This article is about the country. For the surface feature on Mars see Cape Verde (Mars). For weather pattern see Cape Verde-type hurricane. Republic of Cape Verde Repblica de Cabo Verde Flag National emblem Anthem: Cntico da Liberdade  (Portuguese) Song of Freedom Capital (and largest city) Praia 1455N 2331W / 14.917N 23.517W / 14.917; -23.517 Official language(s) Portuguese Recognised regional languages Cape Verdean Creole Demonym Cape Verdean Government Parliamentary republic  -  President Pedro Pires  -  Prime Minister Jos Maria Neves Independence  -  from Portugal July 5 1975  Area  -  Total 4033 km2 (172nd) 1557 sq mi   -  Water (%) negligible Population  -  2010 estimate 5670001 (165th)  -  2009 census 5090002   -  Density 125.5/km2 (79th) 325.0/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate  -  Total $1.908 billion3   -  Per capita $36473  GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate  -  Total $1.651 billion3   -  Per capita $31563  HDI (2010) 0.5344 (medium) (118st) Currency Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) Time zone CVT (UTC-1)  -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC-1) Drives on the right ISO 3166 code CV Internet TLD .cv Calling code +238

The Republic of Cape Verde (i /kep vrd/; Portuguese: Cabo Verde pronounced kabu ved; Kabuverdianu: Kabu Verd) is an island country spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa. The islands covering a combined area of slightly over 4000 square kilometres (1500 sq mi) are of volcanic origin and while three of them (Sal Boa Vista and Maio) are fairly flat sandy and dry the remaining ones are generally rockier and have more vegetation. Because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall the overall landscape is not particularly green despite what the country's name suggests (verde is Portuguese for "green"). The name of the country stems instead from the nearby Cap Vert on the Senegalese coast.5

The previously uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th Century and became an important location in the Atlantic slave trade due to their geographically advantageous position. The islands' prosperity often attracted pirates including Sir Francis Drake who twice sacked the (then) capital Ribeira Grande in the 1580s. The islands were also visited by Charles Darwin's expedition in 1832. The decline in the slave trade in the 19th century resulted in an economic crisis. With few natural resources and without strong sustainable investment from the Portuguese the people grew increasingly discontent with the colonial masters who nevertheless refused to provide the local authorities with more autonomy. This discontent festered and culminated in 1975 when a movement led by Amlcar Cabral achieved independence for the archipelago.

The country has an estimated population (most of it of creole ethnicity) of about 500000 with its capital city Praia accounting for a quarter of its citizens. Nearly 38% of the population lives in rural areas according to the 2010 Cape Verdean census; about 20% lives below the poverty threshold6 and the literacy rate is around 85%. Politically the country is a very stable democracy with notable economic growth and improvements of living conditions despite its lack of natural resources and has garnered international recognition by other countries and international organizations which often provide development aid. Since 2007 Cape Verde has been classified as a developing nation.

Tough economic times during the last decades of its colonization and the first years of Cape Verde's independence led many to migrate to Europe the Americas and other African countries. This migration was so significant that the number of Cape Verdeans and their descendants living abroad currently exceeds the population of Cape Verde itself. Historically the influx of remittances from these immigrant communities to their families has provided a substantial contribution to help strengthen the country's economy. Currently the Cape Verdean economy is mostly service-oriented with a growing focus on tourism and foreign investment which benefits from the islands' warm climate throughout the year diverse landscape welcoming people and cultural richness especially in music. Contents 1 History 2 Geography 2.1 Physical geography 2.2 Climate 2.3 Biome 2.4 Human geography 2.4.1 Demographics 2.4.2 Emigration 3 Politics 3.1 International recognition 4 Economy 4.1 Development 5 Wildlife 6 Tourism 7 Transport 8 Culture 9 Health and education 9.1 Health 9.2 Education 10 Football 11 Windsurfing 12 See also 13 References 14 External links History Main article: History of Cape Verde View of Monte Cara from Mindelo The Serra Malagueta mountain range in the northern part of the island of Santiago The sandy Viana desert on the island of Boa Vista

Before the arrival of Europeans the Cape Verde Islands were uninhabited. The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago were discovered by Italian and Portuguese navigators around 1456. According to Portuguese official records 7 the first discoveries were made by Genoese born Antonio de Noli who was afterwards appointed governor of Cape Verde by Portuguese King Afonso V. Other navigators mentioned as contributing with discoveries in the Cape Verde archipelago are Diogo Gomes Diogo Dias Diogo Afonso and the Italian Alvise Cadamosto.

