Cape Verde Government

The government of Cape Verde is carried out under a representative democratic republic, which means the citizens of this country elect officials to represent their interests in government. The executive branch of Cape Verde is led by the President of the country, whereas the legislative branch is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister oversees the National Assembly, which consists of 72 members. The judicial branch operates independently of the legislative and executive branches.

In Cape Verde, citizens participate in elections at all levels of government. The national government is considered a multi-party system, although it operates as a two-party system with most of the power held by two political parties. The President is elected to serve a 5-year term and may serve two terms consecutively. Additional terms may be served only after sitting out of office for 5 years. The number of terms a Prime Minister can serve is not limited. Members of the National Assembly are also elected for 5-year terms and the number of representatives is based on proportional representation.

The members of the National Assembly meet in the National Assembly Building, which is located in the capital city of Praia. The construction of this building was completed in 1981 with the help of funding from the government of China. The President of Cape Verde resides in the Presidential Palace, which is located in the downtown neighborhood of Praia. This building was built at the end of the 1800’s and reflects a neo-greco architectural style.

The vast majority of representatives in the National Assembly belong to one of the following political parties: African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (52.68%) and Movement for Democracy (42.27%). Only 2 individuals belong to a third party, known as the Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Movement. Other, lesser-known political parties in Cape Verde include: Labour and Solidarity Party, Social Democratic Party, Democratic Renewal Party, and Democratic Convergence Party.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Praia
Languages	Portuguese (official), Crioulo (a blend of Portuguese and West African words)
Ethnic Groups	Creole (mulatto) 71%, African 28%, European 1%
Religion	Roman Catholic 77.3%, Protestant 4.6% (includes Church of the Nazarene 1.7%, Adventist 1.5%, Assembly of God 0.9%, Universal Kingdom of God 0.4%, and God and Love 0.1%), other Christian 3.4% (includes Christian Rationalism 1.9%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, and New Apostolic 0.5%), Muslim 1.8%, other 1.3%, none 10.8%, unspecified 0.7% (2010 est.)
Government	Parliamentary republic
Independance	5 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Area	4,033.00 km²
Land Area	4,033.00 km²
Population	553,432.00 Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable. Islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits. The more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation.
Location	Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal
GDP(PPP)	$3,583,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$6,700.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partner is Australia.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are fuel, shoes, garments, fish, and hides.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Portugal, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include foodstuffs, industrial products, and transport equipment.
Climate	Temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
Terrain	Steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
Learn More	Cape Verde

Cape Verde Government

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