Cape Verde

Republic of Cape Verde República de Cabo Verde   (Portuguese)
Flag National emblem
Anthem: Cântico da Liberdade  (Portuguese) Song of Freedom
Location of Cape Verde in the globe
Topographic map of Cape Verde
Capital (and largest city)		Praia 14°55′N 23°31′W / 14.917°N 23.517°W / 14.917; -23.517
Official language(s)		Portuguese
Recognised regional languages		Cape Verdean Creole
Ethnic groups		Creole (mulatto) 71% African 10% European 20%
Demonym		Cape Verdean
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Jorge Carlos Fonseca
-	Prime Minister	José Maria Neves
Legislature		National Assembly
Independence
-	from Portugal	July 5, 1975
Area
-	Total	4,033 km2 (172nd) 1,557 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2010 estimate	567,000[1] (165th)
-	2009 census	509,000[2]
-	Density	125.5/km2 (89th) 325.0/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2012 estimate
-	Total	$2.167 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$4,112.256[3]
GDP (nominal)		2012 estimate
-	Total	$1.941 billion[3]
-	Per capita	$3,682.006[3]
HDI (2011)		0.568[4] (medium) (133rd)
Currency		Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Time zone		CVT (UTC-1)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC-1)
Drives on the		right
ISO 3166 code		CV
Internet TLD		.cv
Calling code		+238

Cape Verde ⁱ/ˌkeɪp ˈvɜrd/ (Portuguese: Cabo Verde, pronounced: [ˈkabu ˈveɾdɨ]), officially the Republic of Cape Verde, is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. The islands, covering a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), are of volcanic origin and while three of them (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) are fairly flat, sandy and dry, the remaining ones are generally rockier and have more vegetation. However, because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall the overall landscape is not particularly green.

The name of the country stems from the nearby Cap Vert, on the Senegalese coast,^[5] which in its turn was originally named "Cabo Verde" when it was sighted by Portuguese explorers in 1444, a few years before the islands were discovered (verde is Portuguese for "green").

The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th Century, and became important in the Atlantic slave trade for their location. The islands' prosperity often attracted privateers and pirates, including Sir Francis Drake, a corsair (privateer) under the authority of the British crown, who twice sacked the (then) capital Ribeira Grande, in the 1580s. The islands were also visited by Charles Darwin's expedition in 1832. The decline in the slave trade in the 19th century resulted in an economic crisis for the islands. With few natural resources, and without strong sustainable investment from the Portuguese, the citizens grew increasingly discontent with the colonial masters, who nevertheless refused to provide the local authorities with more autonomy. This discontent festered and culminated in 1975, when a movement originally led by Amílcar Cabral who was assassinated on 20 January 1973 then passed onto his half-brother Luís Cabral, achieved independence for the archipelago.

The country has an estimated population (most of creole ethnicity) of about 500,000, with its capital city Praia accounting for a quarter of its citizens. Nearly 38% of the population lives in rural areas according to the 2010 Cape Verdean census; about 20% lives below the poverty threshold,^[6] and the literacy rate is around 85%. Politically, the country is a very stable democracy, with notable economic growth and improvements of living conditions despite its lack of natural resources, and has garnered international recognition by other countries and international organizations, which often provide development aid. Since 2007, Cape Verde has been classified as a developing nation.

Tough economic times during the last decades of its colonization and the first years of Cape Verde's independence led many to migrate to Europe, the Americas and other African countries. This migration was so significant that the number of Cape Verdeans and their descendants living abroad currently exceeds the population of Cape Verde itself. Historically, the influx of remittances from these immigrant communities to their families has provided a substantial contribution to help strengthen the country's economy. Currently, the Cape Verdean economy is mostly service-oriented with a growing focus on tourism and foreign investment, which benefits from the islands' warm climate throughout the year, diverse landscape, welcoming people^{[citation needed]} and cultural richness, especially in music.

History

View of Monte Cara from Mindelo

The Serra Malagueta mountain range in the northern part of the island of Santiago

The sandy Viana desert on the island of Boa Vista

Before the arrival of Europeans, the Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited. The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago were discovered by Italian and Portuguese navigators around 1456. According to Portuguese official records ^[7] the first discoveries were made by Genoese born Antonio de Noli, who was afterwards appointed governor of Cape Verde by Portuguese King Afonso V. Other navigators mentioned as contributing with discoveries in the Cape Verde archipelago are Diogo Gomes, Diogo Dias, Diogo Afonso and the Italian Alvise Cadamosto.

