Long-form name: Republic of Cape Verde

Type: republic

Capital: Praia

Administrative divisions: 12 districts (concelhos, singular--concelho); Boa Vista, Brava, Fogo, Maio, Paul, Praia, Ribeira Grande, Sal, Santa Catarina, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Tarrafal; there may be 2 new districts named Porto Novo and Santa Cruz

Independence: 5 July 1975 (from Portugal)

Constitution: 7 September 1980, amended 12 February 1981 and December 1988

National holiday: Independence Day, 5 July (1975)

Branches: 56-member National People's Assembly; the official party is the supreme political organization

Leaders: @m5Chief of State--President Aristides Maria PEREIRA (since 5 July 1975); @m5Head of Government--Prime Minister Pedro Verona Rodrigues PIRES, (since 5 July 1975); Deputy Minister Herculano VIEIRA (since NA 19 )

Suffrage: universal over age 15

Elections: National Assembly election held December 1988

Political parties and leaders: only legal party, African Party for Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV), led by Aristides Pereira, secretary general; PAICV established in January 1981 to replace the former ruling party in both Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), in protest of the November 1980 coup in Guinea-Bissau

Communists: a few Communists and some sympathizers

Member of: FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Jose Luis FERNANDES LOPES; Chancery at 3415 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20007; telephone (202) 965-6820; there is a Cape Verdean Consulate General in Boston; US--Ambassador Vernon D. PENNER, Jr.; Embassy at Rua Hojl Ya Yenna 81, Praia (mailing address is C. P. 201, Praia); telephone �238� 614-363 or 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 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cape Verde Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cape Verde Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.