Cuba

Republic of CubaRepublica de Cuba

Communist stateIndependence 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898

Cuba as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 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

Position21 30 N, 80 00 W

Area110,860 sq km

LocationCaribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North

Populationas each edition published it

11 million July 1997 est. · 10.62m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.42% 1997 est. · 1% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 34.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 76.72 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.54 children per woman 1997 est. · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 12 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,480 1996 est. · $1,370 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

7.8% 1996 est. · -15% in 1993

Geography

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

18 fields

Land useshare of 110,860 sq km

arable land 24%permanent crops 7%permanent pastures 27%forests and woodland 24%other 18% (1993 est.)irrigated 9,100 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

110,860sq km

land: 110,860 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmslightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Coastline

3,735km

exclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Highest point

2,005m

Pico Turquinolowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Land boundaries

29km

border countries: 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

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

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

Environment - current issues

pollution of Havana Bay;
overhunting threatens wildlife populations;
deforestation

Environment - 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

10,999,041

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 0.42% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

13.21Death

7.42Net migration

-1.54

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1997 est.)

72.83 · 77.71

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)95.7%

96.2% · 95.3%

MaleFemaleLife expectancy total population : 75.2 years · Literacy definition : age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 22% (male 1,255,844; female 1,190,860)
15-64 years:: 69% (male 3,770,154; female 3,753,094)
65 years and over:: 9% (male 483,858; female 545,231) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over : 0.89 male(s)/female
total population:: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate

8.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Cuban(s)
adjective:: Cuban

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 85% prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented

Government

Communist 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

18 fields

Country name

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

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); Liberation Day, 1 January (1959)

Legal system

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

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, appointed by the National Assembly

note: there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly

elections:: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 15 March 1993 (next to be held NA)
election results :: Fidel CASTRO Ruz elected president;
percent of legislative vote - NA;
Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president;
percent of legislative vote - NA

unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (589 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)

elections:: last held 24 February 1993 (next to be held NA 1998)
election results:: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo Popular), president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly

Political parties and leaders

only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]

International organization participation

CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, 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, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

none;
note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Fernando REMIREZ DE ESTENOZ;
address:
- Cuban Interests Section,
- Swiss Embassy,
- 2630 16th Street NW,
- Washington,
- DC 20009
;
telephone: [1] (202) 797-8609, 8610, and 8615

Diplomatic representation from the US

none;
note - the US does have an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Michael G. KOZAK;
address:
- USINT,
- Swiss Embassy,
- Calzada between L and M,
- Vedado Seccion,
- Havana
;
telephone: 33-3551 through 3559 and 33-3543 through 3547 (operator assistance required);
FAX: 33-3700;
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

Economy

The state plays the primary role in the economy | and controls practically all foreign trade.

22 fields

Real growth rate

7.8%

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 6% (1995 est.)

Labor force

4.71million

economically active population (1989); 3,527,000 employed in state civilian sector (1989)by occupation: services and government 30%, industry 22%, agriculture 20%, commerce 11%, construction 10%, transportation and communications 7% (June 1990)

Debt - external

$10.5billion

(convertible currency, 1996); another $20 billion owed to Russia (1996)

GDP - composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 7%industry 31%services 62% (1996 est.)

Economy - overview

The state plays the primary role in the economy and controls practically all foreign trade. The government has undertaken several reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase labor incentives, and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The liberalized agricultural markets introduced in October 1994, at which state and private farmers sell above-quota production at unrestricted prices, have broadened legal consumption alternatives and reduced black market prices.

Government efforts to lower subsidies to unprofitable enterprises and to shrink the money supply caused the peso's black market value to move from a peak of 120 to the dollar in the summer of 1994 to a low of 18-20 to the dollar in late September before climbing to 20-21 at the end of 1996.

New taxes helped drive down the number of legally registered self-employed workers from 208,000 in January 1996 to 180,000 by December. Havana announced in 1995 that GDP declined by 35% during 1989-1993, the result of lost Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The drop in GDP apparently halted in 1994, when Cuba reported a 0.7% growth.

Government officials claimed that GDP increased by 2.5% in 1995 and 7.8% in 1996. Export earnings rose an estimated 40% in 1996 to $2.1 billion, largely on the strength of increased sugar shipments to Russia and higher nickel production through a joint venture with a Canadian firm.

With the economic recovery, imports rose for the second straight year, growing by an estimated 26% to $3.5 billion. Living standards for the average Cuban, however, have not improved significantly.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $16.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,480 (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

revenues:: $NA
expenditures:: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

4.082 million kW (1995)

Electricity - production

11.189 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

822 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes and other tubers, beans; livestock

Exports

total value:: $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities:: sugar, nickel, tobacco, shellfish, medical products, citrus, coffee
partners :: Canada 23%, Russia 21% China 7% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value:: $3.5 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
commodities :: petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals
partners:: Russia 14%, Spain 13%, Mexico 11% (1996 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

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

Communications

6 fields

Fixed lines

229,000

Telephone system

among the world's least developed telephone systems

domestic:: NA
international:: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 150, FM 5, shortwave 1

Radios

2.14 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

Televisions

2.5 million (1993 est.)

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

under 914 m

over 3,047 m : 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 10

Networkskm

Railways

4,677Waterways

240

Railways: standard gauge: 4,677 km 1.435-m gauge (132 km electrified) note: a large amount of track is in private use by sugar plantations

Railways

total:: 4,677 km
standard gauge:: 4,677 km 1.435-m gauge (132 km electrified)

note: a large amount of track is in private use by sugar plantations

Highways

total :: 27,100 km
paved:: 15,122 km
unpaved:: 11,978 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors

Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba

Merchant marine

total :: 22 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 113,092 GRT/162,029 DWT
ships by type:: cargo 11, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 6

note: Cuba owns an additional 38 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 548,170 DWT operating under the registries of Panama, Cyprus, Malta, Belize, and Mauritius (1996 est.)

Airports

162 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 32 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m : 31 (1996 est.)

Military

8 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

roughly · (1995 est.)

Military branches

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