Cocos (Keeling) Islands (2006) | Cape Verde (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | 17 municipalities (concelhos, singular - concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Filipe, Sao Miguel, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal |
Age structure | 0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 37.9% (male 80,594/female 79,126)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 113,450/female 119,423) 65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,542/female 17,844) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, bananas, pawpaws, coconuts | bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish |
Airports | 1 (2006) | 7 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 14 sq km
land: 14 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of West Island and Home Island |
total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 24 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC | slightly larger than Rhode Island |
Background | There are 27 coral islands in the group. Captain William KEELING discovered the islands in 1609, but they remained uninhabited until the 19th century. Annexed by the UK in 1857, they were transferred to the Australian Government in 1955. The population on the two inhabited islands generally is split between the ethnic Europeans on West Island and the ethnic Malays on Home Island. | The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; Cape Verde subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Following independence in 1975, and a tentative interest in unification with Guinea-Bissau, a one-party system was established and maintained until multi-party elections were held in 1990. Cape Verde continues to exhibit one of Africa's most stable democratic governments. Repeated droughts during the second half of the 20th century caused significant hardship and prompted heavy emigration. As a result, Cape Verde's expatriate population is greater than its domestic one. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. |
Birth rate | NA | 24.87 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $328.1 million
expenditures: $393.1 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
Capital | name: West Island
geographic coordinates: 12 10 S, 96 55 E time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Praia
geographic coordinates: 14 55 N, 23 31 W time difference: UTC-1 (4 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical with high humidity, moderated by the southeast trade winds for about nine months of the year | temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and very erratic |
Coastline | 26 km | 965 km |
Constitution | Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act of 1955 (23 November 1955) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | new constitution came into force 25 September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially increasing the powers of the president; a 1999 revision created the position of national ombudsman (Provedor de Justica) |
Country name | conventional long form: Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
conventional short form: Cocos (Keeling) Islands |
conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional short form: Cape Verde local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde local short form: Cabo Verde |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $325 million (2002) |
Dependency status | non-self governing territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador Roger D. PIERCE
embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo n6, Praia mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia telephone: [238] 2-60-89-00 FAX: [238] 2-61-13-55 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | 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 |
Disputes - international | none | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $136 million (1999) |
Economy - overview | Grown throughout the islands, coconuts are the sole cash crop. Small local gardens and fishing contribute to the food supply, but additional food and most other necessities must be imported from Australia. There is a small tourist industry. | This island economy 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, tourism, and public services accounting for 66% of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of agriculture in GDP in 2004 was only 12%, of which fishing accounted 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 are aimed at developing the private sector and attracting foreign investment to diversify the economy. Future prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows, the encouragement of tourism, remittances, and the momentum of the government's development program. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 41.06 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | - | 44.15 million kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island) |
Environment - current issues | fresh water resources are limited to rainwater accumulations in natural underground reservoirs | soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
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 |
Ethnic groups | Europeans, Cocos Malays | Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | Cape Verdean escudos (CVE) per US dollar - 88.67 (2005), 88.808 (2004), 97.703 (2003), 117.168 (2002), 123.228 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator (nonresident) Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
chief of state: President Pedro Verona 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 12 February 2006 (next to be held February 2011); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president election results: Pedro PIRES reelected president; percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 51.2%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 48.8% |
Exports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | copra | fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides |
Exports - partners | Australia (2004) | Spain 38.2%, Portugal 33.2%, US 9.2%, Morocco 5.4% (2005) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of Australia is used | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 12.1%
industry: 21.9% services: 66% (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 5.5% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 30 S, 96 50 E | 16 00 N, 24 00 W |
Geography - note | islands are thickly covered with coconut palms and other vegetation | strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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 |
Imports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs | foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |
Imports - partners | Australia (2004) | Portugal 41.5%, Italy 8%, Netherlands 7.3%, Spain 5.5%, France 4.8%, Belgium 4.7%, Brazil 4.3% (2005) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | copra products and tourism | food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: 46.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 51.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 0.4% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | none | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Irrigated land | NA | 30 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Magistrate's Court | Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de Justia |
Labor force | NA | 120,600 |
Labor force - by occupation | note: the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society Ltd. employs construction workers, stevedores, and lighterage workers; tourism employs others | - |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 11.41%
permanent crops: 0.74% other: 87.85% (2005) |
Languages | Malay (Cocos dialect), English | Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) |
Legal system | based upon the laws of Australia and local laws | derived from the legal system of Portugal |
Legislative branch | unicameral Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council (7 seats)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) |
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 22 January 2006 (next to be held in January 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - PAICV 52.3%, MPD 44%, UCID 2.7%; seats by party - PAICV 41, MPD 29, ADM 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: 70.73 years
male: 67.41 years female: 74.15 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | NA | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.6% male: 85.8% female: 69.2% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Indonesia, about halfway from Australia to Sri Lanka | Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Political Map of the World |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,300 GRT/7,726 DWT
by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 4 foreign-owned: 2 (Spain 1, UK 1) (2006) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia; the territory has a five-person police force | - |
Military branches | - | People's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARP): Army, Coast Guard (includes maritime air wing) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $7.18 million (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.7% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Independence Day, 5 July (1975) |
Nationality | noun: Cocos Islander(s)
adjective: Cocos Islander |
noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean |
Natural hazards | cyclone season is October to April | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active |
Natural resources | fish | salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum |
Net migration rate | NA | -11.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | none | 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 [Victor FIDALGO, president]; Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Union or UCID [Antonio MONTEIRO]; 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 [Isaias RODRIGUES, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM, president] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | NA |
Population | 574 (July 2006 est.) | 420,979 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 30% (2000) |
Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | 0.64% (2006 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2004) | AM 0, FM 22 (and 12 low power repeaters), shortwave 0 (2002) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 80%, other 20% (2002 est.) | Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | NA | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: connected within Australia's telecommunication system
domestic: NA international: country code - 61; telephone, telex, and facsimile communications with Australia and elsewhere via satellite; 1 INTELSAT satellite earth station |
general assessment: effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
domestic: major service provider is Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT); fiber optic ring, completed in 2001, links all islands providing Internet access and ISDN services; cellular service introduced in 1998 international: country code - 238; 2 coaxial submarine cables; HF radiotelephone to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 287 (1992) | 71,400 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | note - analog cellular service available | 81,700 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (and 7 repeaters) (2002) |
Terrain | flat, low-lying coral atolls | steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic |
Total fertility rate | NA | 3.38 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 60% (2000 est.) | 21% (2000 est.) |