Cape Verde (2002) | Bahamas, The (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | 17 districts (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Calheta, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Nicolau, Sao Filipe, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal | 21 districts; Acklins and Crooked Islands, Bimini, Cat Island, Exuma, Freeport, Fresh Creek, Governor's Harbour, Green Turtle Cay, Harbour Island, High Rock, Inagua, Kemps Bay, Long Island, Marsh Harbour, Mayaguana, New Providence, Nichollstown and Berry Islands, Ragged Island, Rock Sound, Sandy Point, San Salvador and Rum Cay |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.9% (male 86,466; female 84,918)
15-64 years: 51.5% (male 100,684; female 109,841) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 10,363; female 16,488) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 27% (male 41,268/female 41,186)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 99,961/female 103,230) 65 years and over: 6.5% (male 8,176/female 11,834) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish | citrus, vegetables; poultry |
Airports | 9
note: 3 airports are reported to be nonoperational (2001) |
62 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 6 3
over 3,047 m: 1 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 24
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 22 (2007) |
Area | total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 13,940 sq km
land: 10,070 sq km water: 3,870 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Rhode Island | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
Background | The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; they subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Independence was achieved in 1975. | Lucayan Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher COLUMBUS first set foot in the New World on San Salvador in 1492. British settlement of the islands began in 1647; the islands became a colony in 1783. Since attaining independence from the UK in 1973, The Bahamas have prospered through tourism and international banking and investment management. Because of its geography, the country is a major transshipment point for illegal drugs, particularly shipments to the US and Europe, and its territory is used for smuggling illegal migrants into the US. |
Birth rate | 27.81 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 17.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $112 million
expenditures: $198 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
revenues: $1.03 billion
expenditures: $1.03 billion (FY04/05) |
Capital | Praia | name: Nassau
geographic coordinates: 25 05 N, 77 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November |
Climate | temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic | tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream |
Coastline | 965 km | 3,542 km |
Constitution | new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president, and a further revision in 1999, to create the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) | 10 July 1973 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional short form: Cape Verde local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde local short form: Cabo Verde |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of The Bahamas
conventional short form: The Bahamas |
Currency | Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) | - |
Death rate | 7.01 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $301 million (2000) | $342.6 million (2004 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Donald C. JOHNSON
embassy: Rua Abilio m. Macedo 81, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 61 56 16, 61 56 17 FAX: [238] 61 13 55 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Ned L. SIEGEL
embassy: 42 Queen Street, Nassau mailing address: local or express mail address: P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau; US Department of State, 3370 Nassau Place, Washington, DC 20521-3370 telephone: [1] (242) 322-1181, 356-3229 (after hours) FAX: [1] (242) 356-0222 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jose BRITO
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 965-6820 FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207 consulate(s) general: Boston |
chief of mission: Ambassador Cornelius A. SMITH
chancery: 2220 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-2660 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2668 consulate(s) general: Miami, New York |
Disputes - international | none | disagrees with the US on the alignment of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian refugees in Bahamian waters |
Economic aid - recipient | $136 million (1999) | $4.78 million (2004) |
Economy - overview | Cape Verde suffers from a poor natural resource base, including serious water shortages exacerbated by cycles of long-term drought. The economy is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 70% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in 2001 was only 11%, of which fishing accounts for 1.5%. About 82% of food must be imported. The fishing potential, mostly lobster and tuna, is not fully exploited. Cape Verde annually runs a high trade deficit, financed by foreign aid and remittances from emigrants; remittances supplement GDP by more than 20%. Economic reforms, launched by the new democratic government in 1991, are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Prospects for 2002 depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. | The Bahamas is one of the wealthiest Caribbean countries with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism together with tourism-driven construction and manufacturing accounts for approximately 60% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs half of the archipelago's labor force. Steady growth in tourism receipts and a boom in construction of new hotels, resorts, and residences had led to solid GDP growth in recent years, but tourist arrivals have been on the decline since 2006. Financial services constitute the second-most important sector of the Bahamian economy and, when combined with business services, account for about 36% of GDP. However, since December 2000, when the government enacted new regulations on the financial sector, many international businesses have left The Bahamas. Manufacturing and agriculture combined contribute approximately a tenth of GDP and show little growth, despite government incentives aimed at those sectors. Overall growth prospects in the short run rest heavily on the fortunes of the tourism sector. Tourism, in turn, depends on growth in the US, the source of more than 80% of the visitors. |
