embly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (since 22 March 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA (since 13 January 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and
chairman; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro Verona
Rodrigues PIRES, chairman
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
People's National Assembly:
last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996); results - percent
of vote by party NA; seats - (79 total) MPD 56, PAICV 23; note - this
multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of single-party rule
President:
last held 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results -
Antonio Monteiro MASCARENHAS (MPD) received 72.6% of vote
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTERPOL, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Carlos Alberto Santos SILVA; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-6820; there is a Cape
Verdean Consulate General in Boston
US:
Ambassador Francis T. (Terry) McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hoji Ya Henda Yenna
81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone [238] 61-43-63 or
61-42-53; FAX [238] 61-13-55

:Cape Verde Government

Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red
band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black
five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses
the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of
Guinea-Bissau, which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in
the red band

:Cape Verde Economy

Overview:
Cape Verde's low per capita GDP reflects a poor natural resource base, a
17-year drought, and a high birthrate. The economy is service oriented, with
commerce, transport, and public services accounting for 65% of GDP during
the period 1985-88. Although nearly 70% of the population lives in rural
areas, agriculture's share of GDP is only 16%; the fishing sector accounts
for 4%. About 90% of food must b