In 1462 Portuguese settlers arrived at Santiago and founded a settlement they called Ribeira Grande (now called Cidade Velha to avoid being confused with the town of Ribeira Grande on the Santo Anto island). Ribeira Grande was the first permanent European settlement in the tropics.8

In the 16th century the archipelago prospered from the transatlantic slave trade.8 Pirates occasionally attacked the Portuguese settlements. Sir Francis Drake sacked Ribeira Grande in 1585.8 After a French attack in 1712 the town declined in importance relative to nearby Praia which became the capital in 1770.8

With the decline in the slave trade Cape Verde's early prosperity slowly vanished. However the islands' position astride mid-Atlantic shipping lanes made Cape Verde an ideal location for re-supplying ships. Because of its excellent harbour Mindelo (on the island of So Vicente) became an important commercial centre during the 19th century.8

In 1951 Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism. In 1956 Amilcar Cabral and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organised (in Portuguese Guinea) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) which demanded improvement in economic social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed the basis of the two nations' independence movement. Moving its headquarters to Conakry Guinea in 1960 the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal in 1961. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10000 Soviet bloc-supported PAIGC soldiers against 35000 Portuguese and African troops.8 By 1972 the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite the presence of the Portuguese troops but the organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974. Following the April 1974 revolution in Portugal the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde. In December 1974 the PAIGC and Portugal signed an agreement providing for a transitional government composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. On June 30 1975 Cape Verdeans elected a National Assembly which received the instruments of independence from Portugal on July 5 1975.8 Immediately following the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau became strained. Cape Verde abandoned its hope for unity with Guinea-Bissau and formed the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Problems have since been resolved and relations between the countries are good. The PAICV and its predecessor established a one-party system and ruled Cape Verde from independence until 1990.8 Responding to growing pressure for pluralistic democracy the PAICV called an emergency congress in February 1990 to discuss proposed constitutional changes to end one-party rule. Opposition groups came together to form the Movement for Democracy (MPD) in Praia in April 1990. Together they campaigned for the right to contest the presidential election scheduled for December 1990. The one-party state was abolished September 28 1990 and the first multi-party elections were held in January 1991. The MPD won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly and MPD presidential candidate Antnio Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated the PAICV's candidate with 73.5% of the votes. Legislative elections in December 1995 increased the MPD majority in the National Assembly. The party won 50 of the National Assembly's 72 seats. A February 1996 presidential election returned President Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001 returned power to the PAICV with the PAICV holding 40 of the National Assembly seats MPD 30 and Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD) and Party for Labor and Solidarity (PTS) 1 each. In February 2001 the PAICV-supported presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MPD leader Carlos Veiga by only 13 votes.8 Geography Main article: Geography of Cape Verde Praia Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     3   25 20     0   25 19     0   26 20     0   26 21     0   27 21     0   28 22     5   28 24     97   29 24     114   29 25     31   29 24     8   28 23     3   26 22 Average max. and min. temperatures in C Precipitation totals in mm Source: BBC Weather9 Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.1   77 68     0   77 66     0   79 68     0   79 70     0   81 70     0   82 72     0.2   82 75     3.8   84 75     4.5   84 77     1.2   84 75     0.3   82 73     0.1   79 72 Average max. and min. temperatures in F Precipitation totals in inches The beach of Calhau with Monte Verde in the background on the island of So Vicente The summit of Pico do Fogo the highest peak in the Cape Verde archipelago located on the island of Fogo Natural salt evaporation ponds at Pedra de Lume on the island of Sal Terra satellite took this photo of Cape Verde islands on November 23 2010. The Cape Verde archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 570 kilometres (350 mi) off the coast of West Africa near Mauritania and Senegal and is part of the Macaronesia ecoregion. It lies between latitudes 14 and 18N and longitudes 22 and 26W. The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets10 that constitute an area of 4033 km.10 The islands are spatially divided into two groups: The Ilhas de Barlavento (English:  windward islands): Santo Anto So Vicente Santa Luzia So Nicolau Sal Boa Vista;10 and The Ilhas de Sotavento (English:  leeward islands): Maio Santiago Fogo Brava.10 The largest island both in size and population is Santiago which hosts the nation's capital Praia the principal agglomeration in the archipelago.10 Physical geography Magnetic anomalies identified in the vicinity of the archipelago indicates that the structures forming the islands date back 125-150 million years: the islands themselves date from 8 million (in the west) to 20 million years (in the east).11 