In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded a settlement they called Ribeira Grande (now called Cidade Velha, to avoid being confused with the town of Ribeira Grande on the Santo Antão island). Ribeira Grande was the first permanent European settlement in the tropics.^[8]

In the 16th century, the archipelago prospered from the transatlantic slave trade.^[8] Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Sir Francis Drake, a British corsair, sacked Ribeira Grande in 1585.^[8] After a French attack in 1712, the town declined in importance relative to nearby Praia, which became the capital in 1770.^[8]

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 re-supplying ships. Because of its excellent harbour, Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente) became an important commercial centre during the 19th century.^[8]

In 1951, Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism. In 1956, Amilcar Cabral, and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organised (in Portuguese Guinea) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea 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.^[8]

By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite the presence of the Portuguese troops, but the organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974. Following the April 1974 revolution in Portugal, 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.^[8]

Immediately following the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau, relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau 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.^[8]

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 MPD presidential candidate António Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated the PAICV's candidate with 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 Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001 returned power to the PAICV, with the PAICV holding 40 of the National Assembly seats, MPD 30, and Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD) and Party for Labor and Solidarity (PTS) 1 each. In February 2001, the PAICV-supported presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MPD leader Carlos Veiga by only 13 votes.^[8]

Geography

The beach of Calhau, with Monte Verde in the background, on the island of São Vicente

The summit of Pico do Fogo, the highest peak in the Cape Verde archipelago, located on the island of Fogo

Natural salt evaporation ponds at Pedra de Lume, on the island of Sal

Terra satellite took this photo of Cape Verde islands on November 23, 2010.

The Cape Verde archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 570 kilometres (350 mi) off the coast of West Africa, near Mauritania and Senegal, and is part of the Macaronesia ecoregion. It lies between latitudes 14° and 18°N, and longitudes 22° and 26°W.

The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets,^[10] that constitute an area of 4033 km².^[10]

The islands are spatially divided into two groups:

• The Ilhas de Barlavento (English:  windward islands): Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista;^[10] and
• The Ilhas de Sotavento (English:  leeward islands): Maio, Santiago, Fogo, Brava.^[10]

The largest island, both in size and population, is Santiago, which hosts the nation's capital, Praia, the principal agglomeration in the archipelago.^[10]

Physical geography

Magnetic anomalies identified in the vicinity of the archipelago indicate that the structures forming the islands date back 125-150 million years: the islands themselves date from 8 million (in the west) to 20 million years (in the east).^[11] The oldest exposed rocks occurred on Maio and northern peninsula of Santiago and are 128-131 million year old pillow lavas. The first stage of volcanism in the islands began in the early Miocene, and reached its peak at the end of this period, when the islands reached their maximum sizes. Historical volcanism (within human settlement) has been restricted to the island of Fogo.

The origin of the islands' volcanism has been attributed to a hotspot, associated with bathymetric swell that formed the Cape Verde Rise.^[12] The Rise is one of the largest protuberances in the world's oceans, rising 2.2 kilometers in a semi-circular region of 1200 km², associated with a rise of the geoid and elevated surface heat flow.^[11]

Though Cape Verde's islands are all volcanic in origin, they vary widely in terrain.^[10]

Most recently erupting in 1995, Pico do Fogo is the largest active volcano in the region. It has a 8 km (5 mi) diameter caldera, whose rim is 1,600 m (5,249 ft) altitude and an interior cone that rises to 2,829 m (9,281 ft) above sea level. The caldera resulted from subsidence, following the partial evacuation (eruption) of the magma chamber, along a cylindrical column from within magma chamber (at a depth of 8 km (5 mi)).

Geologically, the islands are principally composed of igneous rocks, with volcanic structures and pyroclastic debris comprising the majority of the archipelago's total volume. The volcanic and plutonic rocks are distinctly basic; the archipelago is a soda-alkaline petrographic province, with a petrologic succession which is similar to that found in other Macaronesian islands.

Extensive salt flats are found on Sal and Maio.^[10] On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along the base of towering mountains.^[10]

Ocean cliffs have been formed by catastrophic debris avalanches. ^[13]

According to the president of Nauru, Cape Verde has been ranked the eighth most endangered nation due to flooding from climate change.^[14]

Climate

Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures on the islands.^[10] Average daily high temperatures range from 25 °C (77 °F) in January to 29 °C (84.2 °F) in September.^[9] Cape Verde is part of the Sahelian arid belt, with nothing like the rainfall levels of nearby West Africa.^[10] It does rain irregularly between August and October, with frequent brief-but-heavy downpours.^[10] A desert is usually defined as terrain which receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of annual rainfall. Cape Verde's total (261 mm/10.3 in) is slightly above this criterion, which makes the area climate semi-desert.

The islands, covering a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), are of volcanic origin and while three of them (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) are fairly flat, sandy and dry, the remaining ones are generally rockier and have more vegetation. However, because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall the overall landscape is not particularly green. The archipelago can be divided into four broad ecological zones: arid, semiarid, subhumid and humid, according to altitude and average annual rainfall ranging from 200 mm in the arid areas of the coast to more than 1000 mm in the humid mountain. Mostly rainfall precipitation is due to condensation of the ocean mist.

In some islands, as Santiago, the wetter climate of the interior and the eastern coast contrasts with the dryer one in the south/southwest coast. Praia, located on the southeast coast, is the largest city of the island, and also the largest city and capital of the country.

Because of their proximity to the Sahara, most of the Cape Verde islands are dry, but on islands with high mountains and farther away from the coast, by orography, the humidity is much higher, providing a rainforest habitat, although much affected by the human presence. Northeastern slopes of high mountains often receive a lot of rain while southwest slopes do not. This umbria areas are identified with cool and moisture. Some islands, with steep mountains, are covered with vegetation where the dense ocean moisture condenses and soaks the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss etc.

Hurricanes that form near the Cape Verde Islands are sometimes referred to as Cape Verde-type hurricanes. These hurricanes can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters.

Biome

Cape Verde's isolation has resulted in the islands having a number of endemic species, particularly bird and reptiles, many of which are endangered by human development. Endemic birds include Alexander's Swift (Apus alexandri), Bourne's Heron (Ardea purpurea bournei), the Raso Lark (Alauda razae), the Cape Verde Warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis), and the Iago Sparrow (Passer iagoensis).^[15] The islands are also an important breeding area for seabirds including the Cape Verde Shearwater. Reptiles include the Cape Verde Giant Gecko (Tarentola gigas).

Human geography

Aerial view of the capital of the archipelago, Praia, on the island of Santiago

Vista of Nova Sintra, the municipal seat of Brava

Cape Verde is divided into 22 municipalities (concelhos) and subdivided into 32 parishes (freguesias), based on the religious parishes that existed during the colonial period:

View of downtown Mindelo en Baía do Porto Grande, São Vicente

The uninhabited islets Ilhéus Secos or Ilhéus do Rombo as seen from off the coast, with the town of Nova Sintra in the foreground

Demographics

Population pyramid (demographics) showing age distribution of males to females (2005)

Most of the population is of creole ethnicity, mixed from Sephardic Jewish people, African, and European descent.

A genetic study revealed that the ancestry of the population in Cape Verde is 15.9% African and 84.1% European-Middle Eastern in the male line and more than 90% West African in the female line; counted together the percentage is 57% African and 43% European. ^[16]

Around 95% of the population is Christian (more than 85 percent of the population is nominally Roman Catholic,^[17] though for a minority of the population Catholicism is syncretized with African influences).^[2] The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene; other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and various other Pentecostal and evangelical groups.)^[17] There are a small Muslim community.^[17] The number of atheists is estimated at less than 1 percent of the population.^[17]

Cape Verde's official language is Portuguese. It is the language of instruction and government. However, the Cape Verdean Creole is used colloquially and is the mother tongue of virtually all Cape Verdeans. Cape Verdean Creole or Kriolu is a dialect continuum of a Portuguese-based creole, which varies from island to island. There is a substantial body of literature in Creole, especially in the Santiago Creole and the São Vicente Creole. Creole has been gaining prestige since the nation's independence from Portugal. However, the differences between the varied forms of the language within the islands have been a major obstacle in the way of standardization of the language. Some people have advocated the development of two standards: a North (Barlavento) standard, centered on the São Vicente Creole, and a South (Sotavento) standard, centered on the Santiago Creole. Manuel Veiga, PhD, a linguist by training, and Minister of Culture of Cape Verde, is the premier proponent of Kriolu's officialization and standardization. The demographic statistics site ESA says Cape Verde has a population of 567,000 in 2010.

