| Official Name | Republic of Cape Verde | |
| Capital City | Praia | |
| Currency | Cape Verdean Escudo | |
| Geographic coordinates | 16 00 N, 24 00 W | |
| National Day | July 5th (Independence Day) | |
| Total Land Area | 4,033 sq km (1,556 sq miles) | |
| Largest Island | Santiago (991 sq km) (383 sq miles) | |
| Highest Point | Vulcão (2,829 m) (9,281 ft) | |
| Location | Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal | |
| Comparative Area | slightly larger than Rhode Island | |
| Coastline | 965 km | |
| Territorial Sea | 12 nm | |
| Contiguous Zone | 24 nm | |
| Exclusive Economic Zone | 200 nm | |
| Climate | Warm, Dry Summer; Meager and Erratic Precipitation | |
| Terrain | Steep, Rugged, Rocky, Volcanic | |
| Natural Resources | Salt, Basalt Rock, Limestone, Kaolin, Fish, Clay, Gypsum | |
| Arable Land | 9.68% | |
| Permanent Crops | 0.5% | |
| Irrigated Land | 30 sq km (1998 est.) | |
| Natural Hazards | Prolonged Droughts; Seasonal Harmattan Wind produces obscuring dust; Volcanically and seismically active | |
| Strategic Location | 500 km from west coast of Africa, near major north-south sea routes; Important Communications Station; Important Sea and Air Refueling Site | |
| Population | 418,224 (July 2005 est.) | |
| Age Structure | 0-14 years: 39% (male 82,249/female 80,752) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 110,119/female 116,816) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 10,599/female 17,689) (2005 est.) | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.67% (2005 est.) | |
| Birth Rate | 25.33 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | |
| Death Rate | 6.62 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 47.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 42.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) | |
| Ethnic Groups | Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1% | |
| Religions | Roman Catholic; Protestant | |
| Languages | Portuguese, Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words) | |
| Government Type | Republic | |
| Administrative Divisions | 17 municipalities; 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 | |
| Independence | 5 July 1975 (from Portugal) | |
| Legal System | Derived from the legal system of Portugal | |
| Legislative Branch | Unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) | |
| 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 | |
| Agricultural Products | Bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts | |
| Industries | Food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair | |
| Exports | $61.11 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) fuel, shoes, garments, fish, hides | |
| Imports | $387.3 million f.o.b. (2004 est.) foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment, fuels |