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Embassies

Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde
Address: No. 6-2-121, Ta Yuan Diplomatic Compound Beijing
Tel: (+86 10) 65327547
Fax: (+86 10) 65327546
Office hours: 9:00am-17:00pm Monday-Friday(closed on Capeverdean and Chinese holidays)
Website: www.embcvchina.com


Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Republic of Cape Verde
Ambassador: Mr. Wu Yuanshan
Address: Achada Do Santo Antonio, Praia, Cape Verde (P. O. Box 8)
Tel: +238-623027, 623028 
Fax: +238-623047 
Email: emchina@cvtelecom.cv 
Economic & Commercial Counselor's Office
Tel: +238-623029
Fax: +238-623007
Website: http://cv.mofcom.gov.cn/ (Portuguese)



Geography

The Cape Verde archipelago is located approximately 604 kilometres (375 mi) off the coast of West Africa. It is composed of ten islands (of which nine are inhabited) and eight islets.The islands have a combined size of just over 4,000 square kilometers. The islands are divided into the Barlavento (windward) islands (Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, and Boa Vista) and the Sotavento (leeward) islands (Maio, Santiago, Fogo, and Brava).[9] The largest island, both in size and population, is Santiago, where the capital of Praia is located.
Though Cape Verde's islands are all volcanic in origin, they vary widely in terrain. A still-active volcano on the island of Fogo is the highest point on the archipelago (elevation 2,829 meters). Extensive salt flats are found on Sal and Maio. On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along the base of towering mountains.
Cape Verde’s climate is milder than that of the African mainland; because the island is surrounded by the sea, temperatures are generally moderate. Average daily high temperatures range from 25 °C (77 °F) in January to 29 °C (84 °F) in September.[10] Cape Verde is part of the Sahelian arid belt and lacks the rainfall levels of West African countries.When it does rain, most of the rainfall occurs between August and October, with frequent brief-but-heavy downpours. A desert is usually defined as terrain which receives less than 250mm of annual rainfall.Cape Verde's total (261 mm) is slightly above this criterion, which makes the area climate semi-desert.




Government

Cape Verde is a stable democracy. The Cape Verde constitution—adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995, and 1999—forms the basis of government. The president is head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The prime minister is head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for 5-year terms
The judicial system consists of a Supreme Court of Justice — whose members are appointed by the president, the National Assembly, and the Board of the Judiciary — and regional courts. Separate courts hear civil, constitutional, and criminal cases. Appeal is to the Supreme Court.




Population

Around 71 percent of the population is Creole of mixed black African and Portuguese descent. The remainder of the population is mostly black Africans, with a small number of whites. The European men who colonized Cape Verde did not usually bring wives or families with them. As female African slaves were brought to the islands, inter-marriages occurred.
More than 85 percent of the population is nominally Roman Catholic, though for a minority of the population Catholicism is syncretized with African influences
Cape Verde's official language is Portuguese. It is the language of instruction and government. However, the Cape Verdean Creole is used colloquially and is the mother tongue of virtually all Cape Verdeans.
Population: 503 000 (est. 2008)
country comparison to the world: 172
Age structure: 0-14 years: 35.2% (male 76,012/female 74,993)
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 123,376/female 127,653)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 10,040/female 17,400) (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
Birth rate: 23.5 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
Death rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Urbanization 60% of total population (2008)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.61 years
country comparison to the world: 126
male: 68.27 years
female: 75.05 years (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.035% (2001 est.
HIV/AIDS - people living
with HIV/AIDS:		 775 (2001)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 225 (as of 2001)
Religions: Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs), Protestant (mostly Church of the Nazarene)
Education expenditures: 6.3% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 3




Economy

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 about three-fourths of GDP. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas, the share of food production in GDP is low. 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. Cape Verde became a member of the WTO in July 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.635 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 188
$1.542 billion (2007)
$1.443 billion (2006)
GDP (official exchange rate): $1.845 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
GDP - per capita (PPP): $3,800 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9%
industry: 16.9%
services: 74.1% (2008 est.)
Labor force: 120,600 (1990)
country comparison to the world: 170
Labor force - by occupation:
Unemployment rate: 21% (2000 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
Household income
or consumption by % share
Population below poverty rate
Budget: revenues: $525.4 million
expenditures: $585.3 million (2008 est.)
Public debt:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Agriculture - products: bananas, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, coffee, peanuts; fish
Industries: food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair
Electricity - production: 47 million kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Electricity - consumption: 43.71 million kWh (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Telephones - main lines in use: 71,600 (2006)
country comparison to the world: 155
Telephones - mobile cellular: 148,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 174
Telephone system general assessment: effective system, extensive modernization from 1996-2000 following partial privatization in 1995
Internet hosts: 20 (2008)
country comparison to the world : 209
Internet users: 37,000 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 172



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