History of Cape Verde Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau). This largesse ultimately backfired on the Portuguese, however, as literate Cape Verdeans became aware of the pressures for independence building on the mainland, while the islands continued suffering from frequent drought and famine, at times from epidemic diseases and volcanic eruptions, and the Portuguese government did nothing. Thousands of people died of starvation during the first half of the 20th century. Although the nationalist movement appeared less fervent in Cape Verde than in Portugal's other African holdings, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC, acronym for the Portuguese "Partido Africano da Independência
Science and technology in Cape Verde Economic and Monetary Union, UNESCO, the pan-African Ecobank and the Government of Cape Verde. Science and technology in Cape Verde Science and technology in Cape Verde examines government policies designed to foster a national innovation system and the impact of these policies. Cape Verde remains a model for political rights and civil liberties in Africa, according to a 2014 country study by the African Development Bank. In 2014, it ranked second (after Mauritius) on the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which assesses 52 countries. On the Human Development Index, it is ranked 123rd. Life expectancy was 75 years in 2013,