The oldest exposed rocks occurred on Maio and northern peninsula of Santiago and are 128-131 million year old pillow lavas. The first stage of volcanism in the islands began in the early Miocene and reached its peak at the end of this period when the islands reached their maximum sizes. Historical volcanism (within human settlement) has been restricted to the island of Fogo. The origin of the islands' volcanism has been attributed to a hotspot associated with bathymetric swell that formed the Cape Verde Rise.12 The Rise is one of the largest protuberances in the world's oceans rising 2.2 kilometers in a semi-circular region of 1200 km associated with a rise of the geoid and elevated surface heat flow.11 Though Cape Verde's islands are all volcanic in origin they vary widely in terrain.10 Most recently erupting in 1995 Pico do Fogo is the largest active volcano in the region. It has a 8 km (5 mi) diameter caldera whose rim is 1600 m (5249 ft) altitude and an interior cone that rises to 2829 m (9281 ft) above sea level. The caldera resulted from subsidence following the partial evacuation (eruption) of the magma chamber along a cylindrical column from within magma chamber (at a depth of 8 km (5 mi)). Geologically the islands are principally composed of igneous rocks with volcanic structures and pyroclastic debris comprising the majority of the archipelago's total volume. The volcanic and plutonic rocks are distinctly basic; the archipelago is a soda-alkaline petrographic province with a petrologic succession which is similar to that found in other Macaronesian islands. Extensive salt flats are found on Sal and Maio.10 On Santiago Santo Anto and So Nicolau arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along the base of towering mountains.10 Climate Main article: Climate of Cape Verde Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland; because the island is surrounded by the sea temperatures are generally moderate.10 Average daily high temperatures range from 25 C (77 F) in January to 29 C (84.2 F) in September.9 Cape Verde is part of the Sahelian arid belt with nothing like the rainfall levels of nearby West Africa.10 It does rain irregularly between August and October with frequent brief-but-heavy downpours.10 A desert is usually defined as terrain which receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of annual rainfall. Cape Verde's total (261 mm/10.3 in) is slightly above this criterion which makes the area climate semi-desert. Hurricanes that form near the Cape Verde Islands are sometimes referred to as Cape Verde-type hurricanes. These hurricanes can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters. Biome Cape Verde's isolation has resulted in the islands having a number of endemic species particularly bird and reptiles many of which are endangered by human development. Endemic birds include Alexander's Swift (Apus alexandri) Bourne's Heron (Ardea purpurea bournei) the Raso Lark (Alauda razae) the Cape Verde Warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis) and the Iago Sparrow (Passer iagoensis).13 The islands are also an important breeding area for seabirds including the Cape Verde Shearwater. Reptiles include the Cape Verde Giant Gecko (Tarentola gigas). Human geography Main article: Administrative divisions of Cape Verde Aerial view of the capital of the archipelago Praia on the island of Santiago Vista of Nova Sintra the municipal seat of Brava Cape Verde is divided into 22 municipalities (concelhos) and subdivided into 32 parishes (freguesias) based on the religious parishes that existed during the colonial period: Barlavento Islands Island Municipality Parish Santo Anto Ribeira Grande Nossa Senhora do Rosrio Nossa Senhora do Livramento Santo Crucifixo So Pedro Apstolo Paul Santo Antnio das Pombas Porto Novo So Joo Baptista Santo Andr So Vicente So Vicente Nossa Senhora da Luz Santa Luzia So Nicolau Ribeira Brava Nossa Senhora da Lapa Nossa Senhora do Rosrio Tarrafal de So Nicolau So Francisco Sal Sal Nossa Senhora das Dores Boa Vista Boa Vista Santa Isabel So Joo Baptista View of downtown Mindelo en Baa do Porto Grande So Vicente The uninhabited islets Ilhus Secos or Ilhus do Rombo as seen from off the coast with the town of Nova Sintra in the foreground Sotavento Islands Island Municipality Parish Maio Maio Nossa Senhora da Luz Santiago Praia Nossa Senhora da Graa So Domingos Nossa Senhora da Luz So Nicolau Tolentino Santa Catarina Santa Catarina So Salvador do Mundo So Salvador do Mundo Santa Cruz Santiago Maior So Loureno dos rgos So Loureno dos rgos Ribeira Grande de Santiago Santssimo Nome de Jesus So Joo Baptista So Miguel So Miguel Arcanjo Tarrafal Santo Amaro Abade Fogo So Filipe So Loureno Nossa Senhora da Conceio Santa Catarina do Fogo Santa Catarina do Fogo Mosteiros Nossa Senhora da Ajuda Brava Brava So Joo Baptista Nossa Senhora do Monte Demographics Main article: Demographics of Cape Verde Population pyramid (demographics) showing age distribution of males to females (2005) Most of the population is of creole ethnicity mixed from black African and European descent. 