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National Map
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Cape Verde |
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National Flag
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Cape Verde |
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Flag Description:
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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Cape Verde |
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National Anthem
Of |
Cape Verde |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Cape Verde |
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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Western
Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean,
west of Senegal |
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 00 N,
24 00 W |
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Map references:
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Political
Map of the World |
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Area:
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total:
4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than Rhode Island |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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965 km
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Maritime claims:
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measured
from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and
very erratic |
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Terrain:
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steep,
rugged, rocky, volcanic |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on
Fogo Island) |
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Natural resources:
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salt,
basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 9.68%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 89.82% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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30 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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prolonged
droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring
dust; volcanically and seismically active |
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Environment - current issues:
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soil
erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as
fuel; desertification; environmental damage has
threatened several species of birds and reptiles;
illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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strategic
location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major
north-south sea routes; important communications
station; important sea and air refueling site |
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Population:
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418,224
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 39% (male 82,249/female 80,752)
15-64 years: 54.3% (male 110,119/female 116,816)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 10,599/female
17,689) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
19.4 years
male: 18.62 years
female: 20.25 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.67%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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25.33
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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6.62
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-11.99
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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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.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 70.45 years
male: 67.13 years
female: 73.86 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.48
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.035%
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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775
(2001) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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225 (as
of 2001) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean |
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Ethnic groups:
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Creole
(mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant
(mostly Church of the Nazarene) |
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Languages:
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Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West
African words) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.6%
male: 85.8%
female: 69.2% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional short form: Cape Verde
local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
local short form: Cabo Verde |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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Praia
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Administrative divisions:
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17
municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa
Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo,
Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao
Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao
Vicente, Tarrafal |
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Independence:
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5 July
1975 (from Portugal) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 5 July (1975) |
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Constitution:
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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) |
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Legal system:
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derived
from the legal system of Portugal |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria
Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a five-year term; election last held 11 and 25 February
2001 (next to be held February 2006); prime minister
nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the
president
election results: Pedro PIRES elected president;
percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 49.43%, Carlos
VIEGA (MPD) 49.42%; note - the election was won by only
twelve votes |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be
held December 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party -
PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by
party - PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 2 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia |
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Political parties and leaders:
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African
Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose
Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for
Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD,
PTS, and UCID); Democratic Christian Party or PDC
[Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman]; Democratic Renovation
Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS, president]; Movement for
Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES, president]; Party for
Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO,
president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias
RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
[Joao ALEM, president] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP,
AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO (observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820
FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207
consulate(s) general: Boston |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON
embassy: Rua Abilio m. Macedo 81, Praia
mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
telephone: [238] 261 56 16, 261 56 17
FAX: [238] 261 13 55 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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 72% of GDP. Although
nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the
share of agriculture in GDP in 2004 was only 12%, of
which fishing accounted for 1.5%. 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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$600
million (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5% (2004
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 12.1%
industry: 21.9%
services: 66% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Unemployment rate:
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21% (2000
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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30%
(2000) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.5%
(2004 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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19.2% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $260.6 million
expenditures: $305.3 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas,
corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts;
fish |
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Industries:
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food and
beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt
mining, ship repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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43.08
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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40.06
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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2,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Current account balance:
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$-93.76
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$61.11
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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fuel,
shoes, garments, fish, hides |
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Exports - partners:
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Portugal
59.4%, US 17.2%, UK 11.4% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$387.3
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment,
fuels |
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Imports - partners:
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Portugal
41.8%, US 12.3%, Netherlands 8.4%, Spain 5.2%, Italy
4.2%, Brazil 4% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$112.7
million (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$325
million (2002) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$136
million (1999) |
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Currency (code):
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Cape
Verdean escudo (CVE) |
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Currency code:
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CVE |
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Exchange rates:
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Cape
Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 88.808 (2004),
97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001), 119.687
(2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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71,700
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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53,300
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: effective system, extensive
modernization from 1996-2000 following partial
privatization in 1995
domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde
Telecom (CVT); fiber optic ring, completed in 2001,
links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN
services; cellular service introduced in 1998
international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial
submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and
Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 0, FM
22 (and 12 low power repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) |
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Radios:
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100,000
(2002 est.) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (and 7
repeaters) (2002) |
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Televisions:
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15,000
(2002 est.) |
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Internet country code:
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.cv |
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Internet hosts:
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118
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2002)
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Internet users:
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20,400
(2003) |
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Highways:
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total:
1,350 km
paved: 932 km
unpaved: 418 km (2000) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Mindelo,
Praia, Tarrafal |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT
by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1,
passenger/cargo 2
foreign-owned: 1 (United Kingdom 1) (2005) |
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Airports:
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7
note: 3 airports are reported to be
nonoperational (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
6
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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People's
Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP): Army, Coast Guard
(includes maritime air wing) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 84,641 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 65,614 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$14.1
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.5%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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Illicit drugs:
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used as a
transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin
America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack
of a well-developed financial system limits the
country's utility as a money-laundering center |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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