All correspondence should be in English or French. Most of Cape Verde's business links are with Portugal.
Office hours:Mon-Fri 0800-1230 and 1430-1800.
Economy:About one quarter of the working population is engaged in agriculture. Maize and beans are the main crops; a variety of fruit and vegetables are also grown. The agricultural sector is especially vulnerable to the periodic droughts that afflict the islands, often lasting for several years. Meanwhile, the fishing industry is vastly important, contributing almost half of the total export earnings.
A further vital source of national income is the wages of Cape Verdeans working abroad- some 700,000 Cape Verdeans have emigrated, mainly to the USA.
The larger hotels on the main islands can provide conference facilities.
GDP:US$1.6 billion (2007).
Main exports:Shoes, clothes, fish, bananas and salt.
Main imports:Petroleum, foodstuffs, consumer goods and machinery.
Main trading partners:Portugal, Japan, The Netherlands and USA.
Improvements to rural areas are in progress.
Mobile phone:Roaming agreements exist with some international mobile phone companies, but travellers should check with their service provider. Coverage is variable, but generally good in towns.
Internet:Major hotels offer laptop connections. Public access is available at the offices of Cabo Verde Telecom. Privately-run business centres in the main towns offer e-mail, Internet and fax facilities.
Post:Postal facilities can be slow with deliveries to Europe normally taking over a week.
Media:A free press is guaranteed by law, but most media are state-controlled. There are a few private radio stations. Portuguese and French radio are available via FM relays.
