The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cabo Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. The fusing of European and various African cultural traditions is reflected in Cabo Verde’s Crioulo language, music, and pano textiles. 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. Cabo Verde continues to sustain 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, Cabo Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cabo Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century – a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese Jews. Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable. Islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits. The more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged their soil fertility and vegetation. For centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.

Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

16 00 N, 24 00 W

Africa

slightly larger than Rhode Island

0 km

965 km

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines

temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic

steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)

salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum

arable land 11.7%; permanent crops 0.7%; permanent pasture 6.2%

35 sq km (2012)

among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population

prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active

soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing

strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site

560,899 (July 2017 est.)

Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)

Roman Catholic 77.3%, Protestant 4.6% (includes Church of the Nazarene 1.7%, Adventist 1.5%, Assembly of God 0.9%, Universal Kingdom of God 0.4%, and God and Love 0.1%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Christian Rationalism 1.9%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, and New Apostolic 0.5%), Muslim 1.8%, other 1.3%, none 10.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)

Cabo Verde’s population descends from its first permanent inhabitants in the late 15th-century – a preponderance of West African slaves, a small share of Portuguese colonists, and even fewer Italians, Spaniards, and Portuguese Jews. Over the centuries, the country’s overall population size has fluctuated significantly, as recurring periods of famine and epidemics have caused high death tolls and emigration.

Labor migration historically reduced Cabo Verde’s population growth and still provides a key source of income through remittances. Expatriates probably outnumber Cabo Verde’s resident population, with most families having a member abroad. Cabo Verdeans have settled in the US, Europe, Africa, and South America. The largest diaspora community in New Bedford, Massachusetts, dating to the early 1800s, is a byproduct of the transatlantic whaling industry. Cabo Verdean men fleeing poverty at home joined the crews of US whaling ships that stopped in the islands. Many settled in New Bedford and stayed in the whaling or shipping trade, worked in the textile or cranberry industries, or operated their own transatlantic packet ships that transported compatriots to the US. Increased Cabo Verdean emigration to the US coincided with the gradual and eventually complete abolition of slavery in the archipelago in 1878.

During the same period, Portuguese authorities coerced Cabo Verdeans to go to Sao Tome and Principe and other Portuguese colonies in Africa to work as indentured laborers on plantations. In the 1920s, when the US implemented immigration quotas, Cabo Verdean emigration shifted toward Portugal, West Africa (Senegal), and South America (Argentina). Growing numbers of Cabo Verdean labor migrants headed to Western Europe in the 1960s and 1970s. They filled unskilled jobs in Portugal, as many Portuguese sought out work opportunities in the more prosperous economies of northwest Europe. Cabo Verdeans eventually expanded their emigration to the Netherlands, where they worked in the shipping industry. Migration to the US resumed under relaxed migration laws. Cabo Verdean women also began migrating to southern Europe to become domestic workers, a trend that continues today and has shifted the gender balance of Cabo Verdean emigration.

Emigration has declined in more recent decades due to the adoption of more restrictive migration policies in destination countries. Reduced emigration along with a large youth population, decreased mortality rates, and increased life expectancies, has boosted population growth, putting further pressure on domestic employment and resources. In addition, Cabo Verde has attracted increasing numbers of migrants in recent decades, consisting primarily of people from West Africa, Portuguese-speaking African countries, Portugal, and China. Since the 1990s, some West African migrants have used Cabo Verde as a stepping stone for illegal migration to Europe.

1.33% (2017 est.)

20 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

-0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable; islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits; the more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation; approximately half of the population lives on Sao Tiago Island, which is the location of the capital of Praia; Mindelo, on the northern island of Sao Vicente, also has a large urban population

PRAIA (capital) 145,000 (2014)

42 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

2.24 children born/woman (2017 est.)

4.8% of GDP (2014)

0.31 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2010)

urban: 94% of population

rural: 87.3% of population

total: 91.7% of population

urban: 6% of population

rural: 12.7% of population

total: 8.3% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 81.6% of population

rural: 54.3% of population

total: 72.2% of population

urban: 1.4% of population

rural: 45.7% of population

total: 27.8% of population (2015 est.)

