Praia, Cape Verde - Cape Verdian immigrants sent 1.54 billion Cape Verdian escudos (about 9.1 million euro) back home in May this year, up 33.7% in monthly remittances, sources from the Bank of Cape Verde (BCV) told PANA on Friday in Praia. Statistics released by BCV say money transfers from Cape Verdian immigrants in the Euro zone, particularly those in Portugal and France, have been increasing, despite the international financial crisis. However, money transfers from the US, which has one of the biggest Cape Verdian immigrant communities abroad, have been dropping.

On the whole, the money transfer from Cape Verdians living abroad to the archipelago represents 9% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

The Cape Verdian archipelago, which is made up of 10 islands, has a population of 491,875 inhabitants and it is estimated that the number of Cape Verdians living in other countries is much higher that that living in the country.

Immigration is a characteristic of the country and it is common to call the community of the Diaspora the 11th island of Cape Verde.

Pana 25/06/2011