Cuba - General Country Information
Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
Introduction
General Information:
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The capital of Cuba is Havana.
Major cities of Cuba are: Baracoa, Bayamo, Camaguey, Cayo Largo Del Sur, Ciego De Avila, Guantanamo, Havana, Holguin, Manzanillo, Moa, Nueva Gerona, Varadero. US consulates can be found in the following cities:
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Geography
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Location:
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Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida |
| Coordinates: | 21 30 N, 80 00 W |
| Area: | total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area Comparative: | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 29 km
border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba |
| Coastline: | 3,735 km |
| Maritime Claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
| Terrain: | mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast |
| Elevation Extremes: | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m |
| Natural Resources: | cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
| Land Use: | arable land: 33.05%
permanent crops: 7.6% other: 59.35% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land: | 870 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural Hazards: | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common |
| Environment Current Issues: | air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation |
| Environment International Agreements: | party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
| Note: | largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles |
People
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Population:
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11,308,764 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age Structure: | total: 34.8 years
male: 34.2 years female: 35.5 years (2004 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: | 0.34% (2004 est.) |
| Birth Rate: | 12.18 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death Rate: | 7.17 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Migration Rate: | -1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex Ratio: | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate: | total: 6.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Expectancy Birth: | total population: 77.04 years
male: 74.77 years female: 79.44 years (2004 est.) |
| Fertility Rate: | 1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV Adult Prevalence Rate: | less than 0.1% (2003 est.) |
| People Living HIV: | 3,300 (2003 est.) |
| HIV Deaths: | less than 200 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
| Ethnic Groups: | mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
| Religions: | nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented |
| Languages: | Spanish |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97.2% female: 96.9% (2003 est.) |
| People Note: | illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; some 2,500 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 60% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 1,500 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2002 |
Gouvernment
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Country Name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba |
| Government Type: | Communist state |
| Capital: | Havana |
| Administrative Divisions: | 14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Ciudad de La Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara |
| Independence: | 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) |
| National Holiday: | Independence Day, 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration; Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953) |
| Constitution: | 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002 |
| Legal System: | based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | 16 years of age; universal |
| Executive Branch: | chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% |
| Legislative Branch: | unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609 |
| Judicial Branch: | People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) |
| Political Parties Leaders: | only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] |
| International Organization Participation: | ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Diplomatic in US: | none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518 |
| Diplomatic from US: | none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland |
| Flag Description: | five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag |
Economy
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Economy Overview:
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The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the depression of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government reluctantly allows a large dollar market sector, fueled by tourism and remittances from Cubans abroad. |
| GDP: | purchasing power parity - $32.13 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP Growth Rate: | 2.6% (2003 est.) |
| GDP Capital: | purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2003 est.) |
| GDP Composition: | agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 26.9% services: 67.6% (2003 est.) |
| Investment: | 10.1% of GDP (2003) |
| Household Income: | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Inflation Rate: | 4.1% (2003 est.) |
| Labor Force: | 4.58 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2003 est.) |
| Labor Force Occupation: | agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999) |
| Unemployment Rate: | 2.6% (2003 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $17.21 billion
expenditures: $18.28 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
| Agriculture Products: | sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
| Industries: | sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals |
| Industry Production Growth Rate: | 2.4% (2003 est.) |
| Electricity Production: | 14.38 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Consumption: | 13.38 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Exports: | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Imports: | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Oil Production: | 50,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Consumption: | 163,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Exports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Imports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Proved Reserves: | 532 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural Gas Production: | 600 million cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Consumption: | 600 million cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Proved Reserves: | 42.62 billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
| Current Account Balance: | $-273 million (2003) |
| Exports: | $1.467 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Exports Commodities: | sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee |
| Exports Partners: | Netherlands 21.8%, Canada 16.2%, Russia 10.7%, Spain 8.7%, China 7.3% (2003) |
| Imports: | $4.531 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Imports Commodities: | petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
| Imports Partners: | Spain 16.6%, Venezuela 12.5%, Italy 8.6%, US 8.5%, China 7.7%, Canada 5.4%, Mexico 5.3%, France 4.9% (2003) |
| Reserves: | $582 million (2003) |
| Debt External: | $12.52 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2003 est.) |
| Currency: | Cuban peso (CUP) |
| Currency Code: | CUP |
| Exchange Rates: | Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible, official rate, for international transactions, pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 27 pesos per US dollar by the Government of Cuba (2002) |
| Fiscal Year: | calendar year |
Communications
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Telephones Lines Use:
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574,400 (2002) |
| Mobile Cellular: | 17,900 (2002) |
| Telephone System: | general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; cellular service, initially restricted, was opened to public access in 2003
domestic: national fiber-optic system scheduled to be completed by end of 2003; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2002 with entire system by end 2003; telephone line density remains low; cellular service expanding international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
| Radio Stations: | AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Television Stations: | 58 (1997) |
| Internet Code: | .cu |
| Internet Hosts: | 1,529 (2003) |
| Internet Users: | 120,000 (2001) |
Transportation
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Railways:
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total: 4,226 km
standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified) note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 60,858 km
paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | general assessment: greater investment beginning in 1994 and the establishment of a new Ministry of Information Technology and Communications in 2000 has resulted in improvements in the system; cellular service, initially restricted, was opened to public access in 2003
domestic: national fiber-optic system scheduled to be completed by end of 2003; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2002 with entire system by end 2003; telephone line density remains low; cellular service expanding international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
| Pipelines: | gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2004) |
| Ports Harbors: | Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba |
| Merchant Marine: | total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT
by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 registered in other countries: 35 (2004 est.) |
| Airports: | 170 (2003 est.) |
| Airports Paved Runways: | total: 79
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 37 (2004 est.) |
| Airports Unpaved Runways: | total: 91
914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.) |
Military
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Military Branches:
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Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT) |
| Military Age Obligation: | 17 years of age; both sexes are eligible for military service (2004 est.) |
| Military Availability: | males age 15-49: 3,134,622
females age 15-49: 3,075,534 (2004 est.) |
| Fit Military Service: | males age 15-49: 1,929,370
females age 15-49: 1,888,498 (2004 est.) |
| Reaching Military Age Annually: | males: 83,992
females: 91,901 (2004 est.) |
| Military Expenditures Dollar Figure: | $572.3 million (2003) |
| Military Expenditures Percent GDP: | 1.8% (2003) |
Transnational Issues
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Disputes International:
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US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease |
| Illicit Drugs: | territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 |
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