The capital city is Cidade de Praia. Other major towns are Mindelo and Sao Filipe and the port of Porto Novo. The official language is Portuguese but Crioulo is the everyday language. The local currency is the Cape Verde Escudo. The Cape Verde oil and mining industries are key sub-sectors in the economy of the country.
Electricity is provided by the parastatal utility Electra.
Cape Verde has poor natural resources and experiences severe water shortages. Most of the population lives in the rural parts of the country and most of the food requirements are imported. The fishing industry is growing and contributes to a large portion of the country's exports. However, Cape Verde has fishing potential yet to be fully exploited. The Agricultural sector has been severely affected by drought, erosion and the continuance of antiquated farming methods.