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.10 A genetic study revealed that the ancestry of the population in Cape Verde is 57% African and 43% European.14 Around 95% of the population is Christian (more than 85 percent of the population is nominally Roman Catholic15 though for a minority of the population Catholicism is syncretized with African influences).2 The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene; other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the Assemblies of God the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God and various other Pentecostal and evangelical groups.)15 There are small Baha'i communities and a small Muslim community.15 The number of atheists is estimated at less than 1 percent of the population.15 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. Cape Verdean Creole or Kriolu is a dialect continuum of a Portuguese-based creole which varies from island to island. There is a substantial body of literature in Creole especially in the Santiago Creole and the So Vicente Creole. Creole has been gaining prestige since the nation's independence from Portugal. However the differences between the varied forms of the language within the islands have been a major obstacle in the way of standardization of the language. Some people have advocated the development of two standards: a North (Barlavento) standard centered on the So Vicente Creole and a South (Sotavento) standard centered on the Santiago Creole. Manuel Veiga PhD a linguist by training and Minister of Culture of Cape Verde is the premier proponent of Kriolu's officialization and standardization. The demographic statistics site ESA says Cape Verde has a population of 567000 in 2010. Emigration Main article: Cape Verdean diaspora Local women on the island of Santiago Today more Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde itself with significant emigrant16 Cape Verdean communities in the United States (500000 Cape Verdeans descent with a major concentration on the New England coast from Providence Rhode Island to New Bedford Massachusetts). There are also significant Cape Verde populations in Portugal (150000) Angola (45000) So Tom and Prncipe (25000) Senegal (25000) the Netherlands (20000 of which 15000 are concentrated in Rotterdam) France (25000) Scandinavia (7000) Italy (10000) and Spain (12500). There is also a Cape Verdean community in Argentina numbering 8000. A large number of Cape Verdeans and people of Cape Verdean descent that immigrated before 1975 are not included in these statistics because all the Cape Verdeans had Portuguese passports before 1975. There are approximately 2000 Chinese immigrants in Cape Verde as well as citizens of the African mainland (most of these immigrants hail from West Africa) there are also a significant number of citizens of Europe and South America (Brazil) residing in the country. There are an estimated 20000 immigrants in Cape Verde of which 14000 are legal residents. In the USA the children and grandchildren of the first immigrant waves became involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. This led them to make links with other US black groups. Cape-Verdean Americans have also been involved in the US Army for centuries; in the Revolutionary War Civil War the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars.17 Cape Verdeans moved to places all over the world from Macau to Haiti to Argentina to northern Europe.18 Politics President of Cape Verde Pedro Pires meeting with the then Brazilian president Lula da Silva Main article: Politics of Cape Verde Cape Verde is a stable representative Parliamentary republic.19 The constitution adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992 1995 and 1999 defines the basic principles of its government. The president is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The prime minister is the 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. Three parties now hold seats in the National AssemblyPAICV 40 MPD 30 and Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) 2.8 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.8 Cape Verde follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states.8 Angola Brazil the People's Republic of China Cuba France Germany Portugal Spain Senegal Russia and the United States maintain embassies in Praia.8 Cape Verde is actively interested in foreign affairs especially in Africa.8 It has bilateral relations with some Lusophone nations and holds membership in a number of international organisations.8 It also participates in most international conferences on economic and political issues.8 Cape Verde has a Special Partnership status20 with the EU and might apply for membership.21 The military of Cape Verde consists of a coast guard and an army; 0.7% of the country's GDP was spent on the military in 2005. International recognition Cape Verde is often praised as an example among African nations for its stability and developmental growth despite its lack of natural resources. Among others it has been recognized with the following assessments: Index Score PALOP rank CPLP rank African rank World rank Year Human Development Index 0.534 1 3 11 118 2010 Ibrahim Index of African Governance 75.5 1 N/A 4 N/A 201022 Freedom of the Press 28 (Free) 1 2 4 60 2009 Freedom in the World 1/1note 1 1 1note 2 1note 3 1note 4 2011 Press Freedom Index 8 1 1 2 26 2010 Democracy Index 7.94 (Flawed democracy) 1 2 2 27 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index 5.1 1 2 3 45 2010 Index of Economic Freedom23 64.6 1 1 3 65 2010 e-Government Readiness Index 0.4054 1 3 6 108 2010 Failed States Index 77.2 2 3 14 89note 5 2010 Legend: Top 3 Top 10 Other 1/1 is the highest possible rating. With the maximum score Cape Verde shares the first place with Portugal. Cape Verde was the only African country to reach the maximum rating. With the maximum score Cape Verde shares the first place with 48 other countries. The rank on this list is expressed in reverse order. To be comparable with the other rankings on this table the actual rank of 88 was inverted by subtracting it from the number of countries on the list currently 177. Economy Main article: Economy of Cape Verde Municipal market in S. Vicente Cape Verde has few natural resources scant rainfall and limited supplies of fresh water.24 Only 4 of the 10 main islands (Santiago Santo Anto Fogo and Brava) normally support significant agricultural production25 and over 90% of all food consumed in Cape Verde is imported. Mineral resources include salt pozzolana (a volcanic rock used in cement production) and limestone.8 Its small number of wineries making