FACTS ABOUT CAPE VERDE

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT CAPE VERDE

1.                 The official name of Cape Verde is the “Republic of Cabo Verde”.

2.                 The capital city of Cape Verde is Praia.

3.                 The total population of Cape Verde is 553,432.

4.                 The natives of Cape Verde are called Cape Verdeans.

5.                 The Cape Verdean escudo (CVE) is official currency of Cape Verde.

6.                 The name of the islands originates from the Cap-Vert peninsula in West Africa.

7.                 It lies in Western Africa, west of Senegal, and is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

8.                 It remained under the Portuguese control until 1975. After some years, it became a trading center for African slaves and a resupply and coaling stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. In 1876, the slave trade was abolished on the island.

9.                 Approximately only 10-11% of the island’s land is suitable for agriculture.

10.            The archipelago lies approximately 600 km off the coast of West Africa.

11.            It also has eight islets (small islands).

12.            ‘Santo Antão’ is the second largest island in the archipelago. The island is popular with hikers as it provides the perfect terrain for the hikers to test their endurance and skills on a vertical isle which is ruptured with canyons, valleys, and gorges.

13.            Pico do Fogo is the highest peak of Cape Verde.

14.            The combined size of these islands is just over 4000 square kilometers.

15.            Santiago is the largest island of all both in population and size. It is also home to the capital city, Praia.

16.            Mt Fogo, Cabo Verde’s highest peak, last erupted from late 2014 to early 2015.

17.            Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau were a joint country until 1980.

18.            Also in late 2007, the country became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

19.            The country is blessed with one of Africa’s most stable democratic governments.

20.            Majority of Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents.

21.            Cape Verde (2007) is the only second country after Botswana (1994) to have graduated from the United Nations’ list of Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

22.            It is estimated that the islands have one goat for every two people.

23.            Cape Verde has no known oil or gas resources.

24.            In the World Press Freedom Index in 2014, “Reporters without Borders”, listed Cape Verde at the second spot among African countries.

25.            With the help of inputs from the World Bank and the EU, Cape Vered is set to become one of the largest per-capita aid recipients in the world.

26.            African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICY) and Movement for Democracy (MPD) are the two main political parties in Cape Verde.

27.            There are approximately 1200 active personnel in Cape Verde’s military.

28.            In Cape Verde, the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of the government.

29.            Repeated famine and epidemics have played a crucial role in deaths and emigration of the local people and as a result, the country’s overall population has fluctuated significantly. The country is also prone to volcanic and seismic activity.

30.            The standard of living in Cape Verde is higher than that of most of other African nations thanks to its most stable democracy.

31.            Culturally, the Barlavento islands identify more with the Portuguese colonizers while the Sotavento islands identify with the Africans.

32.            Corn is the staple food of Cabo Verde. And Cachupa is their national dish.

33.            Sugar cane liquor is a popular drink on the islands, especially among the men.

34.            The long-eared bat is the only native animal to the island.

35.            Some of the native birds to the island include: Alexander’s Swift, Bourne’s Heron, The Raso Lark, The Cape Verde Warbler, The Iago Sparrow and The Cape Verde Shearwater.

36.            Tourism plays a predominant role in country’s economy.

37.            Due to the efforts and strategic planning by Cape Verde’s government, poverty levels were down from 37% in 2001 to 27% in 2007.

38.            Cape Verde is a popular tourist destination. As compared to 2015, The Archipelago saw a 13.6% increase in tourists in 2016.

39.            According to tradingeconomics.com, a whopping 195,163 tourists visited the archipelago in the first quarter of 2017.

40.            Praia de Santa Maria beach was voted as one of the top 25 beaches in the world in TripAdvisor’s 2017 Travelers’ Choice.

41.            Sal, one of the windward islands of the archipelago, sees more tourists than any other island in the archipelago. It has a beautiful beach which stretches for 8 kilometers along the coast.

42.            There are no railways in Cape Verde.

43.            There are seven operational airports in Cape Verde. The country has only one airport which is over 3,047 m in length.

44.            Cape Verde has a total road network of 1,350 km.

45.            Porto Grande is the major sea port in the country.

46.            According to World Bank’s 2007 report, the country has 73 cars for every 1000 people.

47.            Cape Verde Exports: fuel (re-exports), shoes, garments, fish and animal hides.

48.            Cape Verde Imports: foodstuffs, industrial products, transport equipment and fuels.

49.            The internet country code for Cape Verde is .cv.