Cape Verde

Cape Verde is a small archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean about 500 kilometers off the western coast of Africa. It was uninhabited until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century, who turned it into a main transfer point for their trade routes between Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. The total landmass for [Page 344]the 10 islands and eight islets that make up the chain is roughly the size of Rhode Island. The islands were formed by ancient volcanoes, although only Mount Fogo on Fogo Island remains active today.

The population on Cape Verde is 421,000. More Cape Verdeans live outside the islands than on them; there are more than 500,000 in the United States alone. Most young people leave to find work; the unemployment rate for those who stay is 21 percent, and about 30 percent of islanders live in poverty. Those who do find work are generally in the service industry.

Food supply is a problem on Cape Verde. The country suffers from drought in many areas and erratic rainfall in others. Eighty-two percent of all food is imported, and high-quality food is out of the reach of many islanders. Diabetes cases are expected to grow from 7,000 in 2000 to 24,000 by 2030.

Life expectancy is high compared with continental Africa. The average Cape Verdean male lives to age 67, and the average female to 74. Healthy life expectancy is 59 for men and 63 for women. Child mortality is relatively low, with 35 per 1,000 dying before the age of 1 and 26 per 1,000 dying between the ages of 1 and 5. Ninety-nine percent of women receive prenatal care and 89 percent give birth with the assistance of trained attendants; maternal mortality is 150 deaths per 100,000 live births. Around 50 percent of women have access to birth control.

Cape Verde is well insulated from major infectious diseases, and the World Health Organization notes no major outbreaks in recent years. About 90 percent of children receive full immunization. The HIV/AIDS infection rate is believed to be about 0.035 percent, according to 2001 estimates. The islands have a small pool of medical personnel, with 231 doctors and 410 nurses. Government expenditures on healthcare are about $57 per capita.