Portuguese-style wines have traditionally focused on the domestic market but have recently met with some international acclaim. A number of wine tours of Cape Verde's various microclimates began to be offered in spring 2010 and can be arranged through the tourism office.26 The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented with commerce transport and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP.citation needed Although nearly 38% of the population lives in rural areas agriculture and fishing contribute only about 9% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. Fish and shellfish are plentiful and small quantities are exported. Cape Verde has cold storage and freezing facilities and fish processing plants in Mindelo Praia and on Sal. Expatriate Cape Verdeans contribute an amount estimated at about 20% of GDP to the domestic economy through remittances.8 Since 1991 the government has pursued market-oriented economic policies including an open welcome to foreign investors and a far-reaching privatization programme. It established as top development priorities the promotion of a market economy and of the private sector; the development of tourism light manufacturing industries and fisheries; and the development of transport communications and energy facilities. From 1994 to 2000 about $407 million in foreign investments were made or planned of which 58% were in tourism27 17% in industry 4% in infrastructure and 21% in fisheries and services.8 Between 2000 and 2009 real GDP increased on average by over 7 percent a year well above the average for Sub-Saharan countries and faster than most small island economies in the region. Strong economic performance was bolstered by one of the fastest growing tourism industry in the world as well as by substantial capital inflows that allowed Cape Verde to build up national currency reserves to the current 3.5 months of imports. Unemployment has been falling rapidly and the country is on track to achieve most of the UN Millenium Development Goals including halving its 1990 poverty level. In 2007 Cape Verde joined the WTO and in 2008 the country graduated from Least Developed Country (LDC) to Middle Income Country (MIC) status.28 Cape Verde has significant cooperation with Portugal at every level of the economy which has led it to link its currency first to the Portuguese escudo and in 1999 to the euro. On June 23 2008 Cape Verde became the 153rd member of the WTO.29 Development The European Commission's total allocation for the period of 20082013 foreseen for Cape Verde to address "poverty reduction in particular in rural and periurban areas where women are heading the households as well as good governance" amounts to 54.1 million.30 Wildlife Main article: Wildlife of Cape Verde Tourism Main article: Tourism in Cape Verde The collection of sailing ships in Porto Grande Mindelo on the island of So Vicente: tourism is a growing source of income in the islands Cape Verde's strategic location at the crossroads of mid-Atlantic air and sea lanes has been enhanced by significant improvements at Mindelo's harbor (Porto Grande) and at Sal's and Praia's international airports. A new international airport was opened in Boa Vista in December 2007 and on the island of Sao Vicente the newest international airport (Sao Pedro Airport) in Cape Verde was opened in late 2009. Ship repair facilities at Mindelo were opened in 1983. The major ports are Mindelo and Praia but all other islands have smaller port facilities. In addition to the international airport on Sal airports have been built on all of the inhabited islands. All but the airport on Brava enjoy scheduled air service. The archipelago has 3050 km (1895 mi) of roads of which 1010 km (628 mi) are paved most using cobblestone.8 The country's future economic prospects depend heavily on the maintenance of aid flows the encouragement of tourism remittances outsourcing labor to neighboring African countries and the momentum of the government's development program.8 Tourism has increased in recent years. Large hotels have been built across the country in an effort to boost tourism. In particular on the islands of Boa Vista (Club Hotel Riu Karamboa (750 rooms)) and Sal (Club Hotel Riu Funana/Garopa (1000 rooms)--the largest hotel in all of West Africa). The Cape Verde islands have a relatively low crime rate and beautiful beaches as well as having engaging local people. Tourists and leisure seekers from across Europe and the world are coming to the country in larger numbers. In 2010 about 382000 tourists visited the archipelago. Transport Main article: Transport in Cape Verde Culture Main articles: Culture of Cape Verde and Music of Cape Verde A group playing morna Cape Verdean social and cultural patterns are similar to those of rural Portugal and Africa.10 Soccer (Futebol) games and church activities are typical sources of social interaction and entertainment.10 The traditional walk around the praa (town square) to meet friends is practiced regularly in Cape Verde towns.10 In towns with electricity television is available on two channels (Cape Verdean and Portuguese).10 Cape Verde music incorporates Portuguese Caribbean African and Brazilian influences.31 Cape Verde's quintessential national music is the morna a melancholy and lyrical song form typically sung in Cape Verdean Creole. The most popular music genre after morna is the coladeira followed by funan and batuque music. Amongst the most worldwide known Cape Verdean singers are the singers Ildo Lobo and Cesaria Evora whose songs became a hallmark of the country and its culture. There are also well known artists born to Cape Verdean parents who excelled themselves. Amongst these artists are jazz pianist Horace Silver Duke Ellington's saxophonist Paul Gonsalves and singer Lura. Dance forms include the soft dance morna the extreme sensuality of coladeira