Electricity - consumption | 38.13 million kWh (2000) | 1.762 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 41 million kWh (2000) | 1.894 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island) |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Alvernia, on Cat Island 63 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion; demand for wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing | coral reef decay; solid waste disposal |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% | black 85%, white 12%, Asian and Hispanic 3% |
Exchange rates | Cape Verdean escudos per US dollar - 123.556 (January 2002), 115.877 (2000), 102.700 (1999), 98.158 (1998), 93.177 (1997) | Bahamian dollars per US dollar - 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004), 1 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 11 and 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA February 2006); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president election results: Pedro PIRES elected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 49.43%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 49.42%; note - the election was won by only twelve votes |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Arthur D. HANNA (since 1 February 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Hubert A. INGRAHAM (since 4 May 2007) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the prime minister's recommendation elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; the prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
Exports | $27.3 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | transshipments of 41,290 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides | mineral products and salt, animal products, rum, chemicals, fruit and vegetables |
Exports - partners | Portugal 45%, UK 20%, Germany 20%, Guinea-Bissau 5% (1999) | Spain 22.3%, US 19.8%, Poland 13.5%, Germany 13%, UK 5.7%, Guatemala 4.9% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | three horizontal bands of light blue (top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third), and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue bands | three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine, with a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $600 million (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11%
industry: 17% services: 72% (2001) |
agriculture: 3%
industry: 7% services: 90% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2001 est.) | 2.8% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 00 N, 24 00 W | 24 15 N, 76 00 W |
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 | strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain of which 30 are inhabited |
Heliports | - | 1 (2007) |
Highways | total: 1,100 km
paved: 858 km unpaved: 242 km (1996) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: 27% (2000) |
Illicit drugs | used as a transshipment point for illicit drugs moving from Latin America and Asia destined for Western Europe; the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center | transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center |
Imports | $218 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | 68,250 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels | machinery and transport equipment, manufactures, chemicals, mineral fuels; food and live animals |
Imports - partners | Portugal 52%, Germany 7%, France 4%, UK 3% (1999) | US 24.7%, Brazil 15.7%, Japan 13.1%, South Korea 7.8%, Spain 6.2% (2006) |
Independence | 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) | 10 July 1973 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
Industries | food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair | tourism, banking, cement, oil transshipment, salt, rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral-welded steel pipe |
Infant mortality rate | 51.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 24.17 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 18.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2001) | 2.4% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2002) | - |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (1998 est.) | 10 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia | Privy Council (London); Courts of Appeal; Supreme (lower) Court; magistrates courts |
Labor force | NA | 181,900 (2006) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture 5%, industry 5%, tourism 50%, other services 40% (2005 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 9.68%
permanent crops: 0.5% other: 89.82% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.58%
permanent crops: 0.29% other: 99.13% (2005) |
Languages | Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) | English (official), Creole (among Haitian immigrants) |
Legal system | derived from the legal system of Portugal | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA December 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by party - PAICV 40, MPD 30, ADM 2 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (16 seats; members appointed by the governor general upon the advice of the prime minister and the opposition leader to serve five-year terms) and the House of Assembly (41 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); the government may dissolve the Parliament and call elections at any time
