Cabo Verde
Name
| Official name | Republic of Cabo Verde — República de Cabo Verde |
|---|---|
| Former English name | Cape Verde — the translated form used in English until the government's request to the United Nations of 24 October 2013 that the name be Cabo Verde in every language; still common in everyday English |
| Demonym | Cabo Verdean (Cape Verdean); Cabo-verdiano |
| Meaning of the name | "Green Cape" — for Cap-Vert, the headland of Senegal that is the nearest point of the mainland, named by the Portuguese in 1444; the islands themselves are mostly dry |
| Motto | None official; "Unidade, Trabalho, Progresso" — unity, work, progress — on the arms |
Quick facts
| Capital | Praia, on Santiago — the capital since 1858; about 160,000 people |
|---|---|
| Largest cities | Praia; Mindelo, on São Vicente, about 75,000; Santa Maria on Sal; Assomada; Espargos |
| Official language | Portuguese; Cabo Verdean Creole — Kriolu — the mother tongue of nearly all, recognized in the Constitution |
| Currency | Cabo Verdean escudo — ISO code CVE, written 100$00; pegged to the euro at 110.265 since 1998 |
| Time zone | Cape Verde Time, UTC−1, all year |
| Calling code | +238 |
| Internet domain | .cv |
| ISO 3166 codes | CV · CPV · 132 |
| Vehicle registration code | CV |
| Driving side | Right |
| Electricity | 220 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and F |
| Independence | 5 July 1975, from Portugal |
| National days | 5 July, Independence Day; 20 January, Heroes' Day — the assassination of Amílcar Cabral in 1973; 13 January, Democracy Day, for the first free elections of 1991 |
| Constitution | 25 September 1992 — the second; revised 1995, 1999 and 2010 |
| Population | 491,233 at the census of 2021; about 525,000 (National Statistics Institute, 2025 est.) — fewer than the diaspora |
| Area | 4,033 km² (1,557 sq mi) — ten islands and eight islets; a little larger than Rhode Island |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | A blue field crossed below its center by a band of white, red and white, with a ring of ten yellow stars toward the hoist — the sea and sky, peace and the road of effort, and the ten islands in one circle; adopted by the law of 22 September 1992, replacing the PAIGC colors of independence.Flag of Cabo Verde |
|---|---|
| Coat of arms | A circle bearing a torch on a triangle for liberty and unity, with a plumb line for rectitude, ringed by the ten stars, three chain links and two palms, over the motto — adopted 1992 |
| National anthem | "Cântico da Liberdade" ("Song of Freedom") — words by Amílcar Spencer Lopes, music by Adalberto Higino Tavares Silva; adopted 1996, replacing the anthem shared with Guinea-Bissau |
| National colors | Blue, white, red and yellow |
| National music | The morna — inscribed by UNESCO in 2019; "Sodade," sung by Cesária Évora, its anthem |
| National hero | Amílcar Cabral — the founder of the PAIGC, assassinated 20 January 1973; the airport at Sal bears his name |
| National dish | Cachupa — the stew of corn, beans, vegetables and fish or meat; widely cited |
| National animal | None designated; the loggerhead turtle of Boa Vista and the Raso lark, found nowhere else, are the islands' emblems |
| Symbol status | The flag, arms and anthem are fixed by Article 8 of the Constitution; the morna is recognized heritage; the dish and animals are widely cited |
Geography
| Location | The Atlantic Ocean, about 570 km (350 mi) west of Senegal — the westernmost country of Africa |
|---|---|
| Islands | Ten islands and eight islets in two groups — the Barlavento, or windward, in the north: Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista; the Sotavento, or leeward, in the south: Maio, Santiago, Fogo and Brava |
| Largest island | Santiago, 991 km² (383 sq mi), with more than half the population |
| Land borders | None |
| Coastline | 965 km (600 mi) |
| Highest point | Pico do Fogo, 2,829 m (9,281 ft) — the volcano of Fogo; eruptions in 1995 and 2014–15 |
| Lowest point | The Atlantic Ocean, 0 m |
| Uninhabited island | Santa Luzia — a nature reserve with no permanent population since the 1960s |
| Terrain | Steep volcanic mountains on Santo Antão, Santiago, Fogo and São Nicolau; flat, sandy plains on Sal, Boa Vista and Maio |
| Climate | Tropical dry — the Sahel at sea; a short rainy season from August to October, and years without rain; the harmattan dust from November to March |
| Natural hazards | Drought; the Fogo volcano; the harmattan; flash floods in the rains |
| Natural resources | Salt, basalt, limestone, pozzolana, kaolin, fish |
| Land use | Arable about 11%; forest about 22%, almost all planted |
| National parks | Fogo, Monte Gordo on São Nicolau, Serra Malagueta on Santiago; the marine reserves of Santa Luzia and the Boa Vista turtle beaches |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 1 — Cidade Velha, the historic center of Ribeira Grande on Santiago (2009), the first European colonial town in the tropics |
