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Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde
Population
524.9K
Rank #172Source: World Bank
Capital
Praia
Source: REST Countries
Region
Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Source: REST Countries
GDP (Nominal)
$2.73B
Rank #170Source: World Bank
Land Area
4.0K km²
Rank #171Source: REST Countries
Life Expectancy
76.059 yrs
Source: World Bank
Historical Trends
Population Trend (5-Year)
Source: World Bank
GDP Trend (5-Year, Nominal USD)
Source: World Bank
Geography
Area: 4,033 km²
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Climate: temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
Terrain: steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Elevation: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mt. Fogo (a volcano on Fogo Island) 2,829 m
Natural Hazards: prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically activevolcanism: Fogo (2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano
Environmental Issues: deforestation due to demand for firewood; water shortages; prolonged droughts and improper use of land (overgrazing, crop cultivation on hillsides lead to desertification and erosion); environmental...
Land Use: agricultural land: 18.6% (2011 est.) forest: 21% (2011 est.) other: 60.4% (2011 est.)
Geography Note: strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site; one of four North Atlantic archipelagos...
Natural Resources
saltbasalt rocklimestonekaolinfishclaygypsum
People & Society
Fertility Rate
1.52
Population
524.9K
Ethnic Groups
Creole (Mulatto) (71%)African (28%)European (1%)
Religions
Roman Catholic (77.3%)Protestant 4.6% (includes Church of the Nazarene (1.7%)Adventist (1.5%)Assembly of God (0.9%)Universal Kingdom of God (0.4%)and God and Love (0.1%)other Christian 3.4% (includes Christian Rationalism (1.9%)Jehovah's Witness (1%)and New Apostolic (0.5%)Muslim (1.8%)other (1.3%)none (10.8%)unspecified (0.7%)
Economy
GDP per Capita
$5,192.482
GDP per Capita PPP
11,195.121
(2024)
(2024)
GNI per Capita
4,950
(2024)
(2024)
Gini Index
42.4
(2015)
(2015)
Unemployment
11.883%
(2024)
(2024)
Inflation
1.048%
(2024)
(2024)
Public Debt
Not Available
Energy
Electricity Access
98.6%
(2023)
(2023)
Renewable Energy
21.8%
(2022)
(2022)
CO₂ Emissions
0.676 Mt
(2024)
(2024)
Energy Intensity
2.17 MJ/$
(2022)
(2022)
Renewable Electricity
18.266%
(2021)
(2021)
Environment
Forest Coverage
11.568% of land
(2023)
(2023)
Communications
Internet Users
73.539%
(2023)
(2023)
Mobile Penetration
113.023%
(2023)
(2023)
Broadband Subscribers
7.23%
(2023)
(2023)
Transportation
Air Transport Freight
0.094 M ton-km
(2023)
(2023)
Container Port Traffic
82,871 TEU
(2022)
(2022)
Airports
815
Rail Lines
N/A
Roads Total
N/A
Military
Military Forces
Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV): Army (also called the National Guard, GN), Cabo Verde Coast Guard (Guardia Costeira de Cabo Verde, GCCV, includes naval infantry)
Personnel Strength
the Cabo Verdean Armed Forces (FACV) consist of approximately 1,100 Army (includes an air component of about 100 personnel) and 100 Coast Guard active duty troops
Military Expenditure (USD)
$0.02B
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)
0.62%
Military Expenditure History
0.5% of GDP (2019) 0.6% of GDP (2018) 0.5% of GDP (2017) 0.6% of GDP (2016) 0.6% of GDP (2015)
Equipment & Inventories
the FACV has a limited amount of mostly dated and second-hand equipment, largely from China, European countries, and the former Soviet Union; since 2010, it has received limited quantities of...
Service Age & Obligation
18-35 years of age for male and female selective compulsory military service; 2-years conscript service obligation; 17 years of age for voluntary service (with parental consent)
Education
Pre-Primary Enrollment
74.702%
(2019)
(2019)
Primary Enrollment
102.973%
(2022)
(2022)
Secondary Enrollment
96.432%
(2022)
(2022)
Tertiary Enrollment
24.291%
(2018)
(2018)
Education Spending
4.348% of GDP
(2023)
(2023)
Adult Literacy Rate
88.47%
(2024)
(2024)
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
21.074:1
(2018)
(2018)
Health
Physicians per 1,000
0.73
(2023)
(2023)
Safe Water Access
92.28%
(2024)
(2024)
Safe Drinking Water
Not Available
Under-5 Mortality
11.6 per 1,000
(2023)
(2023)
Maternal Mortality (World Bank)
16.006 per 100,000
(2021)
(2021)
Hospital Beds per 1,000
68.803
(2021)
(2021)
UHC Coverage Index
71
(2023)
(2023)
Measles Immunization
93%
(2024)
(2024)
Social Indicators
Extreme Poverty Rate
14.6%
(2015)
(2015)
Food Insecurity
13.5%
(2023)
(2023)
Youth NEET Rate
50.38%
(2019)
(2019)
Governance
Women in Government
38.889%
(2024)
(2024)
Voice & Accountability
0.96
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Political Stability
0.90
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government Effectiveness
0.01
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Regulatory Quality
0.24
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Rule of Law
0.40
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Control of Corruption
0.98
(Above Average)
(2023)
(Above Average)
(2023)
Government
Government Type
parliamentary republic
Legal System
civil law system of Portugal
Executive Branch
chief of state: President Jorge Carlos FONSECA (since 9 September 2011) head of government: Prime Minister Ulisses CORREIA E. SILVA (since 22 April 2016) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by...
Legislative Branch
description: unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year...
Judicial Branch
highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief justice and at least 7 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and administrative sections) judge selection and term of...
National Symbols
Flag Description
five unequal horizontal bands; the top-most band of blue - equal to one half the width of the flag - is followed by three bands of white, red, and white, each equal to 1/12 of the width, and a bottom...
National Symbols
ten, five-pointed, yellow stars; national colors: blue, white, red, yellow
National Anthem
name: "Cantico da Liberdade" (Song of Freedom) lyrics/music: Amilcar Spencer LOPES/Adalberto Higino Tavares SILVA note: adopted 1996
Safety
Homicide Rate
6.995 per 100,000
(2020)
(2020)
Travel Information
Language(s): Portuguese
Currency: CVE (Esc)
Timezone(s): UTC-01:00
Landlocked: No
Independent: Yes
Driving Side: Right
Calling Code: +238
Car Sign: CV
Week Starts: Monday
Photos
A space shuttle photo showing several of the northwestern islands in the Cape Verde chain in the North Atlantic Ocean, some 800 km (500 mi) from the coast of Senegal, Africa. From the upper left to lower right (northwest to southeast) one can see Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Branco, Razo, and Sao Nicolau. Image courtesy of NASA.
A space shuttle photo showing several of the northwestern islands in the Cape Verde chain in the North Atlantic Ocean, some 800 km (500 mi) from the coast of Senegal, Africa. From the upper left to lower right (northwest to southeast) one can see Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Santa Luzia, Branco, Razo, and Sao Nicolau. Image courtesy of NASA. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
A dust storm off the west coast of Africa sprawls towards the Cape Verde Islands. Six of the ten main islands can be discerned on this image. Click on photo to increase resolution. Image courtesy of NASA.
A dust storm off the west coast of Africa sprawls towards the Cape Verde Islands. Six of the ten main islands can be discerned on this image. Click on photo to increase resolution. Image courtesy of NASA. • CIA World Factbook • 2020
2 photos available
Data sources: World Bank, UN Data • Updated daily •Learn about our data