Largest cities

view talk edit view talk edit Largest cities or towns of Cape Verde GeoNames
	Rank	City name	Municipality	Pop.
Praia Mindelo	1	Praia	Praia	127 832
	2	Mindelo	São Vicente	70 611
	3	Santa Maria	Sal	25 779
	4	Assomada	Santa Catarina	12 026
	5	São Filipe	São Filipe	9 550
	6	Pedra Badejo	Santa Cruz	9 488
	7	Tarrafal	Tarrafal	6 463
	8	Porto Novo	Porto Novo	5 580
	9	Ribeira Brava	Ribeira Brava	5 324
	10	Ponta do Sol	Ribeira Grande	4 064

Emigration

Local women on the island of Santiago

Today, more Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde itself, with significant emigrant^[18] Cape Verdean communities in the United States (500,000 Cape Verdeans descent, with a major concentration on the New England coast from Providence, Rhode Island, to New Bedford, Massachusetts). There are also significant Cape Verde populations in Portugal (150,000), Angola (45,000), São Tomé and Príncipe (25,000), Senegal (25,000), the Netherlands (20,000, of which 15,000 are concentrated in Rotterdam), France (25,000), Scandinavia (7,000), Italy (10,000) and Spain (12,500). There is also a Cape Verdean community in Argentina numbering 8,000. A large number of Cape Verdeans and people of Cape Verdean descent that emigrated before 1975 are not included in these statistics, because all the Cape Verdeans had Portuguese passports before 1975.

There are approximately 3,000 Chinese immigrants in Cape Verde, as well as citizens of the African mainland (most of these immigrants hail from West Africa), there are also a significant number of citizens of Europe and South America (Brazil) residing in the country. There are an estimated 20,000 immigrants in Cape Verde of which 14,373 are legal residents.

In the USA, the children and grandchildren of the first immigrant waves became involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. This led them to make links with other US black groups. Cape-Verdean Americans have also been involved in the US Army for centuries; in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars.^[19] Cape Verdeans moved to places all over the world, from Macau to Haiti to Argentina to northern Europe.^[20]

Politics

Former President of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires, meeting with the then Brazilian president Lula da Silva

Cape Verde is a stable representative Parliamentary republic.^[21] The constitution —adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995 and 1999— defines the basic principles of its government. The president is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The prime minister is the head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for 5-year terms. Three parties now hold seats in the National Assembly—PAICV 40, MPD 30, and Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) 2.^[8]

The judicial system consists 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.^[8]

Cape Verde follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states.^[8] Angola, Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Senegal, Russia and the United States maintain embassies in Praia.^[8] Cape Verde is actively interested in foreign affairs, especially in Africa.^[8] It has bilateral relations with some Lusophone nations and holds membership in a number of international organisations.^[8] It also participates in most international conferences on economic and political issues.^[8] Since 2007, Cape Verde has a special partnership status^[22] with the EU, under the Cotonou Agreement, and might apply for special membership.^[23]

The military of Cape Verde consists of a coast guard and an army; 0.7% of the country's GDP was spent on the military in 2005.

International recognition

Cape Verde is often praised as an example among African nations, for its stability and developmental growth despite its lack of natural resources. Among others, it has been recognized with the following assessments:

Moreover, on 10 October 2011 Cape Verde became the 119th state which ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Cape Verde becomes the 119th State to Join the Rome Statute System).

Economy

Municipal market in S. Vicente

Cape Verde has few natural resources, scant rainfall and limited supplies of fresh water.^{[citation needed]} Only four of the ten main islands (Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and Brava) normally support significant agricultural production,^[32] and over 90% of all food consumed in Cape Verde is imported. Mineral resources include salt, pozzolana (a volcanic rock used in cement production), and limestone.^[8] Its small number of wineries making Portuguese-style wines have traditionally focused on the domestic market, but have recently met with some international acclaim. A number of wine tours of Cape Verde's various microclimates began to be offered in spring 2010 and can be arranged through the tourism office.^[33]

The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP.^{[citation needed]} Although nearly 38% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about 9% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. 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. Expatriate Cape Verdeans contribute an amount estimated at about 20% of GDP to the domestic economy through remittances.^[8]

Graphical depiction of Cape Verde's product exports in 28 color coded categories.

