erde's early prosperity slowly vanished. However, the islands' position astride mid-Atlantic shipping lanes made Cape Verde an ideal location for re-supplying ships. Because of its excellent harbour, Mindelo (on the island of São Vicente) became an important commercial centre during the 19th century.[8] In 1951, Portugal changed Cape Verde's status from a colony to an overseas province in an attempt to blunt growing nationalism. In 1956, Amilcar Cabral, and a group of fellow Cape Verdeans and Guineans organised (in Portuguese Guinea) the clandestine African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which demanded improvement in economic, social and political conditions in Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea and formed the basis of the two nations' independence movement. Moving its headquarters to Conakry, Guinea in 1960, the PAIGC began an armed rebellion against Portugal in 1961. Acts of sabotage eventually grew into a war in Portuguese Guinea that pitted 10,000 Soviet bloc-supported PAIGC soldiers against 35,000 Portuguese and African troops.[8] By 1972, the PAIGC controlled much of Portuguese Guinea despite the presence of the Portuguese troops, but the organization did not attempt to disrupt Portuguese control in Cape Verde. Portuguese Guinea declared independence in 1973 and was granted de jure independence in 1974. Following the April 1974 revolution in Portugal, the PAIGC became an active political movement in Cape Verde. In December 1974, the PAIGC and Portugal signed an agreement providing for a transitional government composed of Portuguese and Cape Verdeans. On June 30, 1975, Cape Verdeans elected a National Assembly which received the instruments of independence from Portugal on July 5, 1975.[8] Immediately following the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau, relations between Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau became strained. Cape Verde abandoned its hope for unity with Guinea-Bissau and formed the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV). Problems have since been resolved and relations between the countries are good. The PAICV and its predecessor established a one-party system and ruled Cape Verde from independence until 1990.[8] Responding to growing pressure for pluralistic democracy, the PAICV called an emergency congress in February 1990 to discuss proposed constitutional changes to end one-party rule. Opposition groups came together to form the Movement for Democracy (MPD) in Praia in April 1990. Together, they campaigned for the right to contest the presidential election scheduled for December 1990. The one-party state was abolished September 28, 1990, and the first multi-party elections were held in January 1991. The MPD won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly, and MPD presidential candidate António Mascarenhas Monteiro defeated the PAICV's candidate with 73.5% of the votes. Legislative elections in December 1995 increased the MPD majority in the National Assembly. The party won 50 of the National Assembly's 72 seats. A February 1996 presidential election returned President Monteiro to office. Legislative elections in January 2001 returned power to the PAICV, with the PAICV holding 40 of the National Assembly seats, MPD 30, and Party for Democratic Convergence (PCD) and Party for Labor and Solidarity (PTS) 1 each. In February 2001, the PAICV-supported presidential candidate Pedro Pires defeated former MPD leader Carlos Veiga by only 13 votes.[8] Geography Main article: Geography of Cape Verde Praia Climate chart (explanation) J F M A M J J A S O N D     3   25 20     0   25 19     0   26 20     0   26 21     0   27 21     0   28 22     5   28 24     97   29 24     114   29 25     31   29 24     8   28 23     3   26 22 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: BBC Weather[9] Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.1   77 68     0   77 66     0   79 68     0   79 70     0   81 70     0   82 72     0.2   82 75     3.8   84 75     4.5   84 77     1.2   84 75     0.3   82 73     0.1   79 72 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches The beach of Calhau, with Monte Verde in the background, on the island of São Vicente The summit of Pico do Fogo, the highest peak in the Cape Verde archipelago, located on the island of Fogo Natural salt evaporation ponds at Pedra de Lume, on the island of Sal Terra satellite took this photo of Cape Verde islands on November 23, 2010. The Cape Verde archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 570 kilometres (350 mi) off the coast of West Africa, near Mauritania and Senegal, and is part of the Macaronesia ecoregion. It lies between latitudes 14° and 18°N, and longitudes 22° and 26°W. The country is a horseshoe-shaped cluster of ten islands (nine inhabited) and eight islets,[10] that constitute an area of 4033 km².