conventional long form: Republic of Cape Verde
conventional short form: Cape Verde
local long form: Republica de Cabo Verde
local short form: Cabo Verde

CV

republic

Praia

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)

5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

new constitution came into force 25 September 1992

derived from the legal system of Portugal

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (since 22 March
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Carlos Alberto Wahnon de Carvalho
VEIGA (since 13 January 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 18 February 1996 (next to be held NA February
2001); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly and appointed
by the president
election results: Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro reelected president;
percent of vote - Antonio MASCARENHAS Monteiro (independent) 80.1%

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia
Nacional (72 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held NA December
2000)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPD 61.3%, PAICV 29.8%,
PCD 6.7%, other 2.2%; seats by party - MPD 50, PAICV 21, PCD 1

Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Supremo Tribunal de
Justia

African Party for Independence of Cape
Verde or PAICV ; Movement for
Democracy or MPD ;
Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Dr. Eurico MONTEIRO,
president]; Party of Work and Solidarity or PTS [Dr. Oresimo SILVEIRA,
president]

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, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
(applicant)

chief of mission: Ambassador Ferdinand Amilcar Spencer LOPES
chancery: 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:  (202) 965-6820
FAX:  (202) 965-1207
consulate(s) general: Boston

chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence Neal BENEDICT
embassy: Rua Abilio Macedo 81, Praia
mailing address: C. P. 201, Praia
telephone:  61 56 16
FAX:  61 13 55

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