Since 1991, the government has pursued market-oriented economic policies, including an open welcome to foreign investors and a far-reaching privatization programme. It established as top development priorities the promotion of a 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 about $407 million in foreign investments were made or planned, of which 58% were in tourism,^[34] 17% in industry, 4% in infrastructure, and 21% in fisheries and services.^[8]

In 2011, on 4 islands a windfarm was built, that in total supplies about 25% of the electricity of the country. With this amount it is one of the top countries for renewable energy.^[35]

Between 2000 and 2009, real GDP increased on average by over 7 percent a year, well above the average for Sub-Saharan countries and faster than most small island economies in the region. Strong economic performance was bolstered by one of the fastest growing tourism industries in the world, as well as by substantial capital inflows that allowed Cape Verde to build up national currency reserves to the current 3.5 months of imports. Unemployment has been falling rapidly, and the country is on track to achieve most of the UN Millenium Development Goals – including halving its 1990 poverty level.

In 2007, Cape Verde joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and in 2008 the country graduated from Least Developed Country (LDC) to Middle Income Country (MIC) status.^[36][37]

Cape Verde has significant cooperation with Portugal at every level of the economy, which has led it to link its currency first to the Portuguese escudo and, in 1999, to the euro. On June 23, 2008 Cape Verde became the 153rd member of the WTO.^[38]

Development

The European Commission's total allocation for the period of 2008–2013 foreseen for Cape Verde to address "poverty reduction, in particular in rural and periurban areas where women are heading the households, as well as good governance" amounts to €54.1 million.^[39]

Wildlife

Tourism

The collection of sailing ships in Porto Grande, Mindelo on the island of São Vicente: tourism is a growing source of income on the islands

Cape Verde's strategic location at the crossroads of mid-Atlantic air and sea lanes has been enhanced by significant improvements at Mindelo's harbour (Porto Grande) and at Sal's and Praia's international airports. A new international airport was opened in Boa Vista in December 2007, and on the island of Sao Vicente, the newest international airport (Sao Pedro Airport) in Cape Verde, was opened in late 2009. Ship repair facilities at Mindelo were opened in 1983. 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 enjoy scheduled air service. The archipelago has 3,050 km (1,895 mi) of roads, of which 1,010 km (628 mi) are paved, most using cobblestone.^[8]

The country's future economic prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, outsourcing labour to neighbouring African countries, and the momentum of the government's development programme.^[8]

Tourism has increased in recent years. Large hotels have been built across the country in an effort to boost tourism. In particular, on the islands of Boa Vista (Club Hotel Riu Karamboa (750 rooms)), and Sal (Club Hotel Riu Funana/Garopa (1000 rooms)--the largest hotel in all of West Africa). The Cape Verde islands have a relatively low crime rate and beautiful beaches, as well as having engaging local people. Tourists and leisure seekers from across Europe and the world are coming to the country in larger numbers.

In 2011, about 475,294 tourists visited the archipelago.

Transport

Culture

A group playing morna

Cape Verdean social and cultural patterns are similar to those of rural Portugal and Africa.^[10] Football (Futebol) games and church activities are typical sources of social interaction and entertainment.^[10] The traditional walk around the praça (town square) to meet friends is practiced regularly in Cape Verde towns.^[10] In towns with electricity, television is available on two channels (Cape Verdean and Portuguese).^[10]

Cape Verde music incorporates Portuguese, Caribbean, African, and Brazilian influences.^[40] Cape Verde's quintessential national music is the morna, a melancholy and lyrical song form typically sung in Cape Verdean Creole. The most popular music genre after morna is the coladeira followed by funaná and batuque music. Amongst the most worldwide known Cape Verdean singers, are the singers Ildo Lobo and Cesaria Evora whose songs became a hallmark of the country and its culture. There are also well known artists born to Cape Verdean parents who excelled themselves in the international music scene. Amongst these artists are jazz pianist Horace Silver, Duke Ellington's saxophonist Paul Gonsalves, Paul Pena, the Tavares brothers and singer Lura.

