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Cape Verde PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME: Geography People Government Economy GEOGRAPHY Three islands--Sal, Boa Vista, and Maio--generally are level and very dry.
Mountains higher than 1,280 meters (4,200 ft.) are found on Santiago, Fogo,
Santo Antão, and São Nicolau.
Sand carried by high winds has created spectacular rock formations on all
islands, especially the windward ones. Sheer, jagged cliffs rise from the sea on
several of the mountainous islands. Natural vegetation is sparse in the uplands
and coast, but interior valleys support denser growth.
Rainfall is irregular and the archipelago suffers periodic droughts and
consequent food shortages. The average precipitation per year in Praia is 24
centimeters (9.5 in.). During the winter, storms blowing from the Sahara
sometimes cloud the sky, but sunny days are the norm year round.
PEOPLE The official language is Portuguese, but most Cape Verdeans also speak a
Creole dialect--Crioulo--which is based on archaic Portuguese but influenced by
African and European languages. Cape Verde has a rich tradition of Crioulo
literature and music.
HISTORY With the decline in the slave trade, Cape Verde's early prosperity slowly
vanished. However, the islands' position astride mid-Atlantic shipping lanes
made Cape Verde an ideal location for resupplying ships. Because of its
excellent harbor, Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente) became an important
commercial center during the 19th century.
Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in
1951 in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism. Nevertheless, in 1956, Amilcar
Cabral, a Cape Verdean, and a group of Cape Verdeans and Guinea-Bissauans
organized (in Guinea-Bissau) the clandestine African Party for the Independence
of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which demanded improvement in economic,
social, and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed
the basis of the two nations' independence movement. Moving its headquarters to
Conakry, Guinea in 1960, the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal in
1961. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that
pitted 10,000 Soviet bloc-supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and
African troops.
By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite the presence
of the Portuguese troops. The organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese
control in Cape Verde. Following the April 1974 revolution in Portugal, however,
the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde.
In December 1974, the PAIGC and Portugal signed an agreement providing for a
transitional government composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. On June 30,
1975, Cape Verdeans elected a National Assembly, which received the instruments
of independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975.
Immediately following the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese
Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence
in 1974), relations between the two countries became strained. Cape Verde
abandoned its hope for unity with Guinea-Bissau and formed the African Party for
the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Problems have since been resolved, and
relations between the countries are good. The PAICV and its predecessor
established a one-party system and ruled Cape Verde from independence until
1990.
Responding to growing pressure for pluralistic democracy, the PAICV called an
emergency congress in February 1990 to discuss proposed constitutional changes
to end one-party rule. Opposition groups came together to form the Movement for
Democracy (MpD) in Praia in April 1990. Together, they campaigned for the right
to contest the presidential election scheduled for December 1990. The one-party
state was abolished September 28, 1990, and the first multi-party elections were
held in January 1991. The MpD won a majority of the seats in the National
Assembly, and the MpD presidential candidate Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated the
PAICV's candidate by 73.5% of the votes. Legislative elections in December 1995
increased the MpD majority in the National Assembly. The party won 50 of the
National Assembly's 72 seats. A February 1996 presidential election returned
President Mascarenhas Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001
returned power to the PAICV. The PAICV now holds 40 of the National Assembly
seats, MpD 30, and PCD and PTS 1 each. In February 2001, the PAICV-supported
presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MpD leader Carlos Veiga by
only 13 votes. GOVERNMENT The judicial system is comprised of a Supreme Court of Justice--whose members
are appointed by the President, the National Assembly, and the Board of the
Judiciary--and regional courts. Separate courts hear civil, constitutional and
criminal cases. Appeal is to the Supreme Court.
Principal Government Officials Ambassador to the United States--Jose Brito Cape Verde maintains an embassy in the United States at 3415 Massachusetts
Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20007 (tel. 202-965-6820) and one consulate at 535
Boylston ST, Boston MA 02116 (tel. 617-353-0014).
POLITICAL CONDITIONS ECONOMY The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and
public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the
population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about
10% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. An amount
estimated at about 20% of GDP is contributed to the domestic economy through
remittances from expatriate Cape Verdeans.
Since 1991, the government has pursued market-oriented economic policies,
including an open welcome to foreign investors and a far-reaching privatization
program. It established as top development priorities the promotion of market
economy and of the private sector; the development of tourism, light
manufacturing industries, and fisheries; and the development of transport,
communications, and energy facilities. From 1994 to 2000 there were a total of
about U.S.$407 million in foreign investments made or planned, of which 58% were
in tourism, 17% in industry, 4% in infrastructure, and 21% in fisheries and
services.
Fish and shellfish are plentiful, and small quantities are exported. Cape
Verde has cold storage and freezing facilities and fish processing plants in
Mindelo, Praia, and on Sal.
Cape Verde's strategic location at the crossroads of mid-Atlantic air and sea
lanes has been enhanced by significant improvements at Mindelo's harbor (Porto
Grande) and at Sal's international airport. Ship repair facilities at Mindelo
were opened in 1983, and the harbors at Mindelo and Praia were recently
renovated. The major ports are Mindelo and Praia, but all other islands have
smaller port facilities. In addition to the international airport on Sal,
airports have been built on all of the inhabited islands. All but the airport on
Brava enjoyed scheduled air service. The archipelago has 3,050 kilometers (1,830
mi.) of roads, of which 1,010 kilometers (606 mi.) are paved.
FOREIGN RELATIONS In addition, Cape Verde maintains multilateral relations with other lusophone
nations and holds membership in many international organizations.
U.S.-CAPE VERDEAN RELATIONS In the early 18th century, U.S. whaling ships recruited crews from
Brava and Fogo to hunt whales that were abundant in the waters surrounding Cape
Verde. The tradition of emigration
to the United States began at that time and continues today. Both President
Mascarenhas Monteiro and Prime Minister Carlos Veiga visited Cape Verdean
communities in New England during official trips to the United States in 1995
and 1997, respectively.
Official ties between the United States and Cape Verde also date to the early
19th The United States provided emergency humanitarian aid and economic assistance
to Cape Verde in the period immediately following Cape Verde's independence, as
well as after natural disasters including a hurricane that struck the island of
Brava in 1982 a severe volcanic eruption on Fogo in 1995. The United States
normally delivers about 15,000 metric tons of grain yearly to Cape Verde.
Principal U.S. Officials
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000. Passport information can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center's automated system ($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 per minute). The number is 1-900-225-5674 (TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat rate of $4.95) may call 1-888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648). It also is available on the internet. Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800. Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication). U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register at the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see "Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" listing in this publication). This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency. Further Electronic Information National Trade Data Bank (NTDB). Operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the NTDB contains a wealth of trade-related information. It is available on the Internet (www.stat-usa.gov) and on CD-ROM. Call the NTDB Help-Line at (202) 482-1986 for more information. |
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