The 1991 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Praia

      _#_Administrative divisions: 14 districts (concelhos, singular—concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal

      _#_Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

      _#_Constitution: 7 September 1980; amended 12 February 1981, NA December 1988, and 28 September 1990 (legalized opposition parties)

      _#_National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

      _#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister, secretaries of state, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

      _#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

      _#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)

      _#_Leaders:

      Chief of State—President Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (since 22 March 1991);

      Head of Government—Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA (since 13 January 1991)

      _#_Political parties and leaders:

       Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and

       chairman;

       African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro

       Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman

      _#_Suffrage: universal at age 18

      _#_Elections:

      President—last held 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results—Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (MPD) received 72.6% of vote;

      People's National Assembly—last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(79 total) MPD 56, PAICV 23; note—this multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of single-party rule

      _#_Communists: no Communist party

      _#_Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

      _#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Luis de Matos Monteiro da FONSECA; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone [phone]; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston;

      US—Ambassador Francis T. (Terry) McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone [238] 614–363 or 614–253

      _#_Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band

      _*Economy #_Overview: Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a 17-year drought, and a high birthrate. The economy is service oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 65% of GDP during the period 1985–88. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing sector accounts for 4%. About 90% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. In 1988 fishing represented only 3.5% of GDP. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by remittances from emigrants and foreign aid.

      _#_GDP: $262 million, per capita $740; real growth rate 3.2% (1988 est.)

      _#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.2% (1988 est.)

      _#_Unemployment rate: 25% (1988)

      _#_Budget: revenues $98.3 million; expenditures $138.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)

      _#_Exports: $10.9 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);

      commodities—fish, bananas, salt;

      partners—Portugal, Angola, Algeria, France, Italy

      _#_Imports: $107.8 million (c.i.f., 1989);

      commodities—petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods, industrial products;

      partners—Portugal, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, FRG

      _#_External debt: $150 million (December 1990 est.)

      _#_Industrial production: growth rate 18% (1988 est.); accounts for 7% of GDP

      _#_Electricity: 13,000 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1990)

      _#_Industry: fish processing, salt mining, clothing factories, ship repair, construction materials, food and beverage production

      _#_Agriculture: accounts for 16% of GDP; largely subsistence farming; bananas are the only export crop; other crops—corn, beans, sweet potatoes, coffee; growth potential of agricultural sector limited by poor soils and limited rainfall; annual food imports required; fish catch provides for both domestic consumption and small exports

      _#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY75–89), $88 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–88), $590 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979–89), $12 million; Communist countries (1970–88), $36 million

      _#_Currency: Cape Verdean escudo (plural—escudos); 1 Cape Verdean escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos

      _#_Exchange rates: Cape Verdean escudos (CVEsc) per US$1—64.10 (November 1990), 74.86 (December 1989), 72.01 (1988), 72.5 (1987), 76.56 (1986), 85.38 (1985)

      _#_Fiscal year: calendar year

      _*Communications #_Ports: Mindelo and Praia

      _#_Merchant marine: 7 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,708 GRT/19,000 DWT

      _#_Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft (4 owned, 1 leased)

      _#_Airports: 6 total, 6 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220–2,439 m

      _#_Telecommunications: interisland radio relay system, high-frequency radio to mainland Portugal and Guinea-Bissau; 1,740 telephones; stations—5 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 2 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

      _*Defense Forces #_Branches: People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP)—Army and Navy are separate components of FARP; Militia, Security Service

      _#_Manpower availability: males 15–49, 70,771; 41,844 fit for military service

      _#Defense expenditures: $15 million, 11% of GDP (1981) % @Cayman Islands (dependent territory of the UK) *Geography #_Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2

      _#_Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

      _#_Land boundaries: none

      _#_Coastline: 160 km

      _#_Maritime claims:

      Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;

      Territorial sea: 3 nm

      _#_Climate: tropical marine; warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April)

      _#_Terrain: low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs

      _#_Natural resources: fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

      _#_Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 8%; forest and woodland 23%; other 69%

      _#_Environment: within the Caribbean hurricane belt

      _#_Note: important location between Cuba and Central America

      _*People #_Population: 27,489 (July 1991), growth rate 4.2% (1991)

      _#_Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1991)

      _#_Death