0.8% (2016 est.)

2,800 (2016 est.)

<100 (2016 est.)

11.8% (2016)

5% of GDP (2013)

parliamentary republic

22 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Porto Novo, Praia, Ribeira Brava, Ribeira Grande, Ribeira Grande de Santiago, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina do Fogo, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Lourenco dos Orgaos, Sao Miguel, Sao Salvador do Mundo, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal, Tarrafal de Sao Nicolau

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

civil law system of Portugal

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

African Party for Independence of Cabo Verde or PAICV [Janira Hopffer ALMADA]

Democratic and Independent Cabo Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO]

Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES]

Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Victor FIDALGO]

Movement for Democracy or MPD [Ulisses CORREIA E SILVA]

Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO]

Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA]

Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]

ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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)

ten, five-pointed, yellow stars; national colors: blue, white, red, yellow

Cabo Verde’s economy is vulnerable to external shocks and depends on development aid, foreign investment, remittances, and tourism. The economy is service-oriented with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Tourism is the mainstay of the economy and depends on conditions in the euro-zone countries. Cabo Verde annually runs a high trade deficit financed by foreign aid and remittances from its large pool of emigrants; remittances as a share of GDP are one of the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Although about 40% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. The island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages, exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought, and poor soil for growing food on several of the islands, requiring it to import most of what it consumes. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited.

Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy and mitigate high unemployment. The government’s elevated debt levels have limited its capacity to finance any shortfalls.

$3.529 billion (2016 est.)

$3.357 billion (2015 est.)

$3.288 billion (2014 est.)

$1.64 billion (2016 est.)

3.8% (2016 est.)

1% (2015 est.)

0.6% (2014 est.)

$6,600 (2016 est.)

$6,500 (2015 est.)

$6,500 (2014 est.)

33.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

33.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

27.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish

food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair

3.2% (2016 est.)

196,100 (2007 est.)

9% (2016 est.)

12.4% (2015 est.)

30% (2000 est.)

26.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

-2.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

123.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

120.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

-1.4% (2016 est.)

0.1% (2015 est.)

7.5% (31 December 2010)

7.5% (31 December 2009)

9.61% (31 December 2016 est.)

10.41% (31 December 2015 est.)

$607.2 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$557.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.601 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.526 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.327 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.324 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$-61 million (2016 est.)

$-78.7 million (2015 est.)

$148.4 million (2016 est.)

$149.2 million (2015 est.)

fuel (re-exports), shoes, garments, fish, hides

Australia 48.6%, Spain 20.2%, Portugal 18.9% (2016)

$691 million (2016 est.)

$630.7 million (2015 est.)

foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels

Portugal 43%, Spain 12.8%, France 5.9%, China 5%, Russia 4.4% (2016)

$572.7 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$494.5 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.688 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.52 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Cabo Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar -

99.688 (2016 est.)

99.688 (2015 est.)

99.426 (2014 est.)

83.114 (2013 est.)

85.82 (2012 est.)

469 million kWh (2015 est.)

436.2 million kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

157,500 kW (2015 est.)

76.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

23.2% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

6,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

5,328 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2016 es)

400,000 Mt (2013 est.)

state-run TV and radio broadcast network plus a growing number of private broadcasters; Portuguese public TV and radio services for Africa are available; transmissions of a few international broadcasters are available (2007)

.cv

D4 (2016)

9 (2013)

0.63% of GDP (2016)

0.57% of GDP (2015)

0.54% of GDP (2014)

0.53% of GDP (2013)

0.56% of GDP (2012)

Armed Forces: Army (also called the National Guard, GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV, includes naval infantry) (2013)

18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 2-years conscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent) (2013)

none

used as a transshipment point for Latin American cocaine destined for Western Europe, particularly because of Lusophone links to Brazil, Portugal, and Guinea-Bissau; has taken steps to deter drug money laundering, including a 2002 anti-money laundering reform that criminalizes laundering the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and other crimes and the establishment in 2008 of a Financial Intelligence Unit