| U.S. Department of State Background Note: Cape Verde, December 2001 OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Cape Verde Geography Area: 4,033 sq. km. (1,557 sq. mi.), slightly larger than Rhode Island. Cities: CapitalPraia (pop. 94,757). Other cityMindelo (pop. 62,970). Terrain: Rugged volcanic islands. Climate: Dry, temperate. People Nationality: Noun and adjectiveCape Verdean (s). Population (2000): 434,812. Annual growth rate (1990s): 2.4%. Ethnic groups: Creole (mixed African and Portuguese), African, European. Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant. Languages: Portuguese (official); Crioulo (national). Education: Literacy (1999)73.6%. Health: Infant mortality rate(2000)30.6/1,000. Life expectancy (1999)70.4 yrs. Government Type: Republic. Independence: July 5, 1975. Constitution: 1982; revised 1992, 1995, and 1999. Branches: Executivepresident (head of state), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers. LegislativeNational Assembly. JudicialSupreme Court, lower courts. Administrative subdivisions: 17 administrative districts. Political parties: African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV); Movement for Democracy (MPD); Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD); Party for Democratic Renovation (PRD); Party for Labor and Solidarity (PTS); Social Democratic Party (PSD). Suffrage: Universal over 18. Flag: Broad horizontal blue bands at the top and bottom. Three horizontal bands (top white, middle red, bottom white) the middle third. A circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands. Economy GDP (2000): $559.6 million. GDP per capita (2000): $1,323. Annual growth rate (2000): 6.8%. Natural resources: Salt, pozzolana, limestone. Agriculture: Productsbananas, corn, beans, sugarcane, coffee, fruits, vegetables, livestock products. Industry: Typesfish and fish products, clothing, shoes, beverages, salt, construction, building materials, ship repair, furniture, metal products, tourism. Trade (2000): Exports$11 million: shoes, fish, garments, bananas. Imports$237.2 million: foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels. Major trading partnersPortugal, Netherlands, U.S., other EC. Fiscal year: Calendar year. Economic aid received: U.S. aid (2000)$3.1 million. Other donors (1999) $115 million. GEOGRAPHY The Cape Verde Islands are located in the mid-Atlantic Ocean some 450 kilometers (about 300 mi.) off the west coast of Africa. The archipelago includes 10 islands and 5 islets, divided into the windward (Barlavento) and leeward (Sotavento) groups. The main islands in the Barlavento group are Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista; those of the Sotavento group include Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava. All larger islands but Santa Luzia are inhabited. Three islandsSal, Boa Vista, and Maiogenerally are level and very dry. Mountains higher than 1,280 meters (4,200 ft.) are found on Santiago, Fogo, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau. Sand carried by high winds has created spectacular rock formations on all islands, especially the windward ones. Sheer, jagged cliffs rise from the sea on several of the mountainous islands. Natural vegetation is sparse in the uplands and coast, but interior valleys support denser growth. Rainfall is irregular and the archipelago suffers periodic droughts and consequent food shortages. The average precipitation per year in Praia is 24 centimeters (9.5 in.). During the winter, storms blowing from the Sahara sometimes cloud the sky, but sunny days are the norm year round. PEOPLE The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the Portuguese discovered the islands in 1456. African slaves were brought to the islands to work on Portuguese plantations. As a result, Cape Verdeans are of mixed African and European origin. The influence of African culture is most pronounced on the island of Santiago, where half the population resides. Sparse rain and few natural resources historically have induced Cape Verdeans to emigrate. It is believed that of the more than 1 million individuals of Cape Verdean ancestry, less than half actually live on the islands. Some 500,000 people of Cape Verdean ancestry live in the United States, mainly in New England. Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, France, and Senegal also have large communities. The official language is Portuguese, but most Cape Verdeans also speak a Creole dialectCrioulowhich is based on archaic Portuguese but influenced by African and European languages. Cape Verde has a rich tradition of Crioulo literature and music. HISTORY In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha)the first permanent European settlement city in the tropics. In the 16th century, the archipelago prospered from the transatlantic slave trade. Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Sir Francis Drake sacked Ribeira Grande in 1585. After a French attack in 1712, the city declined in importance relative to Praia, which became the capital in 1770. 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 resupplying ships. Because of its excellent harbor, Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente) became an important commercial center during the 19th century. Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in 1951 in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism. Nevertheless, in 1956, Amilcar Cabral, a Cape Verdean, and a group of Cape Verdeans and Guinea-Bissauans organized (in Guinea-Bissau) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau 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. By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite the presence of the Portuguese troops. The organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Following the April 1974 revolution in Portugal, however, 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. Immediately following the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974), relations between the two countries 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. 