Cuba

Republic of CubaRepublica de Cuba

Communist stateIndependence 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898

Cuba as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 77 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalHavana
Area110,860 km2
Locationin the northern Caribbean Sea, 145 km south of Key West (Florida)
1993

Every edition of Cuba

Populationas each edition published it
10.96 million July 1993 est. · 10.62m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1% 1993 est. · -0.6% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 34.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
76.72 years 1993 est. · 80.1 yrs in 2025
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.83 children per woman 1993 est. · 1.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
10.5 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 12 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$1,370 1992 est. · $23,700 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
-15% 1992 est. · -1.9% in 2025

Geography

In the northern Caribbean Sea, 145 km south of Key West (Florida)

14 fields

Land useshare of 110,860 km2

arable land 23%permanent crops 6%meadows and pastures 23%forest and woodland 17%other 31%irrigated 8,960 km2 (1989)
Area
110,860km2
land area: 110,860 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Coastline
3,735km
exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
29km
total · US Naval Base at Guantanamo 29 kmnote: Guantanamo is leased and as such remains part of Cuba

Location

in the northern Caribbean Sea, 145 km south of Key West (Florida)

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease

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

Natural resources

cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum

Environment

averages one hurricane every other year

Note

largest country in Caribbean

People

14 fields
Population
10,957,088
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 1% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth
17.08Death
6.5Net migration
-0.63

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years76.72
74.59 · 78.99
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy94%
95% · 93%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

mulatto 51%white 37%black 11%Chinese 1%

Infant mortality rate

10.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Cuban(s)
adjective:
Cuban

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 85% prior to Castro assuming power

Languages

Spanish

Labor force

4,620,800 economically active population (1988); 3,578,800 in state sector; by occupation: services and government 30%, industry 22%, agriculture 20%, commerce 11%, construction 10%, transportation and communications 7% (June 1990)

Government

Communist state

20 fields

Names

conventional long form:
Republic of Cuba
conventional short form:
Cuba
local long form:
Republica de Cuba
local short form:
Cuba

Type

Communist state

Capital

Havana

Administrative divisions

14 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality*, (municipio Habana, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las, Tunas, Matanzas, Clara

Independence

20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)

Constitution

24 February 1976

National holiday

Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953)

Political parties and leaders

only party - Cuban Communist Party (PCC), Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Elections

National Assembly of People's Power:
  • last held December 1986 (next to be held February 1993);
  • results - PCC is the only party;
  • seats - (510 total; after the February election, the National Assembly will have 590 seats) indirectly elected from slates approved by special candidacy commissions

Executive branch

president of the Council of State, first vice president of the Council of State, Council of State, president of the Council of Ministers, first vice president of the Council of Ministers, Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly of the People's Power (Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular)

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo Popular)

Leaders

Chief of State and 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)

Member of

CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Principal Officer Alfonso FRAGA Perez (since August 1992)
chancery:
2630 and 2639 16th Street NW, US Interests Section, Swiss Embassy,
Washington, DC 20009 telephone:
(202) 797-8518 or 8519, 8520, 8609, 8610

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Principal Officer Alan H. FLANIGAN
US Interests Section:
USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada entre L Y M, Vedado Seccion, Havana
mailing address:
USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada Entre L Y M, Vedado, Havava
telephone:
32-0051, 32-0543
FAX:
no service available at this time

note: protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland - US Interests Section, Swiss Embassy

Flag

  • 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

Economy

18 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$1,370
(1992 est.)
Real growth rate
-15%
(1992 est.)industrial production growth: NA
External debt
$6.8billion
(convertible currency, July 1989)

Budget

Revenues
$12.46 billionExpenditures
$14.45 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Overview

Since Castro's takeover of Cuba in 1959, the economy has been run in the Soviet style of government ownership of substantially all the means of production and government planning of all but the smallest details of economic activity. Thus, Cuba, like the former Warsaw Pact nations, has remained in the backwater of economic modernization.

