Justia)
Leaders:
Chief of State—President Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July 1975);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since 5 July 1975); Deputy Minister Aguinaldo Liboa RAMOS (since NA February 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party—African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Aristides Maria Pereira, secretary general
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections: President—last held 13 January 1986 (next to be held January 1991); results—President Aristides Maria Pereira (PAICV) was reelected without opposition;
National People's Assembly—last held 7 December 1985 (next to be held December 1990); results—PAICV is the only party; seats—(83 total) PAICV 83
Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers
Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965–6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston; US—Ambassador Terry McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone p238o 614–363 or 253
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band
- Economy Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birth rate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 60% of GDP during the period 1984–86. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing and manufacturing sectors are 4% each. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential of the islands is not fully exploited (the fish catch—mostly lobster and tuna—came to only 10,000 tons in 1985). Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants, cash grants, food aid, and foreign loans.
GDP: $158 million, per capita $494; real growth rate 6.1% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.8% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)
Budget: revenues $80 million; expenditures $87 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $8.9 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—fish, bananas, salt; partners—Portugal, Angola, Algeria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Italy
Imports: $124 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities—petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products; partners—Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, US, FRG
External debt: $140 million (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1986 est.)
Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 18 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1989)
Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair
Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops—corn, beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75–88), $83 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–87), $540 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979–89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970–88), $36 million
Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (plural—escudos); 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1—72.31 (February 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Ports: Mindelo and Praia
Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,308
GRT/16,172 DWT
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220–2,439 m
Telecommunications: interisland radio relay system, high-frequency radio to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; 1,740 telephones; stations—5 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP); Army, Navy, and Air
Force are separate components of FARP
Military manpower: males 15–49, 68,776; 40,731 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 11.8% of GDP (1981)—————————————————————————— Country: Cayman Islands (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 160 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)
Terrain: low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs
Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 8% meadows and pastures; 23% forest and woodland; 69% other
Environment: within the Caribbean hurricane belt
Note: important location between Cuba and Central America
- People
Population: 26,356 (July 1990), growth rate 4.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net
