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 birthrate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 65% of GDP during the period 1985–88. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing sector accounts for 4%. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. In 1988 fishing represented only 3.5% of GDP. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants and foreign aid.
_#_GDP: $262 million, per capita $740; real growth rate 3.2% (1988 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (1988 est.)
_#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)
_#_Budget: revenues $98.3 million; expenditures $138.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
_#_Exports: $10.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities—fish, bananas, salt;
partners—Portugal, Angola, Algeria, France, Italy
_#_Imports: $107.8 million (c.i.f., 1989);
commodities—petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products;
partners—Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, FRG
_#_External debt: $150 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 18% (1988 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP
_#_Electricity: 13,000 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair, construction materials, food and beverage production
_#_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
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75–89), $88 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–88), $590 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—64.10 (November 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: 7 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,708 GRT/19,000 DWT
_#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft (4 owned, 1 leased)
_#_Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 1 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 and Navy are separate components of FARP; Militia, Security Service
_#_Manpower availability: males 15–49, 70,771; 41,844 fit for military service
_#Defense expenditures: $15 million, 11% of GDP (1981) % @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: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 23%; other 69%
_#_Environment: within the Caribbean hurricane belt
_#_Note: important location between Cuba and Central America
_*People #_Population: 27,489 (July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 33 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 80 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Caymanian(s); adjective—Caymanian
_#_Ethnic divisions: 40% mixed, 20% white, 20% black, 20% expatriates of various ethnic groups
_#_Religion: United Church (Presbyterian and Congregational), Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic, Church of God, other Protestant denominations
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 98%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)
_#_Labor force: 8,061; service workers 18.7%, clerical 18.6%, construction 12.5%, finance and investment 6.7%, directors and business managers 5.9% (1979)
_#_Organized labor: Global Seaman's Union; Cayman All Trade Union
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: dependent territory of the UK
_#_Capital: George Town
_#_Administrative divisions: 8 districts; Creek, Eastern, Midland, South Town, Spot Bay, Stake Bay, West End, Western
_#_Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
_#_Legal system: British common
