Cape Verde is a country of Africa. Formed by an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, about 620 kilometers from the west coast of Senegal, Cape Verde has an area of 4033 km2. The largest of the islands is Santiago (991 km2 ), followed by Santo Antão (779 km2 ), Boavista (620 km2 ), Fogo (476 km2 ), São Nicolau (388 km2 ), May (269 km2 ), São Vicente (227 km2 ), Sal (216 km2 ), Brava (67 km2 ) and Santa Luzia (45 km2). The capital is the city of Praia, on the island of Santiago, with 125 000 residents (2009), with other important cities being Mindelo (70 400 residents) (2010) and São Filipe (9550 residents) (2005).
Cape Verde’s climate is dry tropical, with a strong tendency to aridity. February is the coolest month, with an average temperature of 22ºC, in Praia, while the hottest is September, with an average temperature of almost 27ºC. The variability of precipitation is one of the great characteristics of Cape Verde’s climate.
Economy
Despite the scarcity of water, agriculture forms the basis of Cape Verde’s economy. Among the current crops, those that are destined to the basic food of the population, such as corn, beans and manioc stand out. In addition to these, sugar cane, vegetables, bananas, dates, sweet potatoes and potatoes also reveal their predominance. Fishing has enormous potential, but requires greater investment to obtain better results. In the industry, salt production and canned fish stand out. Tourism has been increasing considerably and may constitute one of the main sources of income in the country. Cape Verde’s main trading partners are Portugal, Angola, the Netherlands and Germany.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita(metric tons, 1999), is 0.3.
Population
The population is 516 100 residents (est. 2011), which corresponds to a population density of 103.69 residents/km2. In 2006, birth and death rates were 24.87% and 6.55%. Average life expectancy is 70.73 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.727 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.719 (2001). Ethnicities are divided between Creoles (mestizos), with 71%, blacks (28%) and whites (1%). At the religious level, Catholicism is 96% and Protestantism 4%. The official language is Portuguese, but the majority of the population speaks Creole.
History
Ex-colony of Portugal, Cape Verde was discovered in 1460 by Diogo Gomes and António de Nola when they returned from Guinea. Two years later, in 1462, the first Portuguese settlers settled in Santiago. On this island they founded the city of Ribeira Grande, which became very important for the slave trade. The importance of the city grew in such a way that, in 1541, it was attacked by pirates and, in 1585, by the British. After a strong French attack in 1712, the city was abandoned. For Cape Verde democracy and rights, please check getzipcodes.
After 1876, the islands’ prosperity was dampened by the decline in the slave trade and by corruption and maladministration, which caused water shortages and famine. The end of the 19th century brought some improvement, with the integration of the islands in the major trade routes between Europe, South America and South Africa. But the end of the First World War brought, again, the end of prosperity.
In 1951, the Portuguese colony became an overseas province and, ten years later, all islanders obtained Portuguese citizenship. At this same time, a strong movement in favor of independence was born, led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
The islands of Cape Verde became an independent republic in 1975 and Aristides Pereira, its first president. Later, in 1981, the institution of an autonomous political party, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), was assumed. The Constitution, approved that same year by the National Assembly, formalized the rupture with Guinea-Bissau.
Currently, Cape Verde is a multi-party republic with a legislative assembly.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Cape Verde, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Cape Verde. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Cape Verde
Check out the maps of this group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal. Includes a political map of Cape Verde.
Provides a simple map of the island chain that is situated west of the African continent. Includes statistics on the government, economy, geography, issues, and military.
