguese Empire in 1495. For its position between Africa, Europe and the new world, the islands were flourished as sugar cane plantation site, and then a center of slave trade. In 1876, when slave trade was outlawed, Cape Verde became a shipping port. In 1951, Cape Verde became an overseas colony of Portuguese. Since 1961, the islanders were granted as Portuguese citizens. With the leadership of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau, independence movements started. After a prolonged struggle for independence, Cape Verde became free of Portuguese Empire on 5th July, 1975. In 1991, first multiparty elections were held. The power was shifted from African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde to the Movement for Democracy Party. Antonio Monteiro became the President.

GEOGRAPHY:- Cape Verde is located at 16 00 N, 24 00 W in western Africa. It is an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago is composed of 10 main islands and nearly 8 islets. The coastline is 965 km long along with the ocean. All the islands are volcanic, but Fogo Island has the only active volcano of the region. The lowest point is located at the Atlantic Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is a volcano on Fogo Island, Mt. Fogo (2,829 m). The islands are steepy, rugged, mountainous, and volcanic.

CLIMATE:- The climate is temperate with warm, and dry summer.

GOVERNMENT:- Cape Verde is a republic. The constitution was adopted on 25th September 1992. The legal system is based on the Portugal legal system. The government has been divided into three major branches:

Executive branch comprises the President (chief of state), the Prime Minister (head of government), cabinet. Council of ministers are recommended by the Prime minister and appointed by the President.

Legislative branch comprises the unicameral National Assembly (72 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.

Prominent political parties are African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV); Movement for Democracy (MPD); Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD); Party for Democratic Renovation (PRD); Party for Labor and Solidarity (PTS). Suffrage is universal above 18.

President Pedro Pires

Prime Minister José Maria Neves

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- The archipelago is a composition of 22 municipalities. These municipalities are subdivided into 32 parishes.

CULTURE:- Cape Verde culture is mostly influenced by African and Portuguese cultures. It has diverse genres of music and dances: Morna, passada, Funaná, coladeira, Batuque. Manuel Lopes, Henrique Teixeira de Sousa, Almeida Germano, Luís Romano de Madeira Melo, Germano de Almeida, Orlanda Amarilis, Jorge Vera Cruz Barbosa, Pedro Cardoso are some of the famous authors while Frusoni Sergio, Tavares Eugénio, B.Léza, João Cleofas Martins, Luís Romano de Madeira Melo, Ovídio Martins, Barbosa Jorge, Fortes Corsino António are some of the famous poets.

ECONOMY:- Cape Verde has a poor natural reserves. The economy is service-oriented. The main bases of the economy- commerce, transport, tourism, and public services make 75% of the total GDP. Severe droughts and lack of rains cause poor agriculture.

GDP/PPP (2006 est.): $3.129 billion; per capita $6,000.

Real growth rate: 5.5%.

Inflation: 4.7%.

Unemployment: 21% (2000 est.).

Arable land: 10%.

Agriculture: bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish. Labor force: n.a.

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

Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum.

Exports: $96.71 million f.o.b. (2006 est.): fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides.

Imports: $495.1 million f.o.b. (2006 est.): foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels.

Major trading partners: Portugal, France, U.S., UK, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Brazil (2004).

Budget:

Revenues: $436.1 million

Expenditures: $449.7 million (2007 est.)

Debt - external: $325 million (2002)

Exports – partners: Spain 44.2%, Portugal 21.7%, Netherlands 12.6%, Morocco 4.6% (2006)

Imports - partners: Portugal 41.1%, Netherlands 10.6%, Spain 6.5%, Italy 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.2%, Brazil 4.8% (2006)

Monetary unit: Cape Verdean escudo

LANGUAGE:- Portuguese is the official language. Cape Verdean Creole is Recognised as regional language. Criuolo is a mixture of Portuguese and West African dialects.

CITIES:- Capital Praia is the largest city. Other large city is Mindelo.

POPULATION:- The estimated population of the archipelago is 423,613 with a growth rate of 0.6%.

Density per sq mi: 271

Literacy rate: 77% (2003 est.)

RACE:-

Creole (mulatto) 71%

African 28%

European 1%

RELIGION:- 90% of the population has Roman Catholic beliefs. Rest 10% believes in Protestant Christianity, Bahá'í and Buddhist and Muslims.

HEALTH:-

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

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

Infant mortality rate: total: 42.55 deaths/ 1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.33 years

Total fertility rate: 3.17 children born/ woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 225 (as of 2001)

Expenditure on health per capital: US$ 22.5.

UNICEF:- UNICEF tries to console by counseling those children who have been victims of mental, physical and social abuse. UNICEF provides polio, hepatitis B and measles vaccines in the Cape Verde’s National immunization days in addition to additional supports of transportation, communication and social mobilization. In primary education, school enrolment has been increasing rapidly. Reportedly, girls are attending schools more than boys. Over 130 female community instructors and more than 17 childhood coordinators are trained in Santa Catarina and São Miguel regions. With the help of UNICEF, 5 pre-schools are decorated and made fully equipped in Santiago and Santo Antão.

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: total: 0 km.

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

Waterways: none.

Ports and harbors: Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal.

Airports: 7; among them 3 airports are reported to be non-operational (2004 est.).