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Cape Verde

Africa · 590,000

About Cape Verde

Cape Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is a sovereign country located in Africa, specifically within the Western Africa subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Praia, and the country is home to approximately 491 thousand people. In its native language, the country is known as “Cabo Verde”. Portuguese serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Cape Verde. The official currency in circulation is the Cape Verdean escudo (Esc), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Cape Verde is widely recognised for morna music, Cesária Évora and its volcanic beaches. People from Cape Verde are referred to as Cape Verdian.

Geography & climate

Cape Verde covers approximately 4,033 km² of territory, making it a small country by land area. The country is an island nation (or otherwise lacks land borders), surrounded entirely by water and dependent on maritime and air links to reach its neighbours. Geographically, Cape Verde sits in the Northern and Western Hemisphere, at roughly 16.5° N, 23.0° W. Standard civil time follows UTC-01:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Cape Verde can be summarised as: atlantic islands with warm & dry. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 491 thousand inhabitants, Cape Verde is a small nation in terms of population. The principal spoken language is Portuguese, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Locals refer to their homeland as “Cabo Verde”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Cape Verdian, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Cape Verdean escudo (Esc) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Cape Verde should familiarise themselves with the capital, Praia, the local time zone (UTC-01:00), the local currency (Cape Verdean escudo). The international dialling prefix is +238, which is required when phoning a Cape Verde number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .cv, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Cape Verde is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Cape Verde is generally classified within the Africa region and more specifically the Western Africa subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties. GlobeIQ groups it under "West Africa" for the purposes of the game's regional hint.

Did you know?

Settled only since 1456, every inhabitant here descends from arrivals — a unique human genealogy where the morna music style was born.

Cape Verde in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Cape Verde appears as a tougher puzzle reserved for geography fans who can pick up subtler hints. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Cape Verde carries the personality tags “🎶 Morna Music” and “🌋 Volcanic Islands”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Cape Verde to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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