Short facts about the government of Cape Verde
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional
short form: Cape Verde
local long form: Republica de Cabo
Verde
local short form: Cabo
Verde |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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;
note - there may be a new administrative structure of 16 districts (Boa Vista,
Brava, Maio, Mosteiros, Paul, Praia, Porto Novo, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa
Catarina, Santa Cruz, Sao Domingos, Sao Nicolau, Sao Filipe, Sao Vicente,
Tarrafal) |
| Independence: |
5 July 1975 (from
Portugal) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 5 July
(1975) |
| Constitution: |
new constitution came into force 25
September 1992; underwent a major revision on 23 November 1995, substantially
increasing the powers of the president |
| Legal
system: |
derived from the legal system of
Portugal |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Pedro PIRES (since 22 March 2001)
head of
government: Prime Minister Jose Maria Pereira NEVES (since 1 February
1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on
the recommendation of the prime minister from among the members of the National
Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term; election last held 11 and 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA
February 2006); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed
by the president
election results: Pedro PIRES elected president;
percent of vote - Pedro PIRES (PAICV) 49.43%, Carlos VIEGA (MPD) 49.42%; note:
the election was won by only twelve
votes |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or
Assembleia Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 January 2001 (next to be
held NA December 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party
- PAICV 47.3%, MPD 39.8%, ADM 6%, other 6.9%; seats by party - PAICV 40, MPD 30,
ADM 2 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo
Tribunal de Justia |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
African Party for Independence of Cape
Verde or PAICV [Jose Maria NEVES, chairman]; Democratic Alliance for Change or
ADM [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO] (a coalition of PCD, PTS, and UCID); Democratic
Renovation Party or PRD [Jacinto SANTOS, president]; Movement for Democracy or
MPD [Antonio Gualberto do ROSARIO, president]; Party for Democratic Convergence
or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO, president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS
[Dr. Oresimo SILVEIRA, president]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Joao ALEM,
president]; Union for an Independent Democratic Cape Verde or UCID [Antonio
MONTEIRO, president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNTAET, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ferdinand Amilcar Spencer LOPES
chancery:
3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1]
(202) 965-6820
FAX: [1] (202) 965-1207
consulate(s)
general: Boston |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael D. METELITS
embassy: Rua Abilio
Macedo 81, Praia
mailing address: C. P. 201,
Praia
telephone: [238] 61 56 16
FAX: [238] 61 13
55 |
| Flag
description: |
three horizontal bands of light blue
(top, double width), white (with a horizontal red stripe in the middle third),
and light blue; a circle of 10 yellow five-pointed stars is centered on the
hoist end of the red stripe and extends into the upper and lower blue
bands | Source: World Factbook |