[10] The islands are spatially divided into two groups: The Ilhas de Barlavento (English:  windward islands): Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal, Boa Vista;[10] and The Ilhas de Sotavento (English:  leeward islands): Maio, Santiago, Fogo, Brava.[10] The largest island, both in size and population, is Santiago, which hosts the nation's capital, Praia, the principal agglomeration in the archipelago.[10] Physical geography Magnetic anomalies identified in the vicinity of the archipelago indicate that the structures forming the islands date back 125-150 million years: the islands themselves date from 8 million (in the west) to 20 million years (in the east).[11] The oldest exposed rocks occurred on Maio and northern peninsula of Santiago and are 128-131 million year old pillow lavas. The first stage of volcanism in the islands began in the early Miocene, and reached its peak at the end of this period, when the islands reached their maximum sizes. Historical volcanism (within human settlement) has been restricted to the island of Fogo. The origin of the islands' volcanism has been attributed to a hotspot, associated with bathymetric swell that formed the Cape Verde Rise.[12] The Rise is one of the largest protuberances in the world's oceans, rising 2.2 kilometers in a semi-circular region of 1200 km², associated with a rise of the geoid and elevated surface heat flow.[11] Though Cape Verde's islands are all volcanic in origin, they vary widely in terrain.[10] Most recently erupting in 1995, Pico do Fogo is the largest active volcano in the region. It has a 8 km (5 mi) diameter caldera, whose rim is 1,600 m (5,249 ft) altitude and an interior cone that rises to 2,829 m (9,281 ft) above sea level. The caldera resulted from subsidence, following the partial evacuation (eruption) of the magma chamber, along a cylindrical column from within magma chamber (at a depth of 8 km (5 mi)). Geologically, the islands are principally composed of igneous rocks, with volcanic structures and pyroclastic debris comprising the majority of the archipelago's total volume. The volcanic and plutonic rocks are distinctly basic; the archipelago is a soda-alkaline petrographic province, with a petrologic succession which is similar to that found in other Macaronesian islands. Extensive salt flats are found on Sal and Maio.[10] On Santiago, Santo Antão, and São Nicolau, arid slopes give way in places to sugarcane fields or banana plantations spread along the base of towering mountains.[10] Climate Main article: Climate of Cape Verde Cape Verde's climate is milder than that of the African mainland because the surrounding sea moderates temperatures on the islands.[10] Average daily high temperatures range from 25 °C (77 °F) in January to 29 °C (84.2 °F) in September.[9] Cape Verde is part of the Sahelian arid belt, with nothing like the rainfall levels of nearby West Africa.[10] It does rain irregularly between August and October, with frequent brief-but-heavy downpours.[10] A desert is usually defined as terrain which receives less than 250 mm (9.8 in) of annual rainfall. Cape Verde's total (261 mm/10.3 in) is slightly above this criterion, which makes the area climate semi-desert. The islands, covering a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi), are of volcanic origin and while three of them (Sal, Boa Vista and Maio) are fairly flat, sandy and dry, the remaining ones are generally rockier and have more vegetation. However, because of the infrequent occurrence of rainfall the overall landscape is not particularly green. However, the archipelago can be divided into four broad ecological zones: arid, semiarid, subhumid and humid, according to altitude and average annual rainfall ranging from 200 mm in the arid areas of the coast to more than 1000 mm in the humid mountain. Mostly rainfall precipitation is due to condensation of the ocean mist. In some islands, as Santiago, the wetter climate of the interior and the eastern coast contrasts with the dryer one in the south/southwest coast. Praia, located on the southeast coast, is the largest city of the island, and also the largest city and capital of the country. Because of their proximity to the Sahara, most of the Cape Verde islands are dry, but on islands with high mountains and farther away from the coast, by orography, the humidity is much higher, providing a rainforest habitat, although much affected by the human presence. Northeastern slopes of high mountains often receive a lot of rain while southwest slopes do not. This umbria areas are identified with cool and moisture. Some islands, with steep mountains, are covered with vegetation where the dense ocean moisture condenses and soaks the plants, rocks, soil, logs, moss etc. Hurricanes that form near the Cape Verde Islands are sometimes referred to as Cape Verde-type hurricanes. These hurricanes can become very intense as they cross warm Atlantic waters. Biome Cape Verde's isolation has resulted in the islands having a number of endemic species, particularly bird and reptiles, many of which are endangered by human development. Endemic birds include Alexander's Swift (Apus alexandri), Bourne's Heron (Ardea purpurea bournei), the Raso Lark (Alauda razae), the Cape Verde Warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis), and the Iago Sparrow (Passer iagoensis).