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| Anthem | "Cântico da Liberdade" | ||||
| Capital | Praia | ||||
| Largest city | Praia | ||||
| Other cities | Mindelo, Assomada, Porto Novo de Santo Antão | ||||
| Language | Portuguese | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Ethnic Group | Cape Verdean (creole) | ||||
| Demonym | Capo-Verdean | ||||
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic | ||||
| President | |||||
| Prime Minister | |||||
| Independence | 5 July 1975 | ||||
| Organizations | Atlantic Defense Community. | ||||
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island republic in the Atlantic Ocean. Since the 1980s it has developed close ties to the other North Atlantic islands, which were the bases for the emergency governments of Portugal and Spain-País de Oro. Cape Verde and its former colonizer Portugal developed an especially close partnership; in 1989 the two created a permanent council to coordinate many administrative affairs. Building on these connections, Cape Verde became the southernmost member of the Atlantic Defense Community when it formed in 2007.
Geography[]
The archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 570 km off the coast of West Africa. There are ten islands and eight islets, all volcanic in origin, arranged in a horseshoe-shaped cluster. Each island varies widely in terrain. The islands have a mostly arid climate, with a few islands exhibiting isolated areas of wet rain forest. The ecological effects of Doomsday have resulted in a nearly 30% increase in regular rainfall on the islands, which has transformed the semi-arid islands into a more lush and arable nation.
Much of the islands are dedicated to agricultural production, though there are a number of protected areas that host several endemic species, including multiple species of endangered birds.
History[]
Post-Doomsday[]
As no strikes occurred on the Cape Verde Archipelago, there were no deaths of radiation. However, there was a supply shortage that strained the lives of the population. On 13th October 1983, Aristides Pereira, the incumbent president of Cape Verde, had declared a crisis, and his famous 'War on Earth' speech brought reassurance to the Cape Verdeans and told them of a prosperous future.
A fragment of the speech: Dear compatriots, the world has been destroyed by the fury of the war between the USA and USSR. Hard times are coming. That's why I will, with the help of the best mechanics of our nation, restore contact with the world.
Indeed, the president kept his promise. By March 1984 contact was restored with Senegambia, Cote D'Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and the surviving Spanish Canary Isles. Through the Canary Isles contact was also established with the Portuguese Azores and Madeira, Western Sahara and even Iceland. The first ships, mostly Portuguese and Spanish, arrived in the port of Praia mid March 1984.
Politics[]
Cape Verde is a semi-presidential republic that operates under its constitution of 1980, with revisions. It has a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly (Assembléia Nacional), with fifty-two seats. The Prime Minister, though nominally the head of government, is less powerful than formerly. Executive power is vested in a separate branch with a democratically elected President and an Cabinet appointed jointly by the president and prime minister. The President is also Commander-in-Chief of the military. A national court system holds judicial power in the country.
The National Assembly is a highly multi-party body; no less than seven parties currently hold seats, with five other separate parties having previously held seats in the Assembly. Currently, the government is formed by a coalition of the left-centre environmentalist PG (Partido Verde), which holds fifteen seats, and the leftist NPS (Novo Partido Democrático), which holds nine seats. The official opposition is formed by the Christian centrist PDC (Partido Democrata Cristão), which holds fourteen seats. Other major parties include the formerly ruling Socialist Party, the moderate Labour Party, and the right-wing Citizen's Party.
Cabo Verde maintains close ties with Portugal; the permanent joint council of the two governments is sometimes described as a confederation. Brazil is another close partner, the republic's largest trading partner, and a vital donor during its most troubled time. Cape Verde has been a reliable supporter of close ties among the world's Portuguese-speaking countries, efforts largely led by Brazil.
Economy[]
The Cape Verde Islands have a mixed economy. Several large government-owned or sponsored companies dominate several sectors of the market; these are balanced by private firms in other sectors. The economy has expanded since the start of the 21st century partly as a result of government-funded programs.
Agriculture has boomed as the climate on the islands improved for farming, and the Republic now provides almost 60% of its food consumption domestically, up from only 10% in 1983. Salt collection is a small but profitable industry, and secondary manufacture businesses have begun to form, mostly around the manufacture of naval and aeronautic parts, and recently, the vehicles themselves.
Military[]
Cabo Verde boasts a functional Armed Forces, if only a small one. It is rather more militarized than its close neighbor Portugal. Roughly one in ninety citizens is a part of the military or reserves, totaling almost three thousand members in all. It operates three naval vessels in total; one is an old Kondor I Class patrol boat, and two are João Coutinho-class corvettes purchased from the Portuguese navy in 2002. It also operates two Antonov An-26 military air transports, received from the USSR in 1982. The nation originally possessed three, but one was destroyed during the period following Doomsday.