01
Physical geography
Steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic.
Local timePraia ·
Africa / Western Africa · Card 009
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a country in Western Africa. Its capital is Praia.
Find Cape Verde
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Praia
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Currency
- Cape Verdean escudo (CVE)
- Population
- 527,3262025 · World Bank
- Area
- 4,033 km²1,557 square miles
- Independence
- 1975from Portugal
Cape Verde in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Praia; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Portuguese.
03
Location
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal.
Flag
Five unequal horizontal bands; the top band of blue is half the height of the flag; under it are three narrow bands of white, red, and white, and a bottom stripe of blue; a circle of 10 five-pointed yellow stars is centered on the red stripe and sits toward the left side of the flag
History & independence
Cape Verde, officially Cabo Verde, became independent from Portugal on 5 July 1975 after the anti-colonial movement and Portugal’s 1974 revolution opened the way to negotiations. Multiparty politics replaced the one-party system at the beginning of the 1990s.
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Portuguese settlement begins
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Independence from Portugal
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The first multiparty national elections are held
Economy
Main activities
Tourism and other services are central to this island economy. Fishing, remittances and transport also matter. Limited freshwater and arable land increase dependence on imported food.
Industry and production
food and beverages, fish processing, shoes and garments, salt mining, ship repair
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Thousands of people527.32025 · thousands of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 287,885 | 287.885 |
| 1980 | 323,301 | 323.301 |
| 1990 | 375,428 | 375.428 |
| 2000 | 453,317 | 453.317 |
| 2010 | 509,784 | 509.784 |
| 2020 | 514,679 | 514.679 |
| 2025 | 527,326 | 527.326 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars2.52025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 313,527,703 | 0.314 |
| 1991 | 317,930,093 | 0.318 |
| 1992 | 352,704,164 | 0.353 |
| 1993 | 383,418,741 | 0.383 |
| 1994 | 456,968,584 | 0.457 |
| 1995 | 521,911,297 | 0.522 |
| 1996 | 581,130,092 | 0.581 |
| 1997 | 645,742,612 | 0.646 |
| 1998 | 726,572,060 | 0.727 |
| 1999 | 808,112,688 | 0.808 |
| 2000 | 923,550,525 | 0.924 |
| 2001 | 944,160,983 | 0.944 |
| 2002 | 993,737,848 | 0.994 |
| 2003 | 1,035,238,918 | 1.035 |
| 2004 | 1,140,802,982 | 1.141 |
| 2005 | 1,219,660,509 | 1.220 |
| 2006 | 1,317,035,160 | 1.317 |
| 2007 | 1,516,838,455 | 1.517 |
| 2008 | 1,623,608,885 | 1.624 |
| 2009 | 1,599,196,517 | 1.599 |
| 2010 | 1,628,564,468 | 1.629 |
| 2011 | 1,692,481,035 | 1.692 |
| 2012 | 1,710,821,580 | 1.711 |
| 2013 | 1,721,636,311 | 1.722 |
| 2014 | 1,733,630,380 | 1.734 |
| 2015 | 1,749,857,620 | 1.750 |
| 2016 | 1,824,764,035 | 1.825 |
| 2017 | 1,907,814,791 | 1.908 |
| 2018 | 1,978,536,809 | 1.979 |
| 2019 | 2,116,002,111 | 2.116 |
| 2020 | 1,675,762,034 | 1.676 |
| 2021 | 1,793,627,261 | 1.794 |
| 2022 | 2,077,803,747 | 2.078 |
| 2023 | 2,177,429,479 | 2.177 |
| 2024 | 2,329,607,473 | 2.330 |
| 2025 | 2,476,302,511 | 2.476 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.668Medium human developmentRank 135 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20000.585
20100.648
20200.647
20230.668
76.1 yearsLife expectancy at birth
6.1 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature). Government is formed through the parliamentary system.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Cape Verde.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which sector is central to Cape Verde’s economy?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.