Cape Verde

Map of Cape Verde

Country	Republic of Cape Verde
Capital	Praia
Independence	5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
National holiday	Independence Day, 5 July (1975)
Population	531,046 (July 2013 est.)
Sex ratio	1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.71 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Nationality	Cape Verdean(s)
Religions	Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)
Languages	Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
Literacy	age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.9% male: 89.7% female: 80.3% (2011 est.)
Industries	food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair
Location	Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
Geographic coordinates	16 00 N, 24 00 W
Map references	Africa
Area	total: 4,033 sq km land: 4,033 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Rhode Island
Land boundaries	0 km
Coastline	965 km
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
Terrain	steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)
Natural resources	salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
Land use	arable land: 11.41% permanent crops: 0.74% other: 87.85% (2005)
Irrigated land	30 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	0.3 cu km (1990)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	total: 0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%) per capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cape Verde's only active volcano
Environment - current issues	soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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