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Cape
Verde |
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| Background: |
The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese
in the 15th century; they subsequently became a trading center for African
slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling
and transatlantic shipping. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and
Portuguese antecedents. Independence was achieved in 1975. |
| Location: |
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of
Senegal |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
16 00 N, 24 00 W |
| Map
references: |
Political
Map of the World |
| Area: |
total: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land:
4,033 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger than Rhode Island |
| Land
boundaries: |
0 km |
| Coastline: |
965 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea:
12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
contiguous
zone: 24 NM |
| Climate: |
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic |
| 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) |
| Natural
resources: |
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 9.68%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 89.82% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
30 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust;
volcanically and seismically active |
| Environment
- current issues: |
soil erosion; demand for wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation;
desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species
of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
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 |
| Geography
- note: |
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south
sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air
refueling site
|
| Population: |
412,137 (July 2003 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 41% (male 85,254; female 83,716)
15-64
years: 52.3% (male 103,690; female 111,992)
65 years and
over: 6.7% (male 10,498; female 16,987) (2003 est.) |
| Median
age: |
total: 18.7 years
male: 17.9 years
female:
19.6 years (2002) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.79% (2003 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
26.95 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
6.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-12.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2003 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 |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 69.83 years
male: 66.53 years
female: 73.23 years (2003 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.77 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean
|
| Ethnic
groups: |
Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly
Church of the Nazarene) |
| 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.)
|
| Economy
- overview: |
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 2001 was only 11%, of which fishing accounts 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. Prospects for 2003 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid
flows, tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development
program. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $600 million (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
4% (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 11%
industry: 17%
services:
72% (2001) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
30% (2000) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3% (2002) |
| Labor
force: |
NA |
| Unemployment
rate: |
21% (2000 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $112 million
expenditures: $198 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
| Industries: |
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining,
ship repair |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
42.03 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other:
0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
39.08 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2001) |
| Oil
- production: |
0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil
- consumption: |
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil
- exports: |
NA (2001) |
| Oil
- imports: |
NA (2001) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish
|
| Exports: |
$30 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides |
| Exports
- partners: |
Portugal 53.3%, UK 26.6%, US 13.3%, Germany, Guinea-Bissau (2001) |
| Imports: |
$220 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |
| Imports
- partners: |
Portugal 54.0%, Netherlands 10.5%, Italy 6.5%, Germany, France, UK (2001)
|
| Debt
- external: |
$325 million (2002) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$136 million (1999) |
| Currency: |
Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) |
| Currency
code: |
CVE |
| Exchange
rates: |
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - NA (2002), 123.21 (2001),
115.88 (2000), 102.7 (1999), 98.16 (1998) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
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