Dance forms include the soft dance morna, the extreme sensuality of coladeira including the modernized version called passada (similar to the zouk from Guadeloupe), the Funaná (a sensual mixed Portuguese and African dance), and the Batuque dance.

Cape Verdean literature is one of the richest of Lusophone Africa. Famous poets include Paulino Vieira, Manuel de Novas, Sergio Frusoni, Eugénio Tavares, and B. Léza, and famous authors include Baltasar Lopes da Silva, António Aurélio Gonçalves, Manuel Lopes, Orlanda Amarílis, Henrique Teixeira de Sousa, and Germano Almeida.

Cuisine

The Cape Verde diet is mostly based on fish and staple foods like corn and rice. Vegetables available during most of the year are potatoes, onions, tomatoes, manioc, cabbage, kale, and dried beans. Fruits such as banana and papayas are available year-round, while others like mangos and avocados are seasonal.^[10] A popular dish served in Cape Verde is Cachupa, a slow cooked stew of corn (hominy), beans, and fish or meat.

Health

Health Clinic in a residential area in Praia.

Teachers' Training College in Praia.

The infant mortality rate in Cape Verde is 21 per 1,000 live births. The AIDS prevalence rate is 0.8%. The mean years of schooling of adults over 25 years is 7. Life expectancy in Cape Verde is 70.5 years for males and 77.7 years for females according to the country's official statistics [1]. Cape Verde's population is among the healthiest in Africa. Since its independence, it has greatly improved its health indicators, and besides having been promoted to the group of "medium development" countries in 2007, leaving the Least Developed Countries category (which is only the second time it has happened to a country^[41]), is currently the 10th best ranked country in Africa in terms of Human Development Index.

Education

Kindergarten graduation in Santiago island, Cape Verde

Primary school education in Cape Verde is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 14 years and free for children ages 6 to 12.^[42] In 2008, the net enrollment ratio for primary school was 84%.^[43] While enrollment rates indicate a level of commitment to education, they do not always reflect children's participation in school.^[42] Approximately 85% of the total population over 15 years of age is literate.^[44] Textbooks have been made available to 90 percent of school children, and 83 percent of the teachers have attended in-service teacher training.^[42] Although most children have access to education, some problems remain.^[42] For example, many students and some teachers speak Creole at home and have a poor command of Portuguese (the language of instruction); there is insufficient spending on school materials, lunches, and books; and there is a high repetition rate for certain grades.^[42]

Football

Although the Cape Verde national football team represents Cape Verde abroad, many internationally known football players were born in Cape Verde, or were descendants of Cape Verdeans, and play for other nation's teams. Several currently play, or have played, in the Portuguese league or national team, such as Nani, Jorge Andrade, Rolando or Nélson Marcos. Henrik Larsson (whose father is Cape Verdean) played for Sweden, Patrick Vieira (whose mother is Cape Verdean) played for France, while Gelson Fernandes (who was born in Praia) plays for Switzerland.

Windsports

Cape Verde is famous for wavesailing (a type of windsurfing) and kiteboarding. Josh Angulo, a Hawaiian and 2009 PWA Wave World Champion, has done much to promote the archipelago as a windsurfing destination. Cape Verde is now his adopted country.

Mitu Monteiro, a local kitesurfer, was the 2008 Kite Surfing World Champion in the wave discipline. The lives of Mitu and his 2 lifelong friends Titik and Djo and their unique exposure to windsurfing and kitesurfing is chronicled in a short film by Thierry Albert and Marcus Werner Hed called "The Boys from Ponta Preta"

See also

	Geography portal
	Africa portal
	Cape Verde portal

• Outline of Cape Verde
• Index of Cape Verde-related articles

References

Notes

Sources

• J.Pim, C. Pierce, A.B.Watts, I. Grevemeyer, A. Krabbenhoeft (5 May 2008). "Crustal structure and origin of the Cape Verde Rise". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Elesiever. pp. 422–428. http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/~tony/watts/downloads/Pim_etal_2008.pdf. 
• Carling, Jorgen; Ball, R; Ranieri, WF; Beck, AT (2004). Emigration, Return and Development in Cape Verde: The Impact of Closing Borders. "Population, Space and Place". Journal of clinical psychology (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.) 55 (10): 113–132. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199901)55:1<117::AID-JCLP12>3.0.CO;2-A. PMID 10100838. http://www.prio.no/sptrans/-1578661404/2004jc002.pdf. 
• Ramalho, R.; Helffrich, G.; Schmidt, D.; Vance, D. (2010). Tracers of Uplift and Subsidence in the Cape Verde Archipelago. "Journal of the Geological Society". Journal of the Geological Society (London, England: Geological Society of London) 167 (3): 519–538. doi:10.1144/0016-76492009-056. http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/webdav/site/GSL/shared/Sup_pubs/2010/18390SupPub.pdf. 

