permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.85% (2005)
Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.3 cu km (1990)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m, 9,281 ft), which last erupted in 1995, is Cape Verde's only active volcano
Environment - current 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
Environment - international 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
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 ::Cape Verde
Population:
508,659 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
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:
total: 22.3 years
male: 21.4 years
female: 23.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.459% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Birth rate:
21.67 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Death rate:
6.41 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 153
Net migration rate:
−0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 148
Urbanization:
urban population: 60% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 27.89 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 78 male: 31.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.41 years country comparison to the world: 144 male: 68.24 years
female: 72.64 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.54 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.04% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
775 (2001) country comparison to the world: 144
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
225 (as of 2001) country comparison to the world: 103
Nationality:
noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean
Ethnic groups:
Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly
Church of the Nazarene)
Languages:
Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West
African words)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.6%
male: 85.8%
female: 69.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.7% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 39
Government ::Cape Verde
Country