[13] The islands are also an important breeding area for seabirds including the Cape Verde Shearwater. Reptiles include the Cape Verde Giant Gecko (Tarentola gigas). Human geography Main article: Administrative divisions of Cape Verde Aerial view of the capital of the archipelago, Praia, on the island of Santiago Vista of Nova Sintra, the municipal seat of Brava Cape Verde is divided into 22 municipalities (concelhos) and subdivided into 32 parishes (freguesias), based on the religious parishes that existed during the colonial period: Barlavento Islands Island Municipality Parish Santo Antão Ribeira Grande Nossa Senhora do Rosário Nossa Senhora do Livramento Santo Crucifixo São Pedro Apóstolo Paul Santo António das Pombas Porto Novo São João Baptista Santo André São Vicente São Vicente Nossa Senhora da Luz Santa Luzia São Nicolau Ribeira Brava Nossa Senhora da Lapa Nossa Senhora do Rosário Tarrafal de São Nicolau São Francisco Sal Sal Nossa Senhora das Dores Boa Vista Boa Vista Santa Isabel São João Baptista View of downtown Mindelo en Baía do Porto Grande, São Vicente The uninhabited islets Ilhéus Secos or Ilhéus do Rombo as seen from off the coast, with the town of Nova Sintra in the foreground Sotavento Islands Island Municipality Parish Maio Maio Nossa Senhora da Luz Santiago Praia Nossa Senhora da Graça São Domingos Nossa Senhora da Luz São Nicolau Tolentino Santa Catarina Santa Catarina São Salvador do Mundo São Salvador do Mundo Santa Cruz Santiago Maior São Lourenço dos Órgãos São Lourenço dos Órgãos Ribeira Grande de Santiago Santíssimo Nome de Jesus São João Baptista São Miguel São Miguel Arcanjo Tarrafal Santo Amaro Abade Fogo São Filipe São Lourenço Nossa Senhora da Conceição Santa Catarina do Fogo Santa Catarina do Fogo Mosteiros Nossa Senhora da Ajuda Brava Brava São João Baptista Nossa Senhora do Monte Demographics Main article: Demographics of Cape Verde Population pyramid (demographics) showing age distribution of males to females (2005) Most of the population is of creole ethnicity, mixed from black African and European descent. The European men who colonized Cape Verde did not usually bring wives or families with them. As female African slaves were brought to the islands inter-marriages occurred.[10] A genetic study revealed that the ancestry of the population in Cape Verde is 57% African and 43% European.[14] Around 95% of the population is Christian (more than 85 percent of the population is nominally Roman Catholic,[15] though for a minority of the population Catholicism is syncretized with African influences).[2] The largest Protestant denomination is the Church of the Nazarene; other groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Assemblies of God, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and various other Pentecostal and evangelical groups.)[15] There are small Baha'i communities and a small Muslim community.[15] The number of atheists is estimated at less than 1 percent of the population.[15] Cape Verde's official language is Portuguese. It is the language of instruction and government. However, the Cape Verdean Creole is used colloquially and is the mother tongue of virtually all Cape Verdeans. Cape Verdean Creole or Kriolu is a dialect continuum of a Portuguese-based creole, which varies from island to island. There is a substantial body of literature in Creole, especially in the Santiago Creole and the São Vicente Creole. Creole has been gaining prestige since the nation's independence from Portugal. However, the differences between the varied forms of the language within the islands have been a major obstacle in the way of standardization of the language. Some people have advocated the development of two standards: a North (Barlavento) standard, centered on the São Vicente Creole, and a South (Sotavento) standard, centered on the Santiago Creole. Manuel Veiga, PhD, a linguist by training, and Minister of Culture of Cape Verde, is the premier proponent of Kriolu's officialization and standardization. The demographic statistics site ESA says Cape Verde has