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History |
The native Amerindian
population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the
island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a
Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African
slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations and Havana
became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain
from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule was severe and exploitative and
occasional rebellions were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention
during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish
rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which
was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led
a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime
together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was
exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and
1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic
recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies,
worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as
the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the
US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the
southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted
1,498 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2004.
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Geography |
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Location: |
Caribbean island between the
Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West,
Florida
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Geographic
coordinates: |
21 30
N, 80 00 W |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba
Local long form: Republica de Cuba
Local short form: Cuba |
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Area: |
total: 110,860 sq km
country comparison to the world: 112
land: 109,820 sq km
water: 1,040 sq km |
| 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 remains part of Cuba
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Coastline: |
3,735 km |
| Maritime
claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate:
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tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry
season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
| Terrain:
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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: 27.63%
permanent crops: 6.54%
other: 65.83% (2005) |
| 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 |
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Environment - current issues: |
air and water pollution; biodiversity loss;
deforestation |
| Geography
- note: |
largest country in Caribbean |
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| People |
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Population: |
11,451,652 (July 2009 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 1,077,745/female
1,020,393)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,035,691/female 4,030,103)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 584,478/female 703,242) (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.233% (2009 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
11.13 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009
est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009
est.) |
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Urbanization: |
urban population: 76% of total population
(2008) |
| 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: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
| Ethnic
groups: |
white 65.1%, mulatto and mestizo 24.8%,
black 10.1% (2002 census) |
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Religions: |
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to
CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and
Santeria are also represented |
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Languages: |
Spanish |
| Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and
write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2002 census) |
| People -
note: |
illicit emigration is a continuing problem;
Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade
rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also
use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to
Miami and over-land via the southwest border |
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Government |
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| Country
Name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba
local long form: Republica de Cuba
local short form: Cuba |
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Government type: |
Communist State |
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Capital: |
name: Havana
geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October |
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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 |
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Independence: |
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898;
administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban
Government as a day of independence |
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National holiday: |
Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959)
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Constitution: |
24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and
June 2002 |
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Legal system: |
based on Spanish civil law and influenced
by American legal concepts with large elements of Communist legal
theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage: |
16 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state: President of the Council of
State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
(president since 24 February 2008);
First Vice President of the Council of State
and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon
MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008); 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 Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
(president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council
of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose
Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008)
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 24 February 2008 (next to be held in 2013)election results: Gen.
Raul CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%;
Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura elected vice president; percent of
legislative vote - 100% |
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Legislative branch: |
unicameral National Assembly of People's
Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (number of seats in the
National Assembly is based on population; 614 seats; members elected
directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2013)
election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and
officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed |
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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 |
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Major Political Parties: |
Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO
Ruz, first secretary] |
| Judicial
branch: |
People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the
National Assembly) |
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International organization
participation: |
ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO,
ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation
since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina,
UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section
in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Jorge BOLANOS Suarez;
address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202)
797-8521 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none; note - the US has an Interests
Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Chief of Mission Jonathan D.
FARRAR; 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) 833-1653; protecting power in Cuba
is Switzerland |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy |
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Economic Summary: |
The government continues to
balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm
political control. It has rolled back 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. Since late 2000, Venezuela has
been providing oil on preferential terms, and it currently supplies
about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been
paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in
Venezuela including some 30,000 medical professionals. |
| GDP
(purchasing power parity): |
$108.2 billion (2008 est.) |
| GDP
(official exchange rate): |
$54.71 billion (2008 est.) |
| GDP -
real growth rate: |
4.3% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per
capita (PPP): |
$9,500 (2008 est.) |
| GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 22.8%
services: 72.8% (2008 est.) |
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Labor force : |
4.962 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2008 est.)
Labor force
agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (2005) |
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Unemployment rate:
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1.6% (2008 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $45.42 billion
expenditures: $49.96 billion (2008 est) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
3.4% (2008 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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sugar, tobacco, citrus,
coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
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Industries - Products: |
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction,
nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals |
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Oil:
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production: 61,300 bbl/day
(2008 est.)
consumption:203,500 bbl/day (2006 est.)
proved reserves: 220.8 million bbl (1 January 2008 est.)
imports: 123,200 bbl/day (2005)
exports: 0 bbl/day (2006) |
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Natural gas: |
production:
1.218 billion cu m (2007)
consumption:
1.218 billion cu m (2007 est.)
proved reserves: 70.79 billion cu
m (1 January 2008 est.) |
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Current account balance:
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$-2.691 billion (2008 est.)
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Exports: |
$3.78 billion (2008
est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee |
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Exports - partners:
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Netherlands 5%, Canada 25.3%, Spain 5.7%, China 27.9%
, Iran 4.3%(2008) |
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Imports: |
$14.5 billion (2008 est.) |
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Imports Commodities: |
petroleum, food, machinery
and equipment, chemicals |
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Imports - partners:
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Spain 10.6