The economy contracted by about one-third between 1989 and 1992 as it absorbed the loss of $4 billion of annual economic aid from the former Soviet Union and much smaller amounts from Eastern Europe. The government implemented numerous energy conservation measures and import substitution schemes to cope with a large decline in imports.

To reduce fuel consumption, Havana has cut back bus service and imported approximately 1 million bicycles from China, domesticated nearly 200,000 oxen to replace tractors, and halted a large amount of industrial production. The government has prioritized domestic food production and promoted herbal medicines since 1990 to compensate for lower imports.

Havana also has been shifting its trade away from the former Soviet republics and Eastern Europe toward the industrialized countries of Latin America and the OECD.

National product

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $14.9 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)

commodities:
sugar, nickel, shellfish, tobacco, medical products, citrus, coffee
partners:
Russia 30%, Canada 10%, China 9%, Japan 6%, Spain 4% (1992 est.)

Imports

$2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)

commodities:
petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals
partners:
Russia 10%, China 9%, Spain 9%, Mexico 5%, Italy 5%, Canada 4%, France 4% (1992 est.)

Electricity

3,889,000 kW capacity; 16,248 million kWh produced, 1,500 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

sugar milling and refining, petroleum refining, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals (particularly nickel), cement, fertilizers, consumer goods, agricultural machinery

Agriculture

  • accounts for 11% of GNP (including fishing and forestry);
  • key commercial crops - sugarcane, tobacco, and citrus fruits;
  • other products - coffee, rice, potatoes, meat, beans;
  • world's largest sugar exporter;
  • not self-sufficient in food (excluding sugar);
  • sector hurt by growing shortages of fuels and parts

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $710 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $18.5 billion

Currency

1 Cuban peso (Cu$) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

Cuban pesos (Cu$) per US$1 - 1.0000 (linked to the US dollar)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 73 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 42refrigerated cargo 10cargo/training 1oil tanker 11chemical tanker 1liquefied gas 4bulk; note - Cuba beneficially owns an additional 38 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 529,090 DWT under the registry of Panama, Cyprus, and Malta 473 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 511,522 GRT/720,270 DWT

Networkskm

Highways
26,477 (1989 est.)Railroads
12,947Inland waterways
240
Highways: ; 14,477 km paved, 12,000 km gravel and earth surfaced · Railroads: ; Cuban National Railways operates 5,053 km of 1.435-meter gauge track; 151.7 km electrified; 7,742 km of sugar plantation lines of 0.914-m and 1.435-m gauge

Railroads

  • 12,947 km total;
  • Cuban National Railways operates 5,053 km of 1.435-meter gauge track;
  • 151.7 km electrified;
  • 7,742 km of sugar plantation lines of 0.914-m and 1.435-m gauge

Highways

26,477 km total; 14,477 km paved, 12,000 km gravel and earth surfaced (1989 est.)

Ports

Cienfuegos, Havana, Mariel, Matanzas, Santiago de Cuba; 7 secondary, 35 minor

Airports

total:
186
usable:
166
with permanent-surface runways:
73
with runways over 3,659 m:
3
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
12
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
19

Telecommunications

  • broadcast stations - 150 AM, 5 FM, 58 TV;
  • 1,530,000 TVs;
  • 2,140,000 radios;
  • 229,000 telephones;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

4 fields

Branches

Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) - including Ground Forces, Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Ministry of the Armed Forces Special Troops, Border Guard Troops, Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT)

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 3,087,255;
  • females age 15-49 3,064,663;
  • males fit for military service 1,929,698;
  • females fit for military service 1,910,733;
  • males reach military age (17) annually 90,409;
  • females reach military age (17) annually 87,274 (1993 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $1.2-1.4 billion; 10% of GNP in 1990 plan was for defense and internal security

Note

the breakup of the Soviet Union, the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, has resulted in substantially less outside help for Cuba's defense forces

Central Intelligence Agency. “Cuba.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cuba/1993.

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