| Administrative divisions | 22 municipalities (concelhos), from 9 on Santiago to 1 each on the smaller islands; 32 parishes |
People
| Population | 491,233 (census of 2021); about 525,000 (2025 est.) |
|---|---|
| Population density | About 130 per km² (340 per sq mi) |
| Population growth | About 1% a year |
| Median age | About 28 years |
| Life expectancy | About 74 years |
| Fertility rate | About 1.9 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 68% |
| Adult literacy | About 91% |
| Ethnic groups | Creole — of mixed African and Portuguese descent — about 71%; African about 28%; European about 1% |
| Languages | Kriolu spoken by nearly all, in the variants of each island; Portuguese in government, school and the press; English and French in tourism |
| Religion | Roman Catholic about 77%, Protestant about 5%, others and none (census of 2021) |
| Human Development Index | 0.661 (2023 data, 2025 report) — medium; among the higher in West Africa |
| Diaspora | Larger than the resident population — about 700,000 to a million, in the United States (Massachusetts and Rhode Island above all), Portugal, France, the Netherlands, Senegal, Angola and Italy; the diaspora votes and elects deputies |
| Sport | Football — the Blue Sharks, Tubarões Azuis, at the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals in 2013 and 2023 and the World Cup of 2026; kitesurfing and windsurfing on Sal, a stop of the world tours; the diaspora's boxers and runners |
Government
| Form of government | Semi-presidential republic under the Constitution of 1992 — the president elected for five years, the prime minister answerable to the Assembly |
|---|---|
| President | José Maria Neves (PAICV), since 9 November 2021 — prime minister 2001–2016; elected 17 October 2021 with 51.8% in the first round |
| Prime Minister | Francisco Carvalho (PAICV), since 19 June 2026 — mayor of Praia 2020–2026, party president since May 2025; also finance minister in an 18-member government |
| The 2026 election | The legislative election of 17 May 2026: the PAICV 48.0% and 37 of 72 seats, the Movement for Democracy 44.8% and 33, the UCID 2 — final results 29 May; the narrowest majority in the country's history, ending Ulisses Correia e Silva's ten years as prime minister |
| The presidential election | Due 15 November 2026, with a second round on 29 November if needed — President Neves seeking a second term |
| Parliament | The National Assembly — 72 deputies elected for five years, six of them by the diaspora in Africa, Europe and the Americas |
| Legal system | Civil law on the Portuguese model; a Constitutional Court and a Supreme Court of Justice |
| Municipalities | 22, each with an elected chamber and president |
| Political record | Government changed by election in 1991, 2001, 2016 and 2026; no coup since independence — among the most stable democracies in Africa by every index |
| United Nations | Member since 16 September 1975 |
| Regional memberships | ECOWAS (1977, with a special status), the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), the WTO (2008); a special partnership with the European Union since 2007 |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$2.9 billion (2025, IMF) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$5,500 (2025) — among the highest in West Africa |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$11,000 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 5–7% a year (2023–25), on the tourism recovery |
| Economy by sector | Services about 75%, industry about 17%, agriculture about 8% |
| Currency | Cabo Verdean escudo (CVE), pegged to the euro |
| Tourism | About a quarter of GDP — a record 1.25 million arrivals in 2025, mostly on Sal and Boa Vista, from the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, France and the Netherlands |
| Exports | Fish and shellfish — tuna, mackerel, lobster — and their canning; clothing and footwear; salt |
| Remittances | From the diaspora — about a tenth of GDP |
| Public debt | Above 100% of GDP — among the highest in Africa |
| Energy | About a fifth of electricity from wind and solar; the Cabeólica wind farms on four islands |
| Income classification | Lower-middle income (World Bank); graduated from least developed country status in 2007 |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airports | Amílcar Cabral International on Sal — the hub; Nelson Mandela International at Praia; Cesária Évora at Mindelo; Aristides Pereira on Boa Vista |
|---|---|
| Airline | Cabo Verde Airlines, the flag carrier, and Bestfly for the inter-island routes |
| Main ports | Porto Grande at Mindelo — one of the finest natural harbors of the Atlantic; Praia; Palmeira on Sal |
| Inter-island travel | Ferries between the islands; the ferry the only link to Brava and Santo Antão, which have no airport in use |
| Railways | None |
| Roads | About 1,350 km (840 mi), most paved in basalt cobblestones — the calçada — and asphalt |
