deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 60 years male, 63 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Cape Verdean(s); adjective--Cape Verdean

_#_Ethnic divisions: Creole (mulatto) about 71%, African 28%, European
1%

_#_Religion: Roman Catholicism fused with indigenous beliefs

_#_Language: Portuguese and Crioulo, a blend of Portuguese and West
African words

_#_Literacy: 66% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1989 est.)

_#_Labor force: 102,000 (1985 est.); agriculture (mostly subsistence)
57%, services 29%, industry 14% (1981); 51% of population of working age
(1985)

_#_Organized labor: Trade Unions of Cape Verde Unity Center (UNTC-CS)

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: Praia

_#_Administrative divisions: 14 districts (concelhos,
singular--concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Porto
Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Nicolau,
Sao Vicente, Tarrafal

_#_Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

_#_Constitution: 7 September 1980; amended 12 February 1981,
NA December 1988, and 28 September 1990 (legalized opposition parties)

_#_National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

_#_Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister,
secretaries of state, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly
(Assembleia Nacional Popular)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de
Justia)

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State--President Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (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:

President--last held 17 February 1991 (next to be held
February 1996);
results--Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (MPD) received 72.6% of vote;

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-par