| Location : |
Western Africa, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Senegal |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
16 00 N, 24 00 W |
| Map References : |
Political Map of the World |
| Area : |
total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly larger than Rhode Island |
| Coastline : |
965 km |
| 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 very erratic |
| Terrain : |
steep, rugged, rocky, volcanic |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mt. Fogo 2,829 m (a volcano on Fogo Island) |
| Natural Resources : |
salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 9.68%
permanent crops: 0.5%
other: 89.82% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land : |
30 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards : |
prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
soil erosion; demand for wood used as fuel has resulted in deforestation; desertification; environmental damage has threatened several species of birds and reptiles; illegal beach sand extraction; overfishing |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection
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. |