History in dates
| 1456 | Portuguese and Genoese sailors sight the uninhabited islands |
|---|---|
| 1462 | Ribeira Grande on Santiago founded — the first European town in the tropics |
| 16th century | The islands a station of the Atlantic slave trade between Africa and the Americas |
| 1585 · 1712 | Ribeira Grande sacked by Francis Drake, and by the French under Cassard |
| 1858 | Praia becomes the capital |
| 1941–1948 | Famines take tens of thousands of lives |
| 1956 | Amílcar Cabral founds the PAIGC |
| 1975 | Independence, 5 July — Aristides Pereira president |
| 1980 | The coup in Guinea-Bissau ends the plan of union; the PAICV formed 1981 |
| 1991 | The first multiparty elections, 13 January — the Movement for Democracy wins |
| 1992 | The new Constitution and the new flag, September |
| 2007 | Graduation from least developed country status; the special partnership with the EU |
| 2009 | Cidade Velha inscribed by UNESCO |
| 2013 | The request to the UN to be called Cabo Verde, 24 October |
| 2014 | The Fogo eruption buries Chã das Caldeiras, November |
| 2021 | José Maria Neves elected president, 17 October |
| 2026 | The PAICV wins the election of 17 May; Francisco Carvalho prime minister, 19 June; the World Cup debut, June–July |
Records & firsts
| The first European town in the tropics | Ribeira Grande, 1462 — Cidade Velha, UNESCO since 2009 |
|---|---|
| A diaspora larger than the nation | More Cabo Verdeans abroad than at home |
| Africa's westernmost country | Santo Antão at 25° W |
| A country that renamed itself in every language | Cabo Verde, by request to the UN, 2013 |
| The World Cup debut | The Blue Sharks at the 2026 finals — through the group stage to the round of 32, out to Argentina 3–2 after extra time; among the smallest nations ever to qualify |
| The Barefoot Diva | Cesária Évora of Mindelo, 1941–2011 — a Grammy in 2004 and the morna carried to the world |
| The most active volcano of the eastern Atlantic | Pico do Fogo — eruptions in 1995 and 2014 |
| A stable democracy | Four changes of government by election since 1991, and no coup |
| UTC−1 | The only African country by the clock west of Greenwich |
Frequently asked questions
Is it Cape Verde or Cabo Verde?
Cabo Verde is the official name. On 24 October 2013 the government asked the United Nations to use the Portuguese form in every language and not to translate it, and the UN, ISO 3166, the U.S. State Department, the CIA World Factbook and Britannica followed; the long form is the Republic of Cabo Verde. Cape Verde is the older English rendering — the same "Green Cape," from the Senegalese headland the islands were named for — and it remains common in everyday English, in AP style and in search. This page uses the official name and keeps the old one where readers look for it.
What is the capital of Cabo Verde?
Praia, on the south coast of Santiago, the largest island — the capital since 1858 and home to about 160,000 people, a third of the country. Mindelo, on São Vicente, is the second city and the cultural capital, the home of the morna and of Cesária Évora; Sal and Boa Vista, the flat eastern islands, hold the beach resorts that bring more than a million visitors a year.
How big is Cabo Verde, and how many people live there?
Ten islands and eight islets, 4,033 km² (1,557 sq mi) in all — a little larger than Rhode Island — scattered over 400 km of the Atlantic some 570 km west of Senegal. The census of 2021 counted 491,233 people; the National Statistics Institute estimates about 525,000 for 2025. More Cabo Verdeans live abroad than at home — some 700,000 to a million in the United States, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Senegal.
What are the highest and lowest points of Cabo Verde?
Pico do Fogo, 2,829 m (9,281 ft), the volcano that is the island of Fogo — one of the most active in the Atlantic, with eruptions in 1995 and in 2014–15 that buried two villages — and the Atlantic Ocean at sea level. Santo Antão and Santiago are mountainous too; Sal, Boa Vista and Maio are low, flat and sandy.
What currency does Cabo Verde use?
The Cabo Verdean escudo (ISO code CVE, written with a cifrão, 100$00), pegged to the euro at 110.265 since 1998 under an agreement with Portugal. Clocks keep Cape Verde Time, UTC−1, all year — the only country in Africa west of Greenwich by the clock.
Who governs Cabo Verde?
President José Maria Neves of the PAICV, in office since 9 November 2021, and Prime Minister Francisco Carvalho, also of the PAICV, in office since 19 June 2026: his party won 37 of the 72 seats of the National Assembly in the election of 17 May 2026, ending ten years of Movement for Democracy government under Ulisses Correia e Silva. A presidential election is due on 15 November 2026, with a second round on 29 November if needed, and Neves is seeking a second term. Cabo Verde has changed government by election four times since 1991 and has never had a coup.
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