including the modernized version called passada (zouk) the Funan (a sensual mixed Portuguese and African dance) and the Batuque dance. Cape Verdean literature is one of the richest of Lusophone Africa. Famous poets include Paulino Vieira Manuel de Novas Sergio Frusoni Eugnio Tavares and B. Lza and famous authors include Baltasar Lopes da Silva Antnio Aurlio Gonalves Manuel Lopes Orlanda Amarlis Henrique Teixeira de Sousa and Germano Almeida. The Cape Verde diet is mostly based on fish and staple foods like corn and rice. Vegetables available during most of the year are potatoes onions tomatoes manioc cabbage kale and dried beans. Fruits like banana and papayas are available year-round while others like mangos and avocados are seasonal.10 A popular dish served in Cape Verde is Cachupa. Health and education Health Main article: Health in Cape Verde Health Clinic in a residential area in Praia. Teachers' Training College in Praia. The infant mortality rate in Cape Verde is 21 per 1000 live births. The AIDS prevalence rate is 0.5% the literacy rate is 85 and 98.9% among Cape Verdean youth. Life expectancy in Cape Verde is 70 years for males and 75 years for females according to the UN. 32 Cape Verde has been steadily developing33 since its independence and besides having been promoted to the group of "medium development" countries in 2007 leaving the Least Developed Countries category (which is only the second time it has happened to a country34) is currently the 12th best ranked country in Africa in terms of Human Development Index Education Main article: Education in Cape Verde Primary school education in Cape Verde is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 14 years and free for children ages 6 to 12.35 In 2008 the net enrollment ratio for primary school was 84%.36 While enrollment rates indicate a level of commitment to education they do not always reflect children's participation in school.35 Textbooks have been made available to 90 percent of school children and 83 percent of the teachers have attended in-service teacher training.35 Although most children have access to education some problems remain.35 For example many students and some teachers speak Creole at home and have a poor command of Portuguese (the language of instruction); there is insufficient spending on school materials lunches and books; and there is a high repetition rate for certain grades.35 Football Although the Cape Verde national football team represents Cape Verde abroad many internationally known football players were born in Cape Verde or were descendants of Cape Verdeans and play for other nation's teams. Several currently play or have played in the Portuguese league or national team such as Nani Jorge Andrade or Nlson Marcos. Henrik Larsson (whose father is Cape Verdean) played for Sweden Patrick Vieira (whose mother is Cape Verdean) plays for France while Gelson Fernandes (who was born in Praia) plays for Switzerland. Windsurfing Cape Verde is famous for wavesailing (a type of windsurfing). Josh Angulo a Hawaiian and 2009 PWA Wave World Champion has done much to promote the archipelago as a windsurfing destination. Cape Verde is now his adopted country. See also Cape Verde portal Geography portal Main articles: Outline of Cape Verde and Index of Cape Verde-related articles Find more about Cape Verde on Wikipedia's sister projects: Images and media from Commons News stories from Wikinews Source texts from Wikisource Cape Verde European Union relations Human rights in Cape Verde References Notes "World Gazetteer Population Figures". World-gazetteer.com. http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.phpgeo-58&mengpro. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  a b "Background Note: Cape Verde". State.gov. 2010-06-15. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2835.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  a b c d "Cape Verde". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspxsy2008&ey2011&scsm1&ssd1&sortcountry&ds.&br1&c624&sNGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp0&a&pr.x24&pr.y14. Retrieved 2011-04-21.  "Human Development Report 2009. Human development index trends: Table G". The United Nations. http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDR2009ENComplete.pdf. Retrieved 2009-10-10.  Lobban p. 4. "UNDP.org" (PDF). http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/HDI2008ENTables.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  Carta regia (royal letter) of 19 September 1462 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Cape Verde background note. U.S. Department of State (July 2008). a b "BBC". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/cityguides/results.shtmlttTT004750. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q The Peace Corps Welcomes You to Cape Verde. Peace Corps (April 2006). This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain a b Pim et al. 2008 p.422 R. Ramalho et.al. 2010 "Endemic Bird Areas: Cape Verde Islands". Birdlife.org. http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/ebas/index.htmlactionEbaHTMDetails.asp&sid79&m0. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  "Actualidade". Asemana.sapo.cv. http://asemana.sapo.cv/spip.phparticle53126&ak1. Retrieved 2011-01-31.  a b c d "State.gov". State.gov. 2007-09-14. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90087.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  Jorgen Carling 2004 p.113-132 "Cape Verdeans: Cape Verdean Veterans". Sites.google.com. http://sites.google.com/site/capeverdeanveterans/Home/Cape-Verdean-Veterans. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  "Everydculture.com". Everyculture.com. http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cape-Verdean-Americans.html. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  "Constitution of Cape Verde". 