External links

• Official website of the Government of Cape Verde
• Official website of the President of Cape Verde
• Cape Verde at the Open Directory Project
• Cape Verde entry at The World Factbook
• Wikimedia Atlas of Cape Verde
• Cape Verde travel guide from Wikitravel
• Cape Verde from State.gov
• Country Profile from BBC News
• Cape Verde entry on Encyclopædia Britannica
• Cape Verde from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Key Development Forecasts for Cape Verde from International Futures

v t e Cape Verde topics Politics and law Elections · Flag · Emblem · Foreign relations · Military · Law Enforcement · National Assembly · Political parties · President · Prime Minister · LGBT rights History African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde · Colonial heads Geography Administrative divisions · Cities · Climate · Extreme points · Islands (Barlavento · Sotavento) · Mountains · Ports · Streams · Villages and settlements · Volcanoes · Wildlife Economy and infrastructure Agriculture · Airports · Communications · Companies · Currency · Stock market · Tourism · Transport Culture and society Cape Verdean Creole · Cape Verdean Portuguese · Crime · Demographics · Education · Football · Health · Notable Cape Verdeans · Holidays · Media · Music · Religion · Women

v t e Countries and territories of Africa Sovereign states Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia France Mayotte Réunion Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Italy Pantelleria Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Portugal Madeira Rwanda São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Spain Canary Islands Ceuta Melilla Plazas de soberanía Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Yemen Socotra Zambia Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Azawad Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Somaliland Dependencies Îles Éparses (France) Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Unclear sovereignty Western Sahara

