Page last updated on January 28, 2014

Location:
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal

Geographic coordinates:
16 00 N, 24 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 4,033 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 176
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Rhode Island

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
965 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic

Terrain:
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)

Natural resources:
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum

Land use:
arable land: 11.66%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.59% (2011)

Irrigated land:
34.76 sq km (2004)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.3 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (6%/1%/93%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 48.57 cu m/yr (2004)

Natural hazards:
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cabo Verde's only active volcano

Environment - current issues:
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:
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:
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site