1992. http://confinder.richmond.edu/admin/docs/CapeVerde.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-20.  Percival Debra "Cape Verde-EU Special Partnership takes shape" "The Courier" Commission of the European Communities publication May 25 2008 "Cape Verde could seek EU membership this year". Eubusiness.com. http://www.eubusiness.com/Portugal/050507114923.9ivv9852/. Retrieved 2010-06-26.  "2010 Ibrahim Index". http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/en/media/get/201010202010-ibrahim-index.xls. Retrieved 2011-01-31.  "Cape Verde 2010 Index of Economic Freedom". Heritage.org. http://www.heritage.org/index/country/CapeVerde. Retrieved 2011-01-31.  "New World Encyclopedia". New World Encyclopedia. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/CapeVerde. Retrieved 2011-01-31.  See Carlos Ferreira Couto Incerteza adaptabilidade e inovao na sociedade rural da Ilha de Santiago de Cabo Verde Lisbon: Fundao Galouste Gulbenkian 2010 Tourism in Cape Verde See now Brgida Rocha Brito and others Turismo em Meio Insular Africano: Potencialidades constrangimentos e impactos Lisbon: Gerpress 2010 "MFW4A". MFW4A. http://www.mfw4a.org/cape-verde/cape-verde-financial-sector-profile.html. Retrieved 2011-01-31.  "Cape Verde to join WTO on 23 July 2008". WTO News. http://www.wto.org/english/newse/news08e/acccapverdejune08e.htm.  European Commission Manuel p. 95-97. 1dead link Cape Verde HDI Trend from the 2007 Human Development Report country fact sheet "UN advocate salutes Cape Verdes graduation from category of poorest States" UN News Centre 14 June 2007. a b c d e "Cape Verde". Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor (2001). Bureau of International Labor Affairs U.S. Department of Labor (2002). This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain. "World Development Indicators Data". Data.worldbank.org. http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators. Retrieved 2011-01-31.  Sources J.Pim C. Pierce A.B.Watts I. Grevemeyer A. Krabbenhoeft (5 May 2008). "Crustal structure and origin of the Cape Verde Rise". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Elesiever. pp. 422428. http://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/tony/watts/downloads/Pimetal2008.pdf.  Carling Jorgen; Ball R; Ranieri WF; Beck AT (2004). Emigration Return and Development in Cape Verde: The Impact of Closing Borders. "Population Space and Place". Journal of clinical psychology (John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) 55 (10): 113132. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199901)55:1<117::AID-JCLP12>3.0.CO;2-A. PMID 10100838. http://www.prio.no/sptrans/-1578661404/2004jc002.pdf.  Ramalho R.; Helffrich G.; Schmidt D.; Vance D. (2010). Tracers of Uplift and Subsidence in the Cape Verde Archipelago. "Journal of the Geological Society". Journal of the Geological Society (London England: Geological Society of London) 167 (3): 519538. doi:10.1144/0016-76492009-056. http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/webdav/site/GSL/shared/Suppubs/2010/18390SupPub.pdf.  External links Cape Verde from State.gov Country Profile from BBC News Cape Verde entry at The World Factbook Cape Verde Encyclopdia Britannica entry Cape Verde from UCB Libraries GovPubs Demographic Highlights Statistics from the Population Reference Bureau Cape Verde at the Open Directory Project Wikimedia Atlas of Cape Verde EU Relations with Cape Verde EU strategy for Cape Verde National Institute of Statistics Chief of State and Cabinet Members Cape Verde travel guide from Wikitravel Government of Cape Verde National Assembly of Cape Verde Official site of the President of Cape Verde Cape Verdean Embassy in Washington D.C. Medicine Information for Cape Verde v d e Cape Verde topics Politics and law Elections  Flag  Emblem  Foreign relations  Military  Law Enforcement  National Assembly  Political parties  President  Prime Minister  LGBT rights History African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde  Colonial heads Geography Administrative divisions  Cities  Climate  Extreme points  Islands (Barlavento  Sotavento)  Mountains  Ports  Streams  Villages and settlements  Volcanoes  Wildlife Economy and infrastructure Agriculture  Airports  Communications  Companies  Currency  Stock market  Tourism  Transport Culture and society Cape Verdean Creole  Cape Verdean Portuguese  Crime  Demographics  Education  Football  Health  Notable Cape Verdeans  Holidays  Media  Music  Religion  Women v d eCountries and territories of Africa Sovereign states Algeria  Angola  Benin  Botswana  Burkina Faso  Burundi  Cameroon  Cape Verde  Central African Republic  Chad  Comoros  Democratic Republic of the Congo  Republic of the Congo  Cte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)  Djibouti  Egypt  Equatorial Guinea  Eritrea  Ethiopia  France (Mayotte  Runion)  Gabon  The Gambia  Ghana  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Italy (Pantelleria)  Kenya  Lesotho  Liberia  Libya  Madagascar  Malawi  Mali  Mauritania  Mauritius  Morocco  Mozambique  Namibia  Niger  Nigeria  Portugal (Madeira)  Rwanda  So Tom and Prncipe  Senegal  Seychelles  Sierra Leone  Somalia  South Africa  Spain (Canary Islands  Ceuta  Melilla  Plazas de soberana)  Sudan  Swaziland  Togo  Tanzania  Tunisia  Uganda  Yemen (Socotra)  Zambia  Zimbabwe States with limited recognition Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic  Somaliland Dependencies les parses (France)  Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom) Unclear sovereignty Western Sahara  International membership and history v d eMember states of the African Union (AU) Algeria  Angola  Benin  Botswana  Burkina Faso  Burundi  Cameroon  Cape Verde  Central African Republic  Chad  Comoros  Democratic Republic of the Congo  Republic of the Congo  Cte d'Ivoire  Djibouti  Egypt  Equatorial Guinea  Eritrea  