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 the MpD presidential candidate Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated the PAICV's candidate by 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 Mascarenhas Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001 returned power to the PAICV. The PAICV now holds 40 of the National Assembly seats, MpD 30, and PCD and PTS 1 each. In February 2001, the PAICV-supported presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MpD leader Carlos Veiga by only thirteen votes. GOVERNMENT The Cape Verde constitution adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995, and 1999 forms the basis of government. The Prime Minister is head of government and as such proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for 5-year terms; the most recent elections were held in 2001. The Prime Minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the President. The President is head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term; the most recent elections were held in February 2001. The judicial system is comprised of a Supreme Court of Justicewhose members are appointed by the President, the National Assembly, and the Board of the Judiciaryand regional courts. Separate courts hear civil, constitutional and criminal cases. Appeal is to the Supreme Court. Principal Government Officials PresidentPedro Verona Pires Prime Minister and Defense MinisterJose Maria Neves President of the National AssemblyAristides Lima Minister of Foreign AffairsManuel Inocencio Sousa Ambassador to the United StatesJose Brito Ambassador to the United NationsLuÃs Fonseca Cape Verde maintains an embassy in the United States at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue, NW., Washington DC 20007 (tel. 202-965-6820) and one consulate at 535 Boylston ST, Boston MA 02116 (tel. 617-353-0014). POLITICAL CONDITIONS Cape Verde enjoys a stable democratic system. The Movement for Democracy (MpD) captured a governing majority in the National Assembly in the country's first multi-party general elections in 1991. The MpD was returned to power with a larger majority in the general elections held in December 1995. In 2001, the PAICV recaptured power. Currently, there are four parties with seats in the National Assembly PAICV 40, MPD 30, PCD 1, and PTS 1. ECONOMY Cape Verde has few natural resources and suffers from poor rainfall and limited fresh water. Only 4 of the 10 main islands (Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and Brava) normally support significant agricultural production. Mineral resources include salt, pozzolana (a volcanic rock used in cement production), and limestone. The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about 10% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. An amount estimated at about 20% of GDP is contributed to the domestic economy through remittances from expatriate Cape Verdeans. Since 1991, the government has pursued market-oriented economic policies, including an open welcome to foreign investors and a far-reaching privatization program. It established as top development priorities the promotion of 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 there were a total of about U.S.$407 million in foreign investments made or planned, of which 58% were in tourism, 17% in industry, 4% in infrastructure, and 21% in fisheries and services. 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. Cape Verde's strategic location at the crossroads of mid-Atlantic air and sea lanes has been enhanced by significant improvements at Mindelo's harbor (Porto Grande) and at Sal's international airport. Ship repair facilities at Mindelo were opened in 1983, and the harbors at Mindelo and Praia were recently renovated. 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 enjoyed scheduled air service. The archipelago has 3,050 kilometers (1,830 mi.) of roads, of which 1,010 kilometers (606 mi.) are paved. FOREIGN RELATIONS Cape Verde pursues a nonaligned foreign policy and seeks cooperative relations with all states. Angola, Brazil, China, Cuba, France, Portugal, Senegal, Russia, and the United States maintain embassies in Praia. Several other, mostly European countries, maintain honorary consulates. In addition, Cape Verde maintains multilateral relations with other lusophone nations and holds membership in many international organizations. U.S.-CAPE VERDEAN RELATIONS The cordial relations between the United States and Cape Verde have strong historical roots. In the early 18th century, U.S. whaling ships recruited crews from Brava and Fogo to hunt whales that were abundant in the waters surrounding Cape Verde. The tradition of emigration to the United States began at that time and continues today. Both President Mascarenhas Monteiro and Prime Minister Carlos Veiga visited Cape Verdean communities in New England during official trips to the United States in 1995 and 1997, respectively. Official ties between the United States and Cape Verde also date to the early 19th century. The first American consulate was established in Cape Verde in 1816. U.S. consular representation continued throughout the 19th century. The United States recognized Cape Verde on its independence day and supported its admission to the United Nations. Cape Verde assigned one of its first ambassadors to the United States, and a resident U.S. ambassador was posted to Cape Verde in 1983. The United States provided emergency humanitarian aid and economic assistance to Cape Verde in the period immediately following Cape Verde's independence, as well as after natural disasters including a hurricane that struck the island of Brava in 1982 a severe volcanic eruption on Fogo in 1995. The United States normally delivers about 15,000 metric tons of grain yearly to Cape Verde. Principal U.S. Officials AmbassadorMichael D. Metelits Deputy Chief of MissionJames Knight ConsulRebekah Dramé The U.S. Embassy is at Rua AbÃlio Macedo, 81, Praia; C.P.201, tel. (238) 61 56 16, fax 61 13 55. *********************************************************** See http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/ for all Background notes ************************************************************To change your subscription, go to http://www.state.gov/www/listservs_cms.html | |
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