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Cape Verde

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Republic of Cape Verde
República de Cabo Verde
Motto: Unidade, Trabalho, Progresso
(Portuguese: "Unity, Work, Progress")
Anthem: Cântico da Liberdade
Location of Cape Verde
Capital
and largest city
Praia
Official languagesPortuguese (official) and nine Portuguese Creoles
GovernmentRepublic
• President
Pedro Pires
José Maria Neves
Independence 
from Portugal
• Recognized
July 5, 1975
• Water (%)
Negligible
Population
• July 2005 estimate
507,000 (164th)
• 2001 census
401,343
GDP (PPP)2005 estimate
• Total
$2.99 billion (171st)
• Per capita
$5,858 (96th)
HDI (2003)0.721
high (105th)
CurrencyCape Verdean escudo (CVE)
Time zoneUTC-1
Calling code238
ISO 3166 codeCV
Internet TLD.cv

The Republic of Cape Verde or Cape Verde (Portuguese: Cabo Verde, pron. IPA /'ka.bu 'veɾ.d(ɨ)/) is a republic located on an archipelago in the Macaronesia ecoregion of the North Atlantic Ocean, off the western coast of Africa. The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; they subsequently became a trading centre for African slaves. Most Cape Verdeans descend from both groups.

"Cape Verde" is named for Cap-Vert (meaning Green Cape), now in Senegal, the westernmost point of continental Africa.

Oddly, many Atlantic hurricanes seem to form near this area.

History

Main article: History of Cape Verde

Cape Verde was uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived in 1456, and the islands were thus made part of the Portuguese empire. Due to its location off the coast of Africa, Cape Verde became an important watering station, then sugar cane plantation site, and later a major center of the slave trade.

In 1975, the islands achieved independence, partially due to the efforts of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC). After independence, the PAIGC attempted to unite Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau into one nation, the PAIGC controlling both governments, but a coup in the latter nation in 1980 ended these plans. In Cape Verde itself the PAICV (affiliated with the PAIGC) governed until democratic elections were held in 1991 that resulted in a change of government. The MpD (Movimento para a Democracia) won that election and it was re-elected in 1996. The PAICV returned to power in 2001,and they achieved the re-election in 2006.

Politics

File:CABRAL 2.jpg
Amílcar Cabral

Template:Morepolitics.

Politics of Cape Verde takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister of Cape Verde is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Geography

File:CapeVerde.png

Main article: Geography of Cape Verde

Cape Verde is an archipelago off the west coast of Africa at 15.02N, 23.34W. It is formed by 10 main islands and about 8 islets. The main islands are:

Of these, only Santa Luzia and the five islets are uninhabited. Presently it is a Natural Reserve. All islands are volcanic, but an active volcano exists on one of the islands, Fogo. See Mount Fogo.

The islets are Branco, Razo.

Counties

Map of the counties of Cape Verde
File:CapeVerdeIslands.jpg
An aerial view of Cape Verde
File:IMG0078.jpg
Cidade Velha.
Porto Grande - the harbour of Mindelo, Sao Vicente Island
An aerial view of the capital Praia

Cape Verde is divided into 17 counties (concelhos, singular - concelho), sometimes referred to as municipalities (municípios, singular - município), listed roughly clockwise:

Economy

Main article: Economy of Cape Verde

fishermen in Cape Verde
sea salt mine in Cape Verde
Santo Antão, Cape Verde
Sao Vicente, Cape Verde
File:IMG0098x.jpg
Assomada.S.Catarina.

Cape Verde is a small nation that lacks resources and has experienced severe droughts as well as water shortages. Agriculture is somewhat stymied by lack of rain, and is restricted to only four islands for most of the year. Most of the nation's GDP is from the services industry. Cape Verde's economy has largely grown since the late 1990s, and it is now considered a country of average human development. Cape Verde has significant cooperation with Portugal at every level of the economy, leading it to link its currency first to the Portuguese escudo, and, in 1999, to the euro.

Former Portuguese prime minister José Manuel Durão Barroso, now (second semester 2004) president of the European Commission, has promised to help integrate Cape Verde within the European Union sphere of influence via greater cooperation with Portugal. In March 2005, former Portuguese president Mário Soares launched a petition urging the European Union to start membership talks with Cape Verde.

NATURAL RESOURCES: Salt, Basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum, (natural gas reserves are said to have been found late 2005 in the coastal waters)

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Cape Verde

Most inhabitants of Cape Verde are mestiços, descendants of the white Portuguese settlers and black African slaves. Mestiços’ European ancestors also include Spanish and Italian seamen who were granted land by Portuguese Empire and followed by Portuguese settlers and exiles and Portuguese Jews who were victims of the Inquisition. The remainder includes mostly pure blacks and pure whites (most Portuguese stepped out of the country after independence). Many foreigners from other parts of the world settled Cape Verde as their permanent country. Most of them were Dutch, French, British (English), Arabs and Jews (from Lebanon and Morocco), Chinese (especially from Macau), Americans, and Brazilians (including people of Portuguese and African descent) settlers. All of these have been absorbed into the mestiço population. More Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde, with significant emigrant Cape Verdean communities in the United States (500,000 Cape Verdians), Portugal (80,000) and Angola (45,000). There are also significant number of Cape Verdeans in São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, France, Brazil and the Netherlands. Cape Verdean populations also settled Spain, Germany, and other CPLP countries (Brazil and Guinea-Bissau).

