Cape Verde Country & Tourist Information

Location
Atlantic Ocean, off coast of West Africa.

Area
4,033 sq km (1,557 sq miles).

Population
482,000 (2005).

Population Density
112.5 per sq km.

Capital
Cidade de Praia.
Population: 106,757 (2005).

Government
Republic. Gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Language
The official language is Portuguese. Creole is spoken by most of the inhabitants. Some English, French, German and Spanish are widely spoken.

Religion
92.8% of the population are Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority of 1%.

Time
GMT - 1.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister José Maria Neves since 2001.

Head of State
President Pedro Pires since 2001.

Recent History
The MPD held onto both Presidency and National Assembly in 1995 but lost both to the PAICV in the 2001 elections. The extremely close presidential race was won by the PAICV’s Pedro Rodrigues Pires with a margin of just 17 votes over the MPD’s Carlos de Carvalho. The PAICV also won the most recent parliamentary election in 2006. Cape Verde has pursued a determinedly non-aligned foreign policy, reflected in its being chosen as mediator in the settlement of a variety of international disputes, including Angola. More recently, in 1998, it hosted talks to reach a settlement of the conflict in Guinea Bissau. Cape Verde maintains close relations with Portugal, Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking African countries in the PALOP group (Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé).

A new constitution introduced in 1992 allows for the election of an Assembleia Nacional (National Assembly) with 79 deputies and a president who serves as head of state, both elected by adult suffrage for five-year terms.

Telephone
Country code: 238. Improvements to rural areas are in progress.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies, but travelers should check with their service provider. Coverage is variable, but generally good in towns.

Internet
Major hotels offer laptop connections. Public access is available at the offices of Cabo Verde Telecom. Privately-run business centers in the main towns offer e-mail, Internet and fax facilities.

Media
A free press is guaranteed by law, but most media are state-controlled. There are a few private radio stations. Portuguese and French radio are available via FM relays.


Post
Postal facilities can be slow with deliveries to Europe normally taking over a week.

Press
• Newspapers are in Portuguese.
• There are no daily newspapers.
• The weekly newspapers with the highest circulation figures are Horizonte and the independent A Semana.

Radio
• Stations include state-run Radio Nacional De Cabo Verde, as well as Radio Nova in Sao Vicente and Radio Comercial in Praia.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
20 Jan Heroes' Day. 
24 Feb* Carnival.
25 Feb Ash Wednesday.
1 May Labor Day.
19 May* Municipal Day.
5 Jul Independence Day.
15 Aug Assumption (Day of Our Lady of Grace).
12 Sep National Day.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
20 Jan Heroes' Day.
16 Feb* Carnival.
17 Feb Ash Wednesday.
1 May Labor Day.
19 May* Municipal Day.
5 Jul Independence Day.
15 Aug Assumption (Day of Our Lady of Grace).
12 Sep National Day.
1 Nov All Saints' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.

* Regional.

Contact Information:

Ministry of Tourism
Rotundo do Cruz do Papa, Achada Santo António, PO Box 89C, Praia, Santiago Island, Cape Verde
Tel: 260 4111/0 or 262 1488 or 2689.

Cape Verde Bureau
18-20 Stanley Street, Liverpool L1 6AF, UK
Tel: (0151) 255 1314.
Website: www.capeverdebureau.com

Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde in the USA
3415 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Tel: (202) 965 6820.




Next Page »

Related Cape Verde Content