General Information

Full name: Republic of Cape Verde
Official name: República de Cabo Verde
Official language: Portuguese, Cape Verdian Creole (unofficial)
Capital: Praia (61,644 inhabitants / 1990)
Government: Republic
Head of State: Pedro Pires
Head of Government: José Maria Neves
Independence: From Portugal on July 5, 1975
UN member since: September 16, 1975
Total Area: 4,033 km² (146°)
Total population (2001): 401,343 inhabitants (164°)
Density: 101 inhabitants/km²
Geography Continent: Africa
Time zone: UTC -1
Currency: Cape Verdian Escudo
GDP (PPP- purchasing power parity) (2005): 3,055 million $ (159°)

POLITICS

Having conquered their independence from Portugal in 1975, the state of Cape Verde is currently a unicameral, multi-party, parliamentary, republic.
The government is headed by the Prime Minister, while the President of the Republic is elected via universal suffrage and carries out only representative functions.

RELIGION

Approximately 95% of the population is Catholic, while the remaining 5% is mostly protestant. No religious fundamentalism or conflict has ever reared its ugly head in Cape Verde. there is absolute religious tolerance.

MUSIC

Making music is a fundamental joy for the inhabitants of Cape Verde. The timbres of traditional instruments like shells or iron rods, the accordion, Tabanka drums, and other acoustic instruments are appealingly matched with modern music. These combinations gave rise to the “coladeira”, the “funana”, and the “mazurka”, the warm and joyous rhythms that express the life blood of the people of Cape Verde.

During holidays, the entire archipelago becomes a lively dance floor where Cape Verdians dance to the sound of their wildest rhythms for the entertainment of fascinated tourists who are lucky enough to spend an unforgettable vacation on Sal Island.

The most typical music of Cape Verde is the "morna", characterised by languid and slow rhythms, brimming with sultry sensations of distance, nostalgia, and separation. The Creole term for this music that most closely describes this music is “sodade”, which expresses sentiments of longing and love.

The best-known morna singer in the world is certainly Cesária Évora, originally from the Island of São Vicente and considered the leading ambassador of the music of Cape Verde.