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:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline: Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
4,033 sq km
country comparison to the world: 176
land:
4,033 sq km
water:
0 sq km
slightly larger than Rhode Island
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
965 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
temperate; warm, dry summer; precipitation meager and erratic
More Climate Details
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island)
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
arable land:
11.66%
permanent crops:
0.74%
other:
87.59% (2011)
34.76 sq km (2004)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
0.3 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
0.02 cu km/yr (6%/1%/93%)
per capita:
48.57 cu m/yr (2004)
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
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
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
strategic location 500 km from west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site