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Cape Verde Country Guide
Explore Cape Verde in Africa
The topography includes steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic. The average density of population is approximately 106 per km². The notable climate conditions in Cape Verde can be described as temperate with warm, dry summer and precipitation meager and erratic. Possible natural disasters include prolonged droughts or seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust or volcanically and seismically active.
To reach someone in Cape Verde dial +238 prior to a number. There are 72,200 installed telephones. And there are 392,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".cv". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of Cape Verde
Five unequal horizontal bands; the top-most band of blue - equal to one half the width of the flag - is followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of the width, and a bottom stripe of blue equal to one quarter of the flag width; a circle of 10, yellow, five-pointed stars is centered on the red stripe and positioned 3/8 of the length of the flag from the hoist side; blue stands for the sea and the sky, the circle of stars represents the 10 major islands united into a nation, the stripes symbolize the road to formation of the country through peace (white) and effort (red).
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.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Africa Neighbours: Capital: Praia |
| Size | 4,033 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 1,557 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly larger than Rhode Island |
| Population | 426,000 |
| Currency | Name Escudo, Currency Code:CVE |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .cv |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +238 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 392,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 72,200 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 4,033 (sq km) | 176 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 531,046 | 172 |
| Population growth rate | 1.41 (%) | 85 |
| Birth rate | 20.96 (births/1,000 population) | 80 |
| Death rate | 6.22 (deaths/1,000 population) | 157 |
| Net migration rate | -0.65 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 140 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 79.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 83 |
| Infant mortality rate | 25.13 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 77 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 71.28 (years) | 146 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.39 (children born/woman) | 89 |
| Health expenditures | 4.10 (% of GDP) | 165 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.04 (%) | 163 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 775 | 147 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 225 | 100 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 10.00 (%) | 131 |
| Education expenditures | 5.60 (% of GDP) | 54 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 2,214,000,000 | 191 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.30 (%) | 74 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 4,200 | 167 |
| Labor force | 196,100 | 171 |
| Unemployment rate | 21.00 (%) | 163 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 46.40 (% of GDP) | 3 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 28.40 (% of GDP) | 104 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -9.70 (% of GDP) | 206 |
| Public debt | 83.10 (% of GDP) | 24 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.40 (%) | 51 |
| Central bank discount rate | 7.50 (%) | 34 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 9.80 (%) | 91 |
| Stock of narrow money | 454,500,000 | 160 |
| Stock of broad money | 1,362,000,000 | 160 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 1,370,000,000 | 149 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.00 (%) | 74 |
| Current account balance | -257,900,000 | 81 |
| Exports | 205,100,000 | 184 |
| Imports | 1,038,000,000 | 176 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 393,500,000 | 151 |
| Debt - external | 741,300,000 | 165 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 277,000,000 (kWh) | 174 |
| Electricity - consumption | 257,600,000 (kWh) | 179 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 89,800 (kW) | 171 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 96.90 (% of total installed capacity) | 65 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 3.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 46 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 2,608 (bbl/day) | 187 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 2,407 (bbl/day) | 177 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 271,400 (Mt) | 194 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 74,500 | 155 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 396,400 | 170 |
| Internet hosts | 38 | 217 |
| Internet users | 150,000 | 148 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 9 | 159 |
| Roadways | 1,350 (km) | 178 |
| Merchant marine | 13 | 104 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 0.40 (% of GDP) | 167 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande The town of Ribeira Grande, renamed Cidade Velha in the late 18th century, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics. Located in the south of the island of Santiago, the town features some of the original street layout impressive remains ... | 2009 |