Simple directory > Regional > Cape Verde

Country : Cape Verde Official name: República de Cabo Verde (Republic of Cape Verde) Head of State: President Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires (PAICV) (elected 11/25 February 2001; inaugurated 22 March 2001) Head of government: Prime Minister José María Neves (PAICV) (elected 14 January 2001; inaugurated 1 February 2001) Ruling party: Partido Africano da Independência de Cabo Verde (PAICV) (African Party of Independence of Cape Verde) (elected Jan 2001) Area: 4,033 square km (nine islands and 10 islets) Population: 463,600 (2004) Capital: Praia Official language: Portuguese and Creole (national language) Currency: Cape Verde escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos Exchange rate: CVEsc85.55 per US$ (Nov 2004) (pegged CVEsc110.27 per euro) GDP per capita: US$1,400 (2003) GDP real growth: 5.00% (2003) Unemployment: 21.00% (2003) Inflation: 1.20% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$190.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$325.00 million (2003)

Historical profile

1462 The previously uninhabited islands were colonised by the Portuguese and became one of the most important slaving stations in West Africa.

1961 The movement for independence gathered strength, adopting guerrilla tactics against the Portuguese.

1975 Cape Verde gained independence after the fall of the dictatorship in Portugal.

1975–80 Moves to unite Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau were made, but came to nothing following the overthrow of President Luiz Cabral in Guinea-Bissau.

1980 The constitution was adopted.

1981 A revision to the constitution was passed.

1990 A multi-party system was introduced.

1991 Cape Verde's first free multi-party elections were won by the Movimento para a Democracia (MPD) (Movement for Democracy) and a government under Carlos Veiga was formed.

1992 A new constitution was adopted.

1995 The MPD secured an absolute majority in the elections to the National Assembly.

1996 President Antonio Mascarenhas Monteiro (MPD) was re-elected; no other parties put up candidates.

1999 Amendment to constitution.

2001 The MPD was ousted by Partido Africano da Independência de Cabo Verde (PAICV) (African Party of Independence of Cape Verde) in the elections. Pedro Pires was elected president and José María Neves was appointed prime minister.

2002 The IMF approved a three-year arrangement for US$11.6 million under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF).

2003 There was a food crisis in March.

2004 From 3 July, Cape Verde's telephone numbers have seven digits.

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