Cape Verde, officially the Republic of Cape Verde, is a state in West Africa. Located on the Cape Verde Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 600 km from the coast of Africa.
Etymology
In 1456, the Venetian Kadamosto discovered a number of
islands of the archipelago, which, due to their location opposite the
Cape Verde Peninsula (port. Cabo Verde), were also called the “Islands
of Cape Verde” and were called that way throughout the colonial period.
In 1975, after gaining independence, the state received the name
"Republic of the Cape Verde Island" or simply "Cape Verde Islands"
(port. Ilhas do Cabo Verde).
Until the mid-1980s,
foreign-language versions of the country's name sounded in a translated
form. In 1986, the country's government adopted the new name of the
state "Republica do Cabo Verde" - "Republic of the Green Cape" and
decided to stop its semantic translation into other languages. On
October 24, 2013, the country's delegation to the United Nations brought
this demand to the attention of the world community.
Geography
The Cape Verde Islands are an archipelago of 10 large and 8 small
islands in the central part of the Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal,
conditionally subdivided into Leeward (port. sotavento) and Windward
(port. barlavento) groups.
The Windward group includes the
islands: Santo Antan, San Vicente, San Nicolau, Santa Luzia, Sal,
Boavista. The Leeward group includes the islands: Santiago, Brava, Fogo,
Mayu. Small islands: Branco, Razo, Grande, Luis Carneiro, Santa Maria,
Zapado, Sima, Do Rei (port. Ilhéu do Rei).
The territory of the
islands is elevated and quite dry. Up to 16% of Cape Verde is occupied
by dry gravel highlands - the so-called "lunar landscape". The relief is
mountainous with a large number of extinct and active volcanoes. Rocky
shores are difficult to access. There are very few natural harbors, the
largest of which is Mindelo (it is a flooded crater of an extinct
volcano). The highest point of the country is the Fogo volcano (2829 m)
on the island of the same name, the Coroa volcano (1979 m) on the island
of Santo Antan also stands out. Coastline - 965 km. The total area is
4033 km².
Mild climate, practically unchanged average annual
temperature (about +25 °C), low rainfall. Each of the islands is unique
in nature and landscape.
Story
The first mention of the
archipelago was contained in the diaries of the Arab traveler Idrisi
(XII century) and in the encyclopedia Al-Omari (XIV century).
The
official date for the discovery of the Cape Verde Islands by Europeans
is 1460.
colonial period
1456 - a number of islands of the
archipelago were discovered by the Venetian Kadamosto.
1460 -
Portuguese sailors landed on the island of Sal under the command of
Diogo Gomes and Diogo Afonso.
1462 - the first settlers appeared
on the island of Santiago.
1466 - the beginning of the mass
settlement of the islands by Portuguese colonists, officials and exiles.
Later - the Spaniards, the French and the inhabitants of Genoa.
1495 - the islands are officially declared a possession of Portugal.
1581 Cape Verde becomes a Spanish colony.
1640 - Portugal
resumed its dominance.
1853 - the Russian frigate "Pallada",
heading from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, made a stop in the port of
the city of Praya.
Until 1878, slavery existed on the islands.
Until 1879, the archipelago and Portuguese Guinea were a single
colony.
Since 1879, an influx of new settlers began, including
contract workers from neighboring countries.
1956 - The African
Party for the Independence and Union of the Peoples of Guinea and Cape
Verde is founded.
1960 - The African Party for the Independence
and Union of the Peoples of Guinea and Cape Verde is renamed the African
Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC). The
General Secretary is Amilcar Cabral.
1963 - the beginning of the
PAIGC armed struggle against the Portuguese authorities in the
archipelago.
In 1973, Amilcar Cabral was assassinated.
In
April 1974, after the overthrow of the right-wing regime in Portugal,
the new Portuguese government recognized the PAIGC as the legitimate
representative of the population of Cape Verde and entered into
negotiations with it, during which the PAIGC demanded the simultaneous
recognition by Portugal of the independence of the Republic of
Guinea-Bissau and the granting of independence to Cape Verde.
In
November 1974, an agreement was signed in Lisbon declaring the country's
independence and the transitional government of the Autonomous Republic
of Cape Verde was formed (half of whose members were appointed by the
Portuguese administration, and half by the PAIGC).
On June 30,
1975, elections were held for the National Assembly of the Republic of
Cape Verde, in which the PAIGC won, Aristides Pereira became president.
Period of independent development
On July 5, 1975, independence
was proclaimed.
In 1975-1981. PAIGC pursued a policy aimed at
uniting Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde into a single state. Natives of
Cape Verde were in power in Guinea-Bissau.
January 1981 - The
African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAIKV) was created. A
one-party regime was established.
1990 - the abolition of the
article of the constitution, fixing the monopoly of PAIKV.
1990 -
The Movement for Democracy (MPD) party was created.
January 13,
1991 - first democratic elections. MPD won.
February 1991 -
António Mascarenhas Monteiro is elected president.
December 1995
- parliamentary elections. The MPD retained a majority of the seats in
the National Assembly.
February 1996 - A. Monteiro was re-elected
for a second term.
1997 - Creation of an offshore banking center.
1998 - An agreement pegging the Cape Verdean escudo to the
Portuguese escudo, facilitating trade with the EU and Africa.
January 14, 2001 - presidential and parliamentary elections. PAIKV
received 40 seats in parliament, the IPD - 30, the Democratic Alliance
for Change (coalition of parties) - 2. President - Pedro Verona Pires
(46.5% of the vote). International observers believed the elections were
fair. Some violations were recorded at the local level (such as stuffing
ballot boxes). The delegates of both candidates were found guilty of
violations and received light prison sentences.
