Cabo Verde: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 21, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	República de Cabo Verde • Republic of Cape Verde • Cape Verde
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Francisco Carvalho
Capital	Praia
Population	(2026 est.) 491,200
Head Of State	President: José Maria Neves
Form Of Government	multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [72²])
Official Language	Portuguese³
Official Religion	none
Official Name	República de Cabo Verde (Republic of Cabo¹ Verde)
Total Area (Sq Km)	4,033
Total Area (Sq Mi)	1,557
Monetary Unit	escudo (C.V.Esc.)
Population Rank	(2026) 176
Population Projection 2030	619,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2026) 315.5
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2026) 128.8
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2021) 74.1% • Rural: (2021) 25.9%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2021) 68.8 years • Female: (2021) 77.4 years
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2024) 2,599
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2024) 4,950
¹In English, previously called Republic of Cape Verde; official name was changed October 2013.²Six members elected to represent Cabo Verdeans living abroad.³Cabo Verdean Creole (Crioulo) is the national language.

Photos

Map of Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) showing the boundaries and locations of major cities across the island nation in the Atlantic Ocean. Cities labeled include Praia, Mindelo, Santa Maria, Sao Filipe, and others. An inset locator map at the bottom left shows Cape Verde's position off the west coast of Africa.

Aerial view of Praia, Santiago, Cabo Verde, showing a coastal city with a large circular building on a rocky point, sandy beach, and urban area extending inland.

Map showing the location of Cabo Verde as an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal and the West African coast. The map highlights Cabo Verde with a labeled box and marks its capital, Praia, while also displaying nearby countries such as Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, and others in West Africa.

Cluster of colorful buildings on Sao Vicente Island, Cape Verde, with rugged brown mountains rising in the background.

Map of Cape Verde showing the archipelago's main islands, including Santo Antao, Sao Vicente, Sao Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, Sao Tiago, Fogo, Brava, and smaller islands. Physical features such as Tope de Coroa on Santo Antao and Pico on Fogo are labeled with their elevations. The map includes a locator inset showing Cape Verde's position off the west coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.

Antique map showing the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, labeled as Portuguese territory. The islands are depicted in brown with place names such as St. Antonio, St. Vincent, St. Nicholas, Fogo, and Santiago, along with key features like mountain peaks and ports. The map includes latitude and longitude lines, a scale bar, and surrounding ocean labeled Atlantic Ocean, reflecting early 20th-century cartography.

Map of Finland showing its national boundaries with Norway, Sweden, and Russia, as well as major cities such as Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, and Rovaniemi. The map also features surrounding bodies of water, including the Baltic Sea, and includes a small locator map highlighting Finland's position in northern Europe.

national anthem of Cabo Verde

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Topics

Manuel Ferreira Africa Western Africa Atlantic Ocean nation-state island Economic Community of West African States Mindelo Praia flag of Cabo Verde United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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Manuel Ferreira

Portuguese author

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Alvise Ca’ da Mosto

Italian navigator

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Diogo Gomes

Portuguese explorer

A map of the continent of Africa, including its countries, boundaries, and capital cities. It also shows parts of Europe and Asia and surrounding bodies of water, including the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Indian Ocean.

Africa

continent

western Africa

Western Africa

region, Africa

Atlantic Ocean, with depth contours and submarine features

Atlantic Ocean

Mindelo

Mindelo

Cabo Verde

Praia, Cabo Verde

Praia

national capital, Cabo Verde

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Santiago

island, Cabo Verde

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São Nicolau Island

island, Cabo Verde

São Vicente Island

São Vicente Island

island, Cabo Verde

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Fogo Island

island, Cabo Verde

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Maio Island

island, Cabo Verde

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Barlavento Islands

islands, Cabo Verde

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Sal Island

island, Cabo Verde

Sotavento Islands, Cabo Verde

Sotavento Islands

islands, Cabo Verde

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Santo Antão Island

island, Cabo Verde

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Brava Island

island, Cabo Verde

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