Language
Portuguese is the official language, but the national language is Creole, which blends old Portuguese and West African linguistic features.
Source: New Internationalist World Guide

Population

2009	0.5 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2009)
2007	0.5 million	U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Population Division (2006)
2006	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2005	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2004	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2003	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2002	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2001	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)
2000	0.5 million	U.N. DESA (2006)

Future population estimates
0.7 million (2050)
Source: U.N. DESA (2009)

Ethnic groups
Mixed African and European descent 71 percent, African 28 percent, European 1 percent
Source: NI World Guide

Religion
Roman Catholic 93 percent, Protestant 7 percent
Source: NI World Guide

Percentage urban population

2007	58.8 percent	U.N. DESA - World Urbanisation Prospects 2005
2006	58.1 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2005	57.3 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2004	56.6 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2003	55.8 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2002	55.0 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2001	54.2 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)
2000	53.4 percent	U.N. DESA (2005)

Year women granted right to vote
1975
Source: U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Report
Where two figures are shown, the first refers to a partial recognition of the right to vote and the second to the year women received the right to vote on a universal and equal basis.

Net percentage of girls enrolled in primary education
84 (2007)
Source: UNESCO

Percentage of population under 15

2005	39.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	40.1 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	40.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	39.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	40.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	39.3 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Time zone
GMT +1

Climate description
Tropical with no real cool season but a slight drop from December to March; rainfall, usually between August and October, unreliable.

Currency
Escudo

Telephone dialling code
(+) 238

Driving (left/right)
Right

Average life expectancy

2005	71.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	70.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	70.4 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	70.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	69.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	69.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - male

2005	67.5 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	67.3 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	67.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	66.9 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	66.6 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	66.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Life expectancy - female

2005	73.8 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	73.5 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	73.2 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	72.7 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	72.4 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	72.0 years	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Infant mortality

2007	24 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	25 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	26 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	27 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006
2003	26 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	29 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	29 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	30 per 1,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Child mortality - deaths before the age of five

2007	32 per 1,000 live births	U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) - State of the World's Children 2009
2006	34 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2008
2005	35 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2007
2004	36 per 1,000 live births	UNICEF - State of the World's Children 2006

Births attended by skilled personnel

1997-2005	89 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1996-2004	89 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1995-2003	89 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1995-2002	89 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1995-2001	53 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
1995-2000	53 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Maternal mortality

2005	210 per 100,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2000	150 per 100,000 live births	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006

Human development index (HDI rank)

2005	102	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2004	106	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	105	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	105	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	103	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	100	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Percentage of children under weight for age (under age 5)
No data available percent (1996-2005)

Percentage of undernourished population
No data available percent

Population with access to improved water

2006	No data available percent
2004	80 percent	UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO) 2006
2002	80 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Population with access to improved sanitation

2006	No data available percent
2004	43 percent	UNICEF and WHO 2006
2002	42 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Literacy - average

2004	No data available percent
2003	75.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	75.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	74.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	73.8 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - male

2004	No data available percent
2003	85.4 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	85.4 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	84.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	84.5 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Literacy - female

2004	No data available percent
2003	68.0 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2002	68 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2001	67.0 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003
2000	65.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2002

Landlines telephones

2008	144 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	146 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	148 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	150 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	153 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	155 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	154 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	144 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	125 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Cellular telephone subscribers

2008	557 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	310 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	225 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	171 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	140 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	115 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	95 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	71 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	45 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Internet users

2008	190 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2007	77 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2006	64 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2005	57 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2004	51 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2003	41 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2002	34 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2001	26 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009
2000	18 per 1,000 people	ITU 2009

Transparency International corruption ranking (Scale: 1 = least corrupt, >175 = most corrupt)

2008	47 (joint)	Transparency International 2008
2007	49 (joint)	Transparency International 2007
2006	Not ranked

Signatory of International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment for the crime of Genocide
No (1948)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
Yes (1984)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Signatory of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Yes (1989)
Source: UNDP - Human Development Report

Percentage of population living on less than US$1 a day
No data available percent

GNI per capita, Atlas method

2007	2430 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	2190 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	1920 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	1630 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	1400 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	1210 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	1240 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	1280 current US$	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

The purpose of the Atlas conversion factor is to reduce the impact of exchange rate fluctuations in a cross-country comparison of national incomes. The Atlas conversion factor for any year is the average of a country's exchange rate (or alternative conversion factor) for that year and its exchange rates for the two preceding years.

GDP

2007	1.4 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	1.2 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	1.0 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	0.9 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	0.8 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	0.6 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	0.6 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	0.5 current US$ billions	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Annual GDP growth

2006	6.1 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2005	11.9 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2004	-0.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2003	6.2 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2002	4.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2001	3.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008
2000	6.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2008

Annual inflation

2007	4.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2006	5.2 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2005	2.0 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2004	6.2 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2003	1.6 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2002	1.8 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2001	2.7 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009
2000	-1.2 percent	World Bank Data Profile Tables 2009

Share of income or consumption (poorest 10 percent)
No data available

Share of income or consumption (richest 10 percent)
No data available

Physicians

2000-2004	49 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
1990-2004	49 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
1990-2003	17 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
1990-2002	17 per 100,000 people	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage HIV+ (adults aged 15-49)
No data available percent

Malaria
Limited risk from September through November in Sao Tiago Island.
Source: WHO

TB cases

2007	151 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2006	152 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2005	153 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2004	155 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2003	156 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2002	157 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2001	159 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009
2000	160 per 100,000 people	WHO 2009

Number of refugees originating here

2008	30	UNHCR
2007	32	UNHCR
2006	40	Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
2005	5	UNHCR
2004	8	UNHCR
2003	No data available
2002	No data available
2001	No data available
2000	No data available

Number of refugees residing here
No data available

Number of internally displaced people\Estimate

No data available

Landmine casualties per year

2004	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2005
2003	0	Landmine Monitor Report 2004

Casualty figures may include both civilians and military personnel injured or killed by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Signatory to landmine convention?
Yes (1997)
Source: Landmine Monitor Report

Percentage of GDP spent on military

2005	No data available percent
2004	0.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2003	0.7 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005

Percentage of GDP spent on education

2002-2005	6.6 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2002-2004	7.3 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2000-2002	7.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
1999-2001	No data available percent
1998-2000	4.4 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003

Percentage of GDP spent on health

2004	3.9 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2007/2008
2003-2004	3.4 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2006
2002	3.8 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2005
2001	3.8 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2004
2000	1.8 percent	UNDP - Human Development Report 2003