Country: Cape Verde - Geography Total area: 4,030 km2; land area: 4,030 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Rhode Island Land boundaries: none Coastline: 965 km Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines); Extended economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm Climate: temperate; warm, dry, summer precipitation very erratic Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic Natural resources: salt, basalt rock, pozzolana, limestone, kaolin, fish Land use: 9% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; NEGL% forest and woodland; 85% other; includes 1% irrigated Environment: subject to prolonged droughts; harmattan wind can obscure visibility; volcanically and seismically active; deforestation; overgrazing Note: strategic location 500 km from African coast near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site - People Population: 374,984 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990) Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1990) Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990) Net migration rate: - 8 migrants/1,000 population (1990) Infant mortality rate: 65 deaths/1,000 live births (1990) Life expectancy at birth: 59 years male, 63 years female (1990) Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990) Nationality: noun--Cape Verdean(s); adjective--Cape Verdean Ethnic divisions: about 71% Creole (mulatto), 28% African, 1% European Religion: Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs Language: Portuguese and Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West African words Literacy: 48% (1986) Labor force: 102,000 (1985 est.); 57% agriculture (mostly subsistence), 29% services, 14% industry (1981); 51% of population of working age (1985) Organized labor: Trade Unions of Cape Verde Unity Center (UNTC-CS) closely associated with ruling party - Government Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde Type: republic Capital: Praia Administrative divisions: 12 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal; there may be 2 new districts named Porto Novo and Santa Cruz Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) Constitution: 7 September 1980, amended 12 February 1981 and December 1988 National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975) Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular) Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia) Leaders: Chief of State--President Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July 1975); Head of Government--Prime Minister Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since 5 July 1975); Deputy Minister Aguinaldo Liboa RAMOS (since NA February 1990) Political parties and leaders: only party--African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Aristides Maria Pereira, secretary general Suffrage: universal at age 15 Elections: President--last held 13 January 1986 (next to be held January 1991); results--President Aristides Maria Pereira (PAICV) was reelected without opposition; National People's Assembly--last held 7 December 1985 (next to be held December 1990); results--PAICV is the only party; seats--(83 total) PAICV 83 Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston; US--Ambassador Terry McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone p238o 614-363 or 253 Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band - Economy Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 60% of GDP during the period 1984-86. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing and manufacturing sectors are 4% each. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential of the islands is not fully exploited (the fish catch--mostly lobster and tuna--came to only 10,000 tons in 1985). Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants, cash grants, food aid, and foreign loans. GDP: $158 million, per capita $494; real growth rate 6.1% (1987) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (1987) Unemployment rate: 25% (1988) Budget: revenues $80 million; expenditures $87 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1988 est.) Exports: $8.9 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities--fish, bananas, salt; partners--Portugal, Angola, Algeria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Italy Imports: $124 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities--petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products; partners--Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, US, FRG External debt: $140 million (December 1988) Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1986 est.) Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 18 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1989) Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops--corn, beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75-88), $83 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $540 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $36 million Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (plural--escudos); 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1--72.31 (February 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985) Fiscal year: calendar year - Communications Ports: Mindelo and Praia Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,308 GRT/16,172 DWT Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: interisland radio relay system, high-frequency radio to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; 1,740 telephones; stations--5 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station - Defense Forces Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air Force are separate components of FARP Military manpower: males 15-49, 68,776; 40,731 fit for military service Defense expenditures: 11.8% of GDP (1981)