| Geography | Cape Verde |
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Location:
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Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal |
Geographic coordinates:
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16 00 N, 24 00 W |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Rhode Island |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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965 km |
Maritime claims:
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measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate:
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temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic |
Terrain:
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steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island) |
Natural resources:
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salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum |
Land use:
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arable land: 11.41%
permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.85% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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30 sq km (2008) |
Total renewable water resources:
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0.3 cu km (1990) |
Total renewable water resources - per capita:
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582 cubic meters per capita |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.02 cu km/yr (7%/2%/91%)
per capita: 39 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cape Verde's only active volcano |
Environment - current issues:
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soil erosion; deforestation due to demand for wood used as fuel; water shortages; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site |
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