Climate zones in Cape Verde, 1991 to 2020
Share of Cape Verde's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 4,458 map cells used cover 93% of the country's outline (about 3,680 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 100%, C (temperate) 0.2%.
BWh, hot desert, is the main climate of Cape Verde, covering 89% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, with BSk (cold semi-arid (steppe)) next at 4.6%. In plain terms, hot desert means very dry and hot. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 7.6% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BWh (hot desert).
How Cape Verde's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 13% | 1.6% | BWh +9.7 percentage points | BSh -9.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 6.7% | 0.2% | BSh +2.9 percentage points | BSk -2.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 7.6% | 0.2% | BWh +3.2 percentage points | BSk -3.6 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 9.5% | 0.2% | BWh +6.1 percentage points | BSk -4.3 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWh Hot desert | 80% | 89% | 91% | 93% | 95% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 4.3% | 4.6% | 2.1% | 1% | 0.3% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 14% | 4.1% | 7% | 6.5% | 4.4% |
| BWk Cold desert | 0.8% | 1.9% | - | - | - |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 1.8% | 0.2% | - | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Zones found in Cape Verde
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was BWh. See data sources and licences.