Cuba

Republic of CubaRepublica de Cuba

Communist stateIndependence 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898

Cuba as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 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 sq km

LocationCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North

Populationas each edition published it

10.94 million July 1995 est. · 10.62m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.65% 1995 est. · 1% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 34.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

77.05 years 1995 est. · 76.72 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.63 children per woman 1995 est. · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 12 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,260 1994 est. · $1,370 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

0.4% 1994 est. · -15% in 1993

Geography

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North | Atlantic Ocean, south of Florida

14 fields

Land useshare of 110,860 sq km

arable land 23%permanent crops 6%meadows and pastures 23%forest and woodland 17%other 31%irrigated 8,960 sq km (1989)

Area

110,860sq km

land area: 110,860 sq kmcomparative 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 Bay 29 kmnote: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba

Location

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Florida

International disputes

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 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

current issues:: pollution of Havana Bay;
overhunting threatens wildlife populations;
deforestation
natural hazards:: the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
international agreements:: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution;
signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Marine Life Conservation

People

15 fields

Population

10,937,635

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.65% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

14.54Death

6.53Net migration

-1.55

Ethnic divisions

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

Literacy

age · -49 and over can read and write (1981)total population: 98%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 22% (female 1,191,320; male 1,256,928)
15-64 years:: 68% (female 3,732,434; male 3,751,464)
65 years and over:: 10% (female 528,104; male 477,385) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

8.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 77.05 years
male:: 74.86 years
female:: 79.37 years (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Cuban(s)
adjective:: Cuban

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 85% prior to Castro assuming power

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

Digraph

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

Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953)

Constitution

24 February 1976

Legal system

based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; proposed by the president of the Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly

Legislative branch

unicameral

National Assembly of People's Power:: (Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular) elections last held February 1993 (next to be held NA);
seats - 589 total, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo Popular)

Political parties and leaders

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

Member of

CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), 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) represented by the Cuban Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Washington, DC
chancery:: 2630 and 2639 16th Street NW, Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:: [1] (202) 797-8609, 8610, 8615

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Principal Officer Joseph G. SULLIVAN

US Interests Section

USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada Entre L Y M, Vedado Seccion, Havana

mailing address:: use street address
telephone:: 33-3551 through 3559, 33-3543 through 3547, 33-3700 (operator assistance required)

FAX

Telex 512206 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

Cuba's heavily statist economy remains severely depressed as | the result of its own inefficiencies and the loss of massive amounts | of economic aid from the former Soviet Bloc.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$1,260

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

0.4%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate NA%

External debt

$10.8billion

(convertible currency, December 1993)

Budget

Revenues

$9.3 billionExpenditures

$12.5 billion (1994 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 3,990,000 kW

Electricity production

12 billionElectricity consumption per capita

1,022 (1993)

Overview

Cuba's heavily statist economy remains severely depressed as the result of its own inefficiencies and the loss of massive amounts of economic aid from the former Soviet Bloc. Total output in 1994 was only about half the output of 1989. The fall in output and in imports is reflected in the deterioration of food supplies, shortages of electricity, inability to get spare parts, and the replacement of motor-driven vehicles by bicycles and draft animals.

Higher world market prices for sugar and nickel in 1994, however, resulted in a slight increase in export earnings for the first time in six years, despite lower production of both commodities. The growth of tourism slowed in late 1994 as a result of negative publicity surrounding the exodus of Cubans from the island and other international factors.

The government continued its aggressive search for foreign investment and announced preliminary agreements to form large joint ventures with Mexican investors in telecommunications and oil refining. In mid-1994, the National Assembly began introducing several new taxes and price increases to stem growing excess liquidity and restore some of the peso's value as a monetary instrument.

In October the government attempted to stimulate food production by permitting the sale of any surplus production (over state quotas) at unrestricted prices at designated markets. Similar but much smaller markets were also introduced for the sale of manufactured goods in December.

The various government measures have influenced a remarkable appreciation of the black market value of the peso, from more than 100 pesos to the dollar in September 1994 to 40 pesos to the dollar in early 1995. Policy discussions continue in the bureaucracy over the proper pace and scope of economic reform.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $14 billion (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities:: sugar, nickel, shellfish, tobacco, medical products, citrus, coffee
partners:: Russia 15%, Canada 9%, China 8%, Egypt 6%, Spain 5%, Japan 4%, Morocco 4% (1994 est.)

Imports

$1.7 billion (c.i.f., 1994 est.)

commodities:: petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals
partners:: Spain 17%, Mexico 10%, France 8%, China 8%, Venezuela 7%, Italy 4%, Canada 3%, (1994 est.)

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

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 persistent shortages of fuels and parts

Economic aid

recipient: 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 (non-convertible, official rate, linked to the US dollar)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 181 in all

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

106

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

26,477Railroads

12,623Inland waterways

240

Highways: paved: 14,477 km · unpaved: gravel or earth 12,000 km (1989) · Railroads: standard gauge: 4,881 km 1.435-m gauge (151.7 km electrified) · other: 7,742 km 0.914- and 1.435-m gauge for sugar plantation lines

Railroads

total:: 12,623 km
standard gauge:: 4,881 km 1.435-m gauge (151.7 km electrified)
other:: 7,742 km 0.914- and 1.435-m gauge for sugar plantation lines

Highways

total:: 26,477 km
paved:: 14,477 km
unpaved:: gravel or earth 12,000 km (1989)

Ports

Cienfuegos, La Habana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba

Merchant marine

total:: 48 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 278,103 GRT/396,138 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 1, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 4, oil tanker 10, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 9

note: Cuba beneficially owns an additional 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 215,703 DWT under the registry of Panama, Cyprus, Malta, and Mauritius

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

229,000 telephones;
20.7 telephones/1,000 persons;
among the world's least developed telephone systems

local:: NA
intercity:: NA
international:: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio

broadcast stations:: AM 150, FM 5, shortwave 0
radios:: 2.14 million

Television

broadcast stations:: 58
televisions:: 1.53 million

Defense Forces

4 fields

Branches

Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) includes ground forces, Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), and Youth Labor Army (EJT); Interior Ministry Border Guards (TGF),