Cape Verde Islands

Summary

Official Name

Republic of Cape Verde

International Conventions

ACHPR (1987), CSICH (2016), ICCPR (1993), UNCRPD (2011), UNDRIP (2007)

Population

550,000

Principal Languages

Kabuverdianu, Portuguese

Literacy Rate

87% (2015 UNESCO)

General References

Lobban 1995; Lobban and Saucier 2007; Holm 1989

Language Counts

The number of established languages listed for Cape Verde Islands is 2. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 1 is non-indigenous. Furthermore, 2 are institutional.

Languages

Kabuverdianu kea: Widespread. Users: 492,000 in Cape Verde Islands, all users. L1 users: 478,000 in Cape Verde Islands (2010 census), increasing. L2 users: 14,000 (2010 census). 74,000 monolinguals (2010 census). Ethnic population: 1,000,000 (2010 Gabinete de Migração Cabo-verdiana). Total users in all countries: 1,194,800 (as L1: 1,180,800; as L2: 14,000). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (2010, Constitution, Article 9(2-3)). Alternate Names: Caboverdiano, Cape Verdean Creole, Criol, Crioulo, Krioulu Autonym: Kabuverdianu, Kriol Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
Portuguese por: Major cities. Users: 367,800 in Cape Verde Islands, all users. L1 users: 11,800 in Cape Verde Islands (2010 census). L2 users: 356,000 (2010 census). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national working language (1992, Constitution, Article 9(1)). Alternate Names: Português Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Portuguese-Galician

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Kabuverdianu

[kea] 1 (National). Statutory national language (2010, Constitution, Article 9(2-3)). 492,000 in Cape Verde Islands, all users. L1 users: 478,000 in Cape Verde Islands (2010 census), increasing. L2 users: 14,000 (2010 census). 74,000 monolinguals (2010 census). Ethnic population: 1,000,000 (2010 Gabinete de Migração Cabo-verdiana). Total users in all countries: 1,194,800 (as L1: 1,180,800; as L2: 14,000).

Portuguese

[por] 1 (National). Statutory national working language (1992, Constitution, Article 9(1)). 367,800 in Cape Verde Islands, all users. L1 users: 11,800 in Cape Verde Islands (2010 census). L2 users: 356,000 (2010 census).