Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde

Type: republic

Capital: Praia

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

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Constitution: 7 September 1980; amended 12 February 1981, NA December 1988, and 28 September 1990 (legalized opposition parties)

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Executive branch: president, prime minister, deputy minister, secretaries of state, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral People's National Assembly (Assembleia Nacional Popular)

Judicial branch: Supreme Tribunal of Justice (Supremo Tribunal de Justia)

Leaders: Chief of State--President Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (since 22 March 1991); Head of Government--Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA (since 13 January 1991)

Political parties and leaders: Movement for Democracy (MPD), Prime Minister Carlos VEIGA, founder and chairman; African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, chairman

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: President--last held 17 February 1991 (next to be held February 1996); results--Antonio Mascarenhas MONTEIRO (MPD) received 72.6% of vote; People's National Assembly--last held 13 January 1991 (next to be held January 1996); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(79 total) MPD 56, PAICV 23; note--this multiparty Assembly election ended 15 years of single-party rule

Communists: no Communist party

Member of: ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Luis de Matos Monteiro da FONSECA; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston; US--Ambassador Francis T. (Terry) McNAMARA; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone [238] 614-363 or 614-253

Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; in the upper portion of the red band is a black five-pointed star framed by two corn stalks and a yellow clam shell; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Guinea-Bissau which is longer and has an unadorned black star centered in the red band

NOTE: The information regarding Cape Verde on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cape Verde Government 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cape Verde Government 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.