January 1, 2002 -
Following the replacement of the Portuguese escudo by the euro, the Cape
Verdean escudo became pegged against the euro at a ratio of 110.265:1.
March 2004 - elections to local authorities. The MPD defeated the
ruling party by several votes. YHRM President Agustinho Lopes claimed
that there were irregularities and inaccuracies in the ballots at some
polling stations, although international observers concluded that the
elections were transparent and fair.
2005 - The country, with the
support of some of Portugal's leading politicians, expressed interest in
EU membership.
January 2006 - presidential and legislative
elections. PAIKV won a majority with 41 seats in the National Assembly,
compared to 29 YHPs; Democratic and Independent Union of Cape Verde, the
opposition party, retained 2 seats.
February 2006 - presidential
elections. Pedro Verona Pires has extended his five-year mandate. His
rival Manuel Veiga claimed the results were fraudulent, but
international observers thought they were free and fair.
August
21, 2011 - Presidential elections. Jorge Carlos Fonseca has been elected
the country's new president. In 2016, he was re-elected president for a
second term.
October 17, 2021 - Opposition candidate and former
Prime Minister José María Neves of the Cape Verdean African Independence
Party wins the presidential election. November 9, 2021 was sworn in as
the new president.
Cape Verde is one of the few countries in
Africa (along with Botswana, Mauritius, Malawi, Namibia, Eritrea and
South Africa) where there has never been a coup.
Political structure
Political system
Cape Verde is a
unitary state. Main cities: Praia, Mindelo, Sao Filipe.
Parliamentary republic. The constitution adopted on September 25,
1992 (as amended in 1995 and 1999) is in force. The head of state
and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president, who is
directly elected in general elections for a five-year term. The
highest body of legislative power is the National Assembly; 72
deputies are elected for five years. The deputies of the assembly
elect the prime minister, who, in turn, submits the composition of
the cabinet of ministers for approval by the president. Local
government councils are also elected in general elections for
five-year terms.
The President is Jose Maria Pereira Neves,
elected on October 17, 2021. José Correia y Silva has been Prime
Minister since April 22, 2016.
The system is multi-party. 7
parties registered.
The most influential parties:
Cape
Verde African Independence Party, PAIKV (port. Partido Africano da
Independência de Cabo Verde, PAICV), chairman - José Maria Neves
(port. José Maria Neves), gene. sec. - Aristides Lima (port.
Aristides Lima).
"Movement for Democracy", MPD (port. Movimento
para a Democracia, MPD), leader - Ulisses Correia and Silva[pt]*.
"Party of Democratic Unity", PDE (port. Partido da Convergência
Democràtica, PCD). Chairman - Eurico Monteiro (port. Eurico
Monteiro).
Democratic Alliance for Change.
Leading
business organizations are the Chambers of Commerce of the Windward
and Leeward Islands.
trade union association
National
Union of Workers of Cape Verde (port. União Nacional dos
Trabalhadores de Cabo Verde - Central Sindical, UNTC - CS). Created
in 1978, it has 9 thousand members. Gene. secretary - Julio Ascensao
Silva (port. Júlio Ascensăo Silva).
Legal system
The legal
system of Cape Verde is part of the Romano-Germanic family. Based on
the legal tradition of Portugal. Cape Verde does not have its own
system of legal education; local lawyers study at universities in
Portugal.
The main source of civil law is the Portuguese
Civil Code of 1966. Family relations are regulated by the 1981
Family Code. The Constitution provides for marriage in civil or
religious form and establishes the equality of spouses.
Since
the late 1980s, a liberalization policy has been pursued in the
economic sphere. Decree-Law of 1989 created the legal framework for
free economic zones. In the 1990s, the privatization of state-owned
enterprises developed. The 1992 Constitution secured the freedom of
private economic initiative and obliged the state to attract and
support foreign investment.
The Constitution guarantees the
right of workers to free association in trade unions, to collective
bargaining and to strike. The law establishes a 44-hour work week.
The death penalty has not been used in the islands since 1835
and was completely abolished by the first constitution in 1981.
Judicial system
The judicial system of Cape Verde includes
the Supreme Court (port. Supremo Tribunal de Justicial) and regional
courts.
The number of representatives of the Supreme Court is
5 people, of which one is appointed by the President, one by the
National Assembly and three by the Supreme Judicial Council (port.
Conselho Superior da Magistratura Judicial).
The Supreme
Judicial Council consists of the President of the Supreme Court, two
judges elected by the judiciary, the Supreme Judicial Inspector,
three citizens elected by the National Assembly and two citizens
appointed by the President.
The Prosecutor's Office (port.
Ministerio Publico) represents the state, has the right to carry out
criminal prosecution and protect democratic legality, the rights of
citizens and public interests. Structure of the Prosecutor's Office:
The Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic (port.
Procuradoria-Geral da Republica) and the Prosecutor's Office of the
Republic. The governing body of the Prosecutor General's Office is
the Superior Council of the Prosecutor's Office (port. Conselho
Superior do Ministerio Publico), which exercises administrative and
disciplinary powers.
The Prosecutor General's Office is
headed by the Attorney General (Port. Procurador-Geral). The
Prosecutor General is appointed by the President at the proposal of
the Government for a term of five years.
The Constitutional
Court (port. Tribunal Constitucional) exercises constitutional
control, establishes the incapacity of the head of state, decides on
the legality of elections and the activities of political parties,
resolves jurisdictional conflicts, and considers amparo appeals. The
Constitutional Court consists of at least three judges elected by
the National Assembly for a nine-year term.
The Court of
Accounts (port. Tribunal de Contas) is the supreme body of financial
control.