President: Dr Nicholas Liverpool Prime minister: Roosevelt Skerrit
Population
523,568
73,126
Life Expectancy
71.000 years
76.180 years
Capital City
Praia
Largest city
Praia (population: 113,364)
Roseau (population: 16,571)
Human Development Index
0.705
0.797
GDP per capita
$4,000 US
Literacy Rate
76.6%
94%
Corruption Perception Index
5.1
6
Percentage of Women in Parliament
18.1%
19.4%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
21.000%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Legal
Political System
republic
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Religions
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)
Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census)
Languages
Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
English (official), French patois
Exports
fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides
External Debt
$657,700,000 $
Exchange Rate
Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 73.84 (2008 est.), 81.235 (2007), 87.946 (2006), 88.67 (2005), 88.808 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.500%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about half way between Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago
Area
4,033 km sq
751 km sq
Coastline
965 km
148 km
Climate
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall
