Cape Verde

República de Cabo Verde

Political Status: Former Portuguese dependency; became independent July 5, 1975; present constitution adopted September 25, 1992.

Area: 1,557 sq. mi. (4,033 sq. km).

Population: 559,000 (2019E—World Bank); 575,839 (2019E—U.S. Census).

Major Urban Center (2018E—UN): CIDADE DE PRAIA (159,050).

Official Language: Portuguese.

Monetary Unit: Cape Verde Escudo (market rate September 30, 2020: 94.12 escudos = $1US). When Portugal adopted the euro as its official currency in 2002, the Cape Verde escudo, which had been pegged to the Portuguese escudo since 1998, was pegged to the euro at the rate of 110.265 Cape Verde escudos = 1 euro.

President: Jorge Carlos FONSECA (Movement for Democracy); elected by popular vote on August 21, 2011, and inaugurated on September 9 for a five-year term, succeeding Gen. (Ret.) Pedro Verona ...