Republic of Cape Verde

National name: República de Cabo Verde

President: Pedro Pires (2001)

Prime Minister: José Maria Neves (2001)

Total area: 1,556 sq mi (4,030 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 420,979 (growth rate: 0.6%); birth rate: 24.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 46.5/1000; life expectancy: 70.7; density per sq mi: 271

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Praia, 99,400

Other large city: Mindelo, 66,100

Monetary unit: Cape Verdean escudo

Languages: Portuguese, Criuolo

Ethnicity/race: Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Religion: Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)

Literacy rate: 77% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $2.99 billion; per capita $6,200. Real growth rate: 5.5%. Inflation: 1.8%. 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: $73.35 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides. Imports: $500 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels. Major trading partners: Portugal, France, U.S., UK, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Brazil (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 71,700 (2003); mobile cellular: 53,300 (2003). Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 15 (and 17 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002). Television broadcast stations: 1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002). Internet hosts: 118 (2004). Internet users: 20,400 (2003).

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; note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2004 est.).

International disputes: none.


 

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