CAPE VERDE

MAP OF CAPE VERDE

• Capital: Praia
• Size: 1,557 mi
• Continent: Africa
• Surrounding countries: Senegal, Gambia, mauritania

CURRENCY

• Poor in natural resources, prone to drought and with little arable land, the Cabo Verde islands have won a reputation for achieving political and economic stability.
• There is little class distinction in Cape Verde because the vast majority of the population is poor. There is a small but growing middle class in the towns and cities and virtually no upper class.

FOOD

• Dried corn, the national dish is catchupa, which is a stew and hominy with fish or meat.

LANGUAGE

• Portuguese
• Hello: ola
• Goodbye: Tchau

HOLIDAYS

• Important holidays include January 20, the anniversary of the assassination of President Amílcar Cabral (1924–73), and July 5 (Independence Day). Religious holidays include Christmas, Easter, and various saints' festivals. Cape Verdeans also celebrate Carnival in the days preceding Lent. The tabanka festival combines African-style shrines with a Portuguese religious parade.

CLOTHING

• Western-style clothing is standard, especially for men and children. Women sometimes wear outfits that include their unique panos (strips of a cloth woven on the West African narrow loom). These panos are used as sashes for dancing and also can be used as a wrap for carrying babies. Used clothing from Europe and the United States is also used to meet local needs.

POPULATION

FACTS

• Life Expectancy is age 69 years old
• The islands have a combined size of just over 4,000 square kilometres (2,500 sq miles) in area with an estimated population of over 500,000 people. Cape Verde is named after Cap Vert (meaning Green Cape) in Senegal, the westernmost point of continental Africa.
• Cape Verde is an archipelago and is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately 604 kilometres off the coast of West Africa and is due south of the Canary Islands.

LANDMARKS

• No significant River and lakes in Cape Verde
• Pico do Fogo (volcano)

FAMOUS PEOPLE

• Jorge Carlos Fonseca ( president)

SPORTS

• water sports
• Football (soccer)

ANIMALS

• Migratory birds:
• Fish and Aquatic Animals
• Seabirds

THINGS MADE

• The islands produced trade goods; especially important were cattle, cotton cloths are