e:
arable land: 11.41%
permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.85% (2005)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring
dust; volcanically and seismically active

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel;
desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species
of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major
north-south sea routes; important communications station; important
sea and air refueling site

People Cape Verde

Population:
420,979 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.9% (male 80,594/female 79,126)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 113,450/female 119,423)
65 years and over: 6.7% (male 10,542/female 17,844) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.8 years
male: 19 years
female: 20.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.64% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
24.87 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
6.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-11.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 46.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 51.63 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 41.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.73 years
male: 67.41 years
female: 74.15 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.38 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.035% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
775 (2001)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
225 (as of 2001)

Nationality:
noun: Cape Verdean(s)
adjective: Cape Verdean

Ethnic groups:
Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%

Religions:
Roman Catholic (infused with indigenous beliefs); Protestant
(mostly