Because of you…
Cape Verde has a newly developing Youth for Christ program and is excitedly moving forward in building relationships with churches and seeking how best to serve the youth community.
Prayer Needs
- God’s direction in leading people to join the ministry of Youth for Christ.
- The salvation of young people in this nation.
- Funding to support the ministry.
- Godly guidance for the National Director as she builds a team around her.
About Cape Verde
Cape Verde
Introduction
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
Location
Location: Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
Geographic Coordinates: 16 00 N, 24 00 W
Area
Total Area: 4,033 sq km Rank: 175
Land Area: 4,033 sq km
Water Area: 0 sq km
Comparison: slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land Boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 965 km
Climate
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
Terrain
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Elevations
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest Point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)
Natural Resources
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
Land Use
Arable land: 11.41%
Permanent Crops: 0.74%
Other: 87.85% (2005)
Irrigated Land: 30 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources: 0.3 cu km (1990)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment
Natural Hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
Environmental Issues: soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing
Environmental Agreements: Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
Geography Notes
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site
People
Population: 429,474 (July 2010 est.) Rank: 171
Age Structure
0-14 years: 35.2% (male 76,012/female 74,993)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 123,376/female 127,653)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 10,040/female 17,400) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 21.4 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: 0.561% (2010 est.) Rank: 151
Birth Rate: 23.5 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 76
Death Rate: 6.22 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 155
Net Migration Rate: -11.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 175
Urbanization
Urban Population: 60% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 41.35 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 65
Life Expectancy at Birth: 71.61 years Rank: 128
Fertility Rate: 2.54 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 69
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 0.04% (2001 est.) Rank: 167
People living with HIV/AIDS: 775 (2001) Rank: 144
HIV/AIDS Deaths: 225 (as of 2001) Rank: 103
Nationality and Culture
Noun: Cape Verdean(s)
Adjective: Cape Verdean
Ethnic Groups: Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
Religion: Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)
Languages: Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 76.6% Male: 85.8% Female: 69.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 12 years Male: 11 years Female: 12 years (2006)
Education expenditures: 6.3% of GDP (2006) Rank: 34
Government
Country Name
Conventional Long Form: Republic of Cape Verde
Conventional Short Form: Cape Verde
Local Long Form: Republica de Cabo Verde
Local Short Form: Cabo Verde
Government Type: republic
Capital: Praia Geographic Coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W
Administrative divisions
17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal
Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
Constitution: 25 September 1992; a major revision on 23 November 1995 substantially increased the powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica)
Legal system: based on the legal system of Portugal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive Branch
Chief of State: President Pedro Verona Rodriques PIRES (since 22 March 2001)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 12 February 2006 (next to be held in February 2011); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president
Election Results: Pedro PIRES reelected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 51.2%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 48.8%
Legislative Branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%, UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV 41, MPD 29, UCID 2
Judicial branch
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic and Independent Cape 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 [Jorge SANTOS]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Isaias RODRIGUES]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM]
Political pressure groups and leaders: environmentalists; political pressure groups
International Organization Participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AOSIS, AU, CD, CPLP, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag Description: 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)
Economy
Economy Overview: This island economy suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service oriented with commerce, transport, tourism, and public services accounting for about three-fourths of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. Cape Verde became a member of the WTO in July 2008.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.801 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 185
GDP - real growth rate: 1.8% (2009 est.) Rank: 88
GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,600 (2009 est.) Rank: 160
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 9.1% Industry: 16.3% Services: 74.6% (2009 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 196,100 (2007) Rank: 169
Unemployment Rate: 21% (2000 est.) Rank: 167
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 30% (2000)
Transnational Issues
International Disputes: none