International membership and history v t e Member states of the African Union (AU) Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe v t e Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Members Angola Brazil Cape Verde East Timor Guinea-Bissau Mozambique Portugal São Tomé and Príncipe Observers Equatorial Guinea Mauritius Senegal Interested Andorra Croatia Galicia Goa Macau Morocco Malacca Philippines Romania Ukraine v t e States belonging to the Community of Democracies at the United Nations Members  Cape Verde  Chile  Czech Republic  El Salvador  India  Italy  Lithuania  Mali  Mexico  Mongolia  Morocco  Philippines  Poland  Portugal  South Africa  South Korea  United States v t e South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Members Angola Argentina Benin Brazil Cameroon Cape Verde Republic of the Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Côte d'Ivoire Equatorial Guinea Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Namibia Nigeria São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa Togo Uruguay Ministerial Meetings 2nd (1993) 3rd (1994) 4th (1996) 5th (1998) 6th (2007) v t e Latin Union Member nations Andorra Angola Bolivia Brazil Cape Verde Chile Colombia Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Cuba Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador El Salvador France Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Haiti Honduras Italy Mexico Moldova Monaco Mozambique Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Philippines Portugal Romania San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Spain Uruguay Venezuela Permanent observers Argentina Holy See Sovereign Military Order of Malta Official languages Catalan French Italian Portuguese Romanian Spanish v t e Portuguese Overseas Empire North Africa 15th century 1415–1640  Ceuta 1458–1550  Alcácer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 1471–1550  Arzila (Asilah) 1471–1662  Tangier 1485–1550  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487– middle 16th century  Ouadane 1488–1541  Safim (Safi) 1489  Graciosa 16th century 1505–1769  Santa Cruz do Cabo  de Gué (Agadir) 1506–1525  Mogador (Essaouira) 1506–1525  Aguz (Souira Guedima) 1506–1769  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1513–1541  Azamor (Azemmour) 1515  São João da Mamora (Mehdya) 1577–1589  Arzila (Asilah) Sub-Saharan Africa 15th century 1455–1633  Anguim 1462–1975  Cape Verde 1470–1975  São Tomé1 1474–1778  Annobón 1478–1778  Fernando Poo (Bioko) 1482–1637  Elmina (São Jorge  da Mina) 1482–1642  Portuguese Gold Coast 1508–1547 (1600)  Madagascar2 1498–1540  Mascarene Islands 16th century 1500–1630  Malindi 1500–1975  Príncipe1 1501–1975  Portuguese E. Africa  (Mozambique) 1502–1659  Saint Helena 1503–1698  Zanzibar 1505–1512  Quíloa (Kilwa) 1506–1511  Socotra 1557–1578  Accra 1575–1975  Portuguese W. Africa  (Angola) 1588–1974  Cacheu3 1593–1698  Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 1645–1888  Ziguinchor 1680–1961  São João Baptista de Ajudá 1687–1974  Bissau3 18th century 1728–1729  Mombassa (Mombasa) 1753–1975  São Tomé and Príncipe 19th century 1879–1974  Portuguese Guinea 1885–1975  Portuguese Congo   1 Part of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1753.   2 A Factory (Anosy region) and small temporary coastal bases.   3 Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Southwest Asia 16th century 1506–1615  Gamru (Bandar-Abbas) 1507–1643  Sohar 1515–1622  Hormuz (Ormus) 1515–1648  Quriyat 1515–?   Qalhat 1515–1650  Muscat 1515?–?   Barka 1515–1633? Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 1521–1602  Bahrain (Muharraq and Manama) 1521–1529?  Qatif 1521?–1551? Tarut Island 1550–1551  Qatif 1588–1648  Matrah 17th century 1620–?   Khor Fakkan 1621?–?   As Sib 1621–1622  Qeshm 1623–?   Khasab 1623–?   Libedia 1624–?   Kalba 1624–?   Madha 1624–1648  Dibba Al-Hisn 1624?–?   Bandar-e Kong Indian subcontinent 15th century 1498–1545  Laccadive Islands       (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India · 1500–1663  Cochim (Kochi) · 1501–1663  Cannanore (Kannur) · 1502–1658, 1659-1661  Quilon (Coulão/Kollam) · 1502–1661  Pallipuram (Cochin de Cima) · 1507–1657  Negapatam (Nagapatnam) · 1510–1962  Goa · 1512–1525, 1750  Calicut (Kozhikode) · 1518–1619  Portuguese Paliacate trading outpost (Pulicat) · 1521–1740  Chaul · 1523–1662  Mylapore · 1528–1666  Chittagong · 1531–1571  Chaul · 1531–1571  Chalé · 1534–1601  Salsette Island · 1534–1661  Bombay (Mumbai) · 1535  Ponnani · 1535–1739  Baçaím (Vasai-Virar) · 1536–1662  Cranganore (Kodungallur) · 1540–1612  Surat · 1548–1658  Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) 16th century (continued) Portuguese India (continued) · 1559–1962  Daman and Diu · 1568–1659  Mangalore · 1579–1632  Hugli · 1598–1610  Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 1518–1521  Maldives 1518–1658  Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 1558–1573  Maldives 17th century Portuguese India · 1687–1749  Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India · 1779–1954  Dadra and Nagar Haveli East Asia and Oceania 16th century 1511–1641  Portuguese Malacca 1512–1621  Maluku · 1522–1575  Ternate · 1576–1605  Ambon · 1578–1650  Tidore 1512–1665  Makassar 1553–1999  Macau 1571–1639  Decima (Dejima, Nagasaki) 17th century 1642–1975  Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1 19th century Macau · 1864–1999  Coloane · 1849–1999  Portas do Cerco · 1851–1999  Taipa · 1890–1999  Ilha Verde 20th century Macau · 1938–1941  Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1  1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002, East Timor's independence was recognized by Portugal & the world. North America and the North Atlantic Ocean 15th century 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century 1500–1579?  Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 1500–1579?  Labrador 1516–1579?  Nova Scotia Central and South America 16th century 1500–1822  Brazil 1536–1620  Barbados 17th century 1680–1777  Nova Colónia do Sacramento 19th century 1808–1822  Cisplatina (Uruguay) 1809–1817  Portuguese Guiana 1822  Upper Peru (Bolivia) Portuguese colonization of the Americas - Theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia - Portuguese colonialism in Indonesia

Coordinates: 15°06′40″N 23°37′00″W / 15.11111°N 23.6166667°W / 15.11111; -23.6166667