Cuba

Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron will has held the country together since. Cuba's communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually, in 1990. Havana blames its difficulties on the US embargo in place since 1962.

• tropical;
• moderated by trade winds;
• dry season (November to April);
• rainy season (May to October)

• pollution of Havana Bay;
• overhunting threatens wildlife populations;
• deforestation

party to:

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified:

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation

0-14 years:

21% (male 1,221,602; female 1,157,846)

15-64 years:

69% (male 3,849,135; female 3,829,599)

65 years and over:

10% (male 503,711; female 580,104) (2000 est.)

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.87 male(s)/female

total population:

1 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Cuban(s)

adjective:

Cuban

• illicit migration is a continuing problem;
• Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas;
• some 3,800 Cubans took to the Florida Straits in 1999;
• the US Coast Guard interdicted about 40% of these migrants

conventional long form:

Republic of Cuba

conventional short form:

Cuba

local long form:

Republica de Cuba

local short form:

Cuba

• 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

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 24 February 1998 (next election unscheduled)

election results:

• Fidel CASTRO Ruz elected president;
• percent of legislative vote - 100%;
• Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president;
• percent of legislative vote - 100%

• 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) 797-8518

• none;
• note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Vicki HUDDLESTON;
• address:
  • USINT,
  • Swiss Embassy,
  • Calzada between L and M Streets,
  • 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

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

domestic:

• principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable;
• fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud;
• 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, Soviet-built);
• both analog and digital mobile cellular service established

international:

satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

total:

4,807 km

standard gauge:

4,807 km 1.435-m gauge (147 km electrified)

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

total:

60,858 km

paved:

29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)

unpaved:

31,038 km (1997 est.)

total:

15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 63,269 GRT/90,228 DWT

ships by type:

bulk 1, cargo 7, liquified gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 5 (1999 est.)

• 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);
• the Border Guard (TGF) is controlled by the Interior Ministry

males age 15-49:

3,079,352

females age 15-49:

3,022,063 (2000 est.)

males age 15-49:

1,906,172

females age 15-49:

1,865,369 (2000 est.)

males:

80,771

females:

76,819 (2000 est.)

• territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine bound for the US and Europe;
• established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]