Ethiopia  Gabon  The Gambia  Ghana  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Kenya  Lesotho  Liberia  Libya  Madagascar  Malawi  Mali  Mauritania  Mauritius  Mozambique  Namibia  Niger  Nigeria  Rwanda  Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic  So Tom and Prncipe  Senegal  Seychelles  Sierra Leone  Somalia  South Africa  Sudan  Swaziland  Tanzania  Togo  Tunisia  Uganda  Zambia  Zimbabwe v d eCommunity of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Members: Angola  Brazil  Cape Verde  East Timor  Guinea-Bissau  Mozambique  Portugal  So Tom and Prncipe Observers: Mauritius  Senegal  Equatorial Guinea In Process: Andorra  Morocco  Philippines  Galicia  Macau  Malacca  Goa  Croatia  Romania  Ukraine v d eStates belonging to the Community of Democracies at the United Nations Members  Cape Verde   Chile   Czech Republic   El Salvador   India   Italy   South Korea   Lithuania   Mali   Mexico   Mongolia   Morocco   Philippines   Poland   Portugal   South Africa   United States v d eSouth Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Members Angola  Argentina  Benin  Brazil  Cameroon  Cape Verde  Republic of the Congo  Democratic Republic of the Congo  Cte d'Ivoire  Equatorial Guinea  Gabon  The Gambia  Ghana  Guinea  Guinea-Bissau  Liberia  Namibia  Nigeria  So Tom and Prncipe  Senegal  Sierra Leone  South Africa  Togo  Uruguay Ministerial Meetings 2nd (1993)  3rd (1994)  4th (1996)  5th (1998)  6th (2007) v d eLatin Union Member nations Andorra  Angola  Bolivia  Brazil  Cape Verde  Chile  Colombia  Costa Rica  Cte d'Ivoire  Cuba  Dominican Republic  East Timor  Ecuador  El Salvador  France  Guatemala  Guinea-Bissau  Haiti  Honduras  Italy  Mexico  Moldova  Monaco  Mozambique  Nicaragua  Panama  Paraguay  Peru  Philippines  Portugal  Romania  San Marino  So Tom and Prncipe  Senegal  Spain  Uruguay  Venezuela Permanent observers Argentina  Holy See  Sovereign Military Order of Malta Official languages Catalan  French  Italian  Portuguese  Romanian  Spanish v d ePortuguese Empire North Africa  15th century 14151640  Ceuta 14581550  Alccer Ceguer (El Qsar es Seghir) 14711550  Arzila (Asilah) 14711662  Tangier 14851550  Mazagan (El Jadida) 1487 middle 16th century  Ouadane 14881541  Safim (Safi) 1489  Graciosa 16th century 15051769  Santa Cruz do Cabo  de Gu (Agadir) 15061525  Mogador (Essaouira) 15061525  Aguz (Souira Guedima) 15061769  Mazagan (El Jadida) 15131541  Azamor (Azemmour) 1515  So Joo da Mamora (Mehdya) 15771589  Arzila (Asilah) Sub-Saharan Africa  15th century 14551633  Arguin 14701975  So Tom1 14741778  Annobn 14781778  Fernando Poo (Bioko) 14821637  Elmina (So Jorge  da Mina) 14821642  Portuguese Gold Coast 14961550  Madagascar (part) 14981540  Mascarene Islands 16th century 15001630  Malindi 15001975  Prncipe1 15011975  Portuguese E. Africa  (Mozambique) 15021659  St. Helena 15031698  Zanzibar 15051512  Quloa (Kilwa) 15061511  Socotra 15571578  Accra 15751975  Portuguese W. Africa  (Angola) 15881974  Cacheu2 15931698  Mombassa (Mombasa) 17th century 16421975  Cape Verde 16451888  Ziguinchor 16801961  So Joo Baptista de Ajud 16871974  Bissau2 18th century 17281729  Mombassa (Mombasa) 17531975  So Tom and Prncipe 19th century 18791974  Portuguese Guinea 18851975  Portuguese Congo (Cabinda)   1 Part of So Tom and Prncipe from 1753.   2 Part of Portuguese Guinea from 1879. Southwest Asia  16th century 15061615  Gamru (Bandar-Abbas) 15071643  Sohar 15151622  Hormuz (Ormus) 15151648  Quriyat 1515   Qalhat 15151650  Muscat 1515   Barka 15151633 Julfar (Ras al-Khaimah) 15211602  Bahrain (Muharraq and Manama) 15211529  Qatif 15211551 Tarut Island 15501551  Qatif 15881648  Matrah 17th century 1620   Khor Fakkan 1621   As Sib 16211622  Qeshm 1623   Khasab 1623   Libedia 1624   Kalba 1624   Madha 16241648  Dibba Al-Hisn 1624   Bandar-e Kong Indian subcontinent  15th century 14981545  Laccadive Islands       (Lakshadweep) 16th century Portuguese India 15001663  Cochim (Kochi) 15021661  Quilon (Coulo/Kollam) 15021663  Cannanore (Kannur) 15071657  Negapatam (Nagapatnam) 15101962  Goa 15121525  Calicut (Kozhikode) 15181619  Paliacate (Pulicat) 15211740  Chaul 15231662  Mylapore 15281666  Chittagong 15311571  Chalium 15341601  Salsette Island 15341661  Bombay (Mumbai) 15351739  Baam (Vasai-Virar) 15361662  Cranganore (Kodungallur) 15401612  Surat 15481658  Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) 16th century (continued) Portuguese India (continued) 15591962  Daman and Diu 15681659  Mangalore 15791632  Hugli 15981610  Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam) 15181521  Maldives 15181658  Portuguese Ceylon (Sri Lanka) 15581573  Maldives 17th century Portuguese India 16871749  Mylapore 18th century Portuguese India 17791954  Dadra and Nagar Haveli East Asia and Oceania  16th century 15111641  Portuguese Malacca 15121621  Moluccas (Maluku Islands) 15221575  Ternate 15761605  Ambon 15781650  Tidore 15121665  Makassar 15531999  Macau 15711639  Decima (Dejima Nagasaki) 17th century 16421975  Portuguese Timor (East Timor)1 19th century Macau 18641999  Coloane 18491999  Portas do Cerco 18511999  Taipa 18901999  Ilha Verde 20th century Macau 19381941  Lapa and Montanha (Hengqin) 1  1975 is the year of East Timor's Declaration of Independence and subsequent invasion by Indonesia. In 2002 East Timor's independence was recognized by Portugal & the world. North America and the North Atlantic Ocean  15th century 1420 Madeira 1432 Azores 16th century 15001579  Terra Nova (Newfoundland) 15001579  Labrador 15161579  Nova Scotia Central and South America  16th century 15001822  Brazil 15361620  Barbados 17th century 16801777  Nova Colnia do Sacramento 19th century 18081822  Cisplatina (Uruguay) Portuguese colonization of the Americas Theory of Portuguese discovery of Australia Coordinates: 150640N 233700W / 15.11111N 23.6166667W / 15.11111; -23.6166667