elections: last held 2 May 2007 (next to be called by May 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - FNM 49.86%, PLP 47.02%; seats by party - FNM 23, PLP 18 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.52 years
male: 66.23 years female: 72.91 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 65.66 years
male: 62.37 years female: 69.02 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 71.6% male: 81.4% female: 63.8% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.6% male: 94.7% female: 96.5% (2003 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal | Caribbean, chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida, northeast of Cuba |
Map references | Political Map of the World | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,395 GRT/6,614 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 1,213 ships (1000 GRT or over) 40,403,455 GRT/54,276,183 DWT
by type: barge carrier 1, bulk carrier 225, cargo 240, chemical tanker 84, combination ore/oil 13, container 72, liquefied gas 49, livestock carrier 2, passenger 117, passenger/cargo 34, petroleum tanker 196, refrigerated cargo 118, roll on/roll off 18, specialized tanker 4, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 39 foreign-owned: 1,134 (Angola 6, Australia 3, Belgium 15, Bermuda 12, Brazil 1, Canada 13, China 9, Croatia 1, Cuba 1, Cyprus 20, Denmark 66, Finland 8, France 43, Germany 40, Greece 214, Hong Kong 3, Iceland 1, Indonesia 3, Ireland 2, Italy 1, Japan 62, Jordan 2, Kenya 1, Malaysia 11, Monaco 11, Montenegro 2, Netherlands 24, Nigeria 2, Norway 232, Philippines 1, Poland 15, Russia 5, Saudi Arabia 15, Singapore 9, Slovenia 1, South Africa 1, Spain 11, Sweden 5, Switzerland 2, Taiwan 1, Thailand 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Turkey 5, UAE 20, UK 68, US 162, Uruguay 1, Venezuela 1) registered in other countries: 3 (Barbados 1, Panama 2) (2007) |
Military branches | Army, Coast Guard | Royal Bahamian Defense Force: Land Force, Navy, Air Wing (2007) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $9.3 million (FY01) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.6% (FY01) | 0.5% (2006) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 92,486 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 52,215 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 5 July (1975) | Independence Day, 10 July (1973) |
Nationality | noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean |
noun: Bahamian(s)
adjective: Bahamian |
Natural hazards | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active | hurricanes and other tropical storms cause extensive flood and wind damage |
Natural resources | salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
Net migration rate | -12.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -2.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | African Party for Independence of Cape Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria Pereira NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic Christian Party or PDC [Manuel RODRIGUES, chairman]; Democratic Renovation Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS, president]; Movement for Democracy or MPD [Agostinho LOPES, president]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Anibal MEDINA, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president] | Free National Movement or FNM [Hubert INGRAHAM]; Progressive Liberal Party or PLP [Perry CHRISTIE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 408,760 (July 2002 est.) | 305,655
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 30% (2000) | 9.3% (2004) |
Population growth rate | 0.85% (2002 est.) | 0.602% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Mindelo, Praia, Tarrafal | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 15 (and 17 repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) | AM 3, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2006) |
Radios | 100,000 (2002 est.) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) | Baptist 35.4%, Anglican 15.1%, Roman Catholic 13.5%, Pentecostal 8.1%, Church of God 4.8%, Methodist 4.2%, other Christian 15.2%, none or unspecified 2.9%, other 0.8% (2000 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.002 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.968 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.691 male(s)/female total population: 0.956 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: effective system, being improved
domestic: interisland microwave radio relay system with both analog and digital exchanges; work is in progress on a submarine fiber-optic cable system which is scheduled for completion in 2003 international: 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: modern facilities
domestic: totally automatic system; highly developed; the Bahamas Domestic Submarine Network links 14 of the islands and is designed to satisfy increasing demand for voice and broadband internet services international: country code - 1-242; landing point for the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) fiber-optic submarine cable that provides links to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; satellite earth station - 2 (2007) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 60,935 (2002) | 133,100 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 28,119 (2002) | 227,800 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002) | 2 (2006) |
Terrain | steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic | long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills |
Total fertility rate | 3.91 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 21% (2000 est.) | 7.6% (2006 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |