Cape Verde Africa
Cape Verde
COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: The Republic of Cape Verde consists of nine inhabited and several uninhabited volcanic islands off the western coast of Africa. Most are rugged and mountainous; three (Sal, Maio, and Boa Vista) are flat, desert islands with sand beaches. Praia, the capital, is on the island of Santiago, and Cape Verde’s major shipping port is Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente. Portuguese is the official language. The Amilcar Cabral International Airport is located on Sal, more than 100 miles northeast of the capital, but a new international airport in Praia is scheduled to open in 2005. While the tourist industry brings ever-growing numbers of tourists, facilities on many islands remain limited. Sal has the most developed tourist industry and all interna ... [Read More]
Cape Verde (04/05)
The Cape Verde archipelago was uninhabited until the Portuguese discovered the islands in 1456. African slaves were brought to the islands to work on Portuguese plantations. As a result, Cape Verdeans are of mixed African and European origin. The influence of African culture is most pronounced on the island of Santiago, where half the population resides. Sparse rain and few natural resources historically have induced Cape Verdeans to emigrate. It is believed that of the more than 1 million individuals of Cape Verdean ancestry, fewer than half actually live on the islands. Some 500,000 people of Cape Verdean ancestry live in the United States, mainly in New England. Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, France, and Senegal also have large communities. ... [Read More]
Cape Verde
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Africa - US Department of State
Speaking before an audience that includes Ana Mkapa, wife of President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, she says, "Here, people with HIV/AIDS can get the treatment they need to fight the disease. And they can also get the love and support they need to live a happy and full life." (complete text) First Lady Pledges American Commitment to African NationsSouth Africa speech highlights role of women's empowerment in fighting HIV/AIDSCape Town, South Africa – Americans are committed to helping the people of Africa win their fight against poverty, violence against women and HIV/AIDS, first lady Laura Bush says July 12. Speaking at the C ... [Read More]
Cape Verde
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Africa
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U.S. Department of State Websites of U.S. Embassies and Consulates
AFRICA• Africa Regional Services - Paris ... MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA• Algeria: Algiers ... [Read More]
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional powers are shared among the elected Head of State, President Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires, former president of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV); the head of government, Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves; and Neves' party, the PAICV. In January Pires was elected by a slim margin of 13 votes over the country's former prime minister and Movement for Democracy (MPD) president, Carlos Veiga, in what were judged to be free and fair elections by the National Electoral Commission and international media. The judiciary generally is independent. ... [Read More]
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a multiparty parliamentary democracy in which constitutional powers were shared among the elected Head of State, President Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires, former president of the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV); the head of government, Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves; and Neves' party, the PAICV. In January 2001, Pires was elected by a margin of 12 votes over the country's former prime minister and Movement for Democracy (MPD) president, Carlos Veiga, in what the National Electoral Commission and international media judged to be free and fair elections. The judiciary generally was independent. The police have primary responsibility for maintenance of law and order. Civilian authorities maintained effective control of the security forces. Some members of the security forces committed human rights abuses. [Read More]
Africa
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Releases [Read More]
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