Culture

Main article: Culture of Cape Verde

The culture of Cape Verde reflects its mixed Portuguese and African roots. It is well known for its diverse forms of music such as Morna (the Capeverdian Fado) and the urban Cape Verdian kizomba, and a wide variety of dances: the soft dance Morna, the Funana - a sensual mixed Portuguese and African dance, the extreme sensuality of coladeira (literally "glued"), and the African Batuque dance. These are reflective of the diverse origins of Cape Verde's residents. Indigenously, the term "Cabo" is used to refer to residents as well as the culture of Cape Verde.

Cape Verdean Literature

Cape Verdean literature is one of the richest of Lusitanian Africa.

postcard from Sao Vicente

Music

Main article: Music of Cape Verde

  • Artists:

Antoninho Travadinha, Antoni Denti D'Oro, Ana Firmino, Arlinda Santos, Bana, Bulimundo, Bius, Bau, Boss AC, Blick Tchutche, Codé di Dona, Cabo Verde Show, Cesária Évora, Celina Pereira, Cordas do Sol, Dany Silva, Daniel Rendall, Eddy Moreno, Frank Mimita, Fantcha, Fernando Quejas, Fortinho, Ildo Lobo, Jorge Humberto, Jacqueline Fortes, Jorge Neto, José Casimiro, João Cirilo, Luís Morais, Leonel Almeida, Livity, Lura, Maria-Alice, Mayra Andrade, Marinho Silva, Maria de Barros, Malaquias, Nancy Vieira, Nácia Gomi, Os Tubarões, Orlando Pantera, Paulino Vieira, Raiss di Funaná, Gilyto, Gé Mendes, Tcheka, Teofilo Chantre, Titina, Tututa, Tulipa Negra, Tito Paris, Tó Cruz, Sara Tavares , Simentera, Splash, Gil Semedo, Grace Évora, Gilyto, Voz de Cabo Verde, Voz d'África, Voginha, Xema Lopi, Zeca Nha Reinalda, Zézé Nha Reinalda, Kiki Lima, among many others.

  • Musical genres: Morna, Coladeira, Cola-Sanjon, Batuque, Funaná, Mazurca
  • Outside documents:

Language

Main article: Cape Verdean Crioulo languages

Portuguese is Cape Verde's official language, and the language of instruction in official schools. However, the Cape Verdean Crioulo languages are also widely spoken. These are a range of Portuguese-based creole languages, which vary considerably from island to island.

There is a substantial body of literature in these languages, especially in the Crioulo of Santiago (bádiu) and the Crioulo of São Vicente (criol di de Soncente). The Crioulo languages have been gaining prestige since the nation's independence from Portugal, and there is a movement to make the variant of Santiago the official language of the country.

However, the substantial differences between the languages spoken in different islands, each with its traditional spelling system, has been a major obstacle in the way of this move. Some people have advocated the development of two unformized official languages: a North (Barlavento) standard, centered on the Crioulo of San Vicente, and a South (Sotavento) standard, centered on that of Santiago.

Newspapers

Newspapers:

File:Sem8a1.jpg
A SEMANA Nº 495, 2001/03/02.
  • A Semana (Praia,1991-)
  • Espresso das Ilhas
  • Jornal O Cidadao (São Vicente)
  • Jornal Horizonte (Praia, 1988-)
  • Terra Nova (S.Vicente, 1975-)
  • Artiletra (S.Vicente, 1991-)

Newspapers Online:

Miscellaneous topics

File:Old postcard SaoVicente3.jpg
An old postcard from São Vicente, Cape Verde

References

  • Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
  • Dr Marcel Gomes Balla of Boston University has written a short history of these islands, Antonio's Island ISBN 1898030480, covering: The 'official' discovery of Cabo Verde, The Treaty of Tordesilhas- the complete text-in English, The Cape Verdean navigator who made an extraordinary impact on America, Africa, Europe and Asia, The involvement of the church with slavery, The historical ties between Cabo Verde and Columbus, Cabo Verde Vasco da Gama and Cabral, The creation of Brazil, The historical ties with Italy and other countries, The first non-Europeans to cross the Atlantic with a regular sailing schedule and a lot more useful information such as: Portraits of Cape Verdean navigators published for the first time for the public (Africans , mestizos, Europeans, but always Cape Verdeans). Still other famous Cape Verdeans in science, politics etc. Maps confirming the discovery of the islands and the importance of Cape Verdeans and Cabo Verde in world history.

Government

Overviews

Directories

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