CAPE VERDE FACT FILE
Background
A former Portuguese colony, Cape Verde is located in the Atlantic Ocean 450 miles off the coast of West Africa.
It is made up of ten islands - Majo, Boa Vista, Prava, Bravo, Sal, Fogo, Santiago, Santo Antao, San Nicolao and Sao Vincente.
Cape Verde is on the same latitude as Barbados, but only five and a half hours from the UK. That's potentially only an one hour extra flying time beyond The Canary Islands, but with no direct flights it currently takes about eight hours including connections to reach Cape Verde from the UK.
The currency of Cape Verde is the Escudo and it is tied to the Euro at the rate of 110.27 Escudos = 1 Euro. Visa and Mastercards are accepted in larger hotels, but not generally in shops. Euro notes and coins are widely accepted.
The international telephone dialing code for Cape Verde is +238. The national telephone system is good, with broadband and ISDN increasingly available. Mobile phones are also widely used, with the likes of Vodaphone, Orange and 02 haveing agreements with Cape Verde Telecom.
Climate
The climate is generally temperate with very low rainfall throughout the year. Average daily temperatures range between 20°C to 29°C, with the possibility of rain storms from August to October.
All but three of the Cape Verde islands are mountainous and they enjoy little in the way of natural resources. Only 10% of the land is arable, meaning that most food has to be imported. Water is also in very short supply with droughts a common problem.
Tourism
Windsurfing, diving and other watersport opportunities are at the centre of the tourist trade. Cape Verde is also home to many bird species you won't find anywhere else in the world, as well as green monkeys and geckos. And in the waters around the islands you will find turtles, dolphins and whales so eco-tourism could well be Cape Verde's forte. |
Getting There
There are no direct flights from the UK at the moment, but you can fly to Cape Verde from Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon and elsewhere in Europe. A new international airport has ben built in the capital Praia, but at present only the airport on the main tourist island of Sal can accomodate jets.
above: Praia from the air
British Nationals require a visa to enter Cape Verde and this can be bought on arrival at the airport or before you depart the UK.
Living There
Private foreign investors are entitled to residency in Cape Verde if they employ more than 13 Nationals or invest more than US$35,000 (about £20,000).
Cape Verde has been showcased on Channel 4's A Place In The Sun as being "the new Canaries". Around 150,000 tourists visit the islands every year and with tourism set to play a major part in the islands' future, this figure is set to rise in coming years.
It's important to note however that the Cape Verde islands are not the Canary Islands and do not share the same high level of healthcare, education, infrastructure or wealth.
Unemployment in Cape Verde is as high as 30%. This together with severe droughts during the last century has seen many Cape Verdeans emigrate and the economy is heavily dependent on those working abroad sending money home.
Embassies
There is a British Honorary Consul on Sao Vincente that can provide basic assistance (telephone +238 322 584). The nearest British Embassy is in Dakar, Senegal (telephone +221 823 7392).
Cape Verde Honorary Consul: Mr Joao Roberto, 18-20 Stanley Street, Liverpool L1 6AF. (telephone 0151 236 0206).
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The islands of Cape Verde have been called "the new Canaries" because of the potential for tourism to grow in coming years. Property prices are lower than the Canaries, with studio apartments available from £30,000 and beach villas from £100,000, but it's important to note that Cape Verde is a poor country, with high levels of poverty and unemployment, and low levels of rainfall that lead to regular and severe droughts.
Direct Flights From UK To Cape Verde A Step Closer
Thursday February 16th 2006 ,
8:53 pm
Direct Flights Between the UK and Cape Verde could begin before the end of this year if talks between Cabo Verde Airlines (TACV) and Birmingham International Airport prove fruitful.
At present
Closer Ties With Europe The Objective As Cape Verde President Re-Elected
Wednesday February 15th 2006 ,
6:42 pm
Pedro Pires has been re-elected to serve as President of the Cape Verde Islands after securing a narrow victory over long time rival Carlos Veiga.
Pires, who is part of the
Place In The Sun
Thursday March 03rd 2005 ,
11:22 am
Please note that the placeinthesun.co.uk website is currently being redeveloped. Articles will be posted to this property category in due course.
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