| 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 | total: 4,033 sq km
land: 4,033 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Rhode Island |
| Land boundaries | 0 km |
| 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 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, clay, gypsum |
| Land use | arable land: 11.66%
permanent crops: 0.74%
other: 87.59% (2011) |
| Irrigated land | 34.76 sq km (2004) |
| Total renewable water resources | 0.3 cu km (2011) |
| Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | total: 0.02 cu km/yr (6%/1%/93%)
per capita: 48.57 cu m/yr (2004) |
| Natural hazards | prolonged droughts; seasonal harmattan wind produces obscuring dust; volcanically and seismically active
volcanism: Fogo (elev. 2,829 m), which last erupted in 1995, is Cape Verde's only active volcano |
| Environment - current issues | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | 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 |
| 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 |
