Cape Verde
Republic of Cape Verde
República de Cabo Verde
Flag
National Emblem
Anthem: Cântico da Liberdade
Capital
(and largest city)
Praia
14°55′N 23°31′W / 14.917°N
23.517°W / 14.917; -23.517
Official
languages
Portuguese
Recognised
regional languages
Cape Verdean Creole
Demonym
Cape Verdean
Government
Republic
-
President
Pedro Pires
-
Prime
Minister
José Maria Neves
Independence
from Portugal
-
Recognised
July 5, 1975
Area
-
Total
4,033 km2 (172nd)
1,557 sq mi
- Water (%)
negligible
Population
-
2008 estimate
503,000[1] (165th)
-
2008 census
426,998[2]
-
Density
126/km2 (79th)
326/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$1.762 billion[3]
-
Per capita
$3,498[3]
GDP (nominal)
2008 estimate
-
Total
$1.723 billion[3]
-
Per capita
$3,421[3]
HDI (2007)
▲ 0.736 (medium) (102nd)
Currency
Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Time zone
CVT (UTC-1)
-
Summer (DST) not observed (UTC-1)
Drives on the
right
Internet TLD
.cv
Calling code
238
The Republic of Cape Verde (
/ˌkeɪpˈvɝːd/
)
(Portuguese: Cabo Verde,
IPA: [ˈkabu
ˈveɾdɨ]), is an island country, spanning an ar-
chipelago located in the Macaronesia ecore-
gion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the
western coast of Africa. The previously unin-
habited islands were discovered and colon-
ized by the Portuguese in the fifteenth cen-
tury (though there may have been earlier dis-
coveries), and attained independence from
Portugal in 1975.
As of 2007, they are classified as a devel-
oping country after being promoted from
Least Developed Countries status.
History
In 1462, Portuguese settlers arrived at Santi-
ago and founded Ribeira Grande (now Cidade
Velha), the first permanent European settle-
ment city in the tropics.[4] They named the is-
lands Cabo Verde (from which the English
Cape Verde derives), after the nearby Cap
Vert on the Senegalese coast.[5] In the 16th
century, the archipelago prospered from the
transatlantic
slave
trade.[4]
Pirates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cape Verde
1
occasionally attacked the Portuguese settle-
ments. Sir Francis Drake sacked Ribeira
Grande