a population of 567,000 in 2010. Emigration Main article: Cape Verdean diaspora Local women on the island of Santiago Today, more Cape Verdeans live abroad than in Cape Verde itself, with significant emigrant[16] Cape Verdean communities in the United States (500,000 Cape Verdeans descent, with a major concentration on the New England coast from Providence, Rhode Island, to New Bedford, Massachusetts). There are also significant Cape Verde populations in Portugal (150,000), Angola (45,000), São Tomé and Príncipe (25,000), Senegal (25,000), the Netherlands (20,000, of which 15,000 are concentrated in Rotterdam), France (25,000), Scandinavia (7,000), Italy (10,000) and Spain (12,500). There is also a Cape Verdean community in Argentina numbering 8,000. A large number of Cape Verdeans and people of Cape Verdean descent that immigrated before 1975 are not included in these statistics, because all the Cape Verdeans had Portuguese passports before 1975. There are approximately 3,000 Chinese immigrants in Cape Verde, as well as citizens of the African mainland (most of these immigrants hail from West Africa), there are also a significant number of citizens of Europe and South America (Brazil) residing in the country. There are an estimated 20,000 immigrants in Cape Verde of which 14,000 are legal residents. In the USA, the children and grandchildren of the first immigrant waves became involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. This led them to make links with other US black groups. Cape-Verdean Americans have also been involved in the US Army for centuries; in the Revolutionary War, Civil War, the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean and Vietnam Wars.[17] Cape Verdeans moved to places all over the world, from Macau to Haiti to Argentina to northern Europe.[18] Politics Main article: Politics of Cape Verde Former President of Cape Verde, Pedro Pires, meeting with the then Brazilian president Lula da Silva Cape Verde is a stable representative Parliamentary republic.[19] The constitution —adopted in 1980 and revised in 1992, 1995 and 1999— defines the basic principles of its government. The president is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term. The prime minister is the head of government and proposes other ministers and secretaries of state. The prime minister is nominated by the National Assembly and appointed by the president. Members of the National Assembly are elected by popular vote for 5-year terms. Three parties now hold seats in the National Assembly—PAICV 40, MPD 30, and Cape Verdean Independent Democratic Union (UCID) 2.[8] The judicial system consists of a Supreme Court of Justice — whose members are appointed by the president, the National Assembly, and the Board of the Judiciary — and regional courts. Separate courts hear civil, constitutional, and criminal cases. Appeal is to the Supreme Court.[8] Cape Verde follows a policy of nonalignment and seeks cooperative relations with all friendly states.[8] Angola, Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Senegal, Russia and the United States maintain embassies in Praia.[8] Cape Verde is actively interested in foreign affairs, especially in Africa.[8] It has bilateral relations with some Lusophone nations and holds membership in a number of international organisations.[8] It also participates in most international conferences on economic and political issues.[8] Since 2007, Cape Verde has a special partnership status[20] with the EU, under the Cotonou Agreement, and might apply for special membership.[21] The military of Cape Verde consists of a coast guard and an army; 0.7% of the country's GDP was spent on the military in 2005. International recognition Cape Verde is often praised as an example among African nations, for its stability and developmental growth despite its lack of natural resources. Among others, it has been recognized with the following assessments: Index Score PALOP rank CPLP rank African rank World rank Year Human Development Index 0.568 &100000000000000010000001 (top 17%) &100000000000000030000003 (top 38%) &1000000000000001000000010 (top 19%)[note 1] &10000000000000133000000133 (top 66%) 2011[4] Ibrahim Index of African Governance 75.5 &100000000000000010000001 (top 17%) N/A &100000000000000020000002 (top 4%) N/A 2011[22] Freedom of the Press 28 (Free) &100000000000000010000001 (top 17%) &100000000000000020000002 (top 25%) &100000000000000040000004 (top 8%) &1000000000000006000000060 (top 30%) 2009 Freedom in the World 1/1[note 2] &100000000000000010000001 (top 17%) &100000000000000010000001 (top 13%)[note 3] &100000000000000010000001 (top 2%)[note 4] &100000000000000010000001 (top 1%)[note 5] 2011 Press Freedom Index 6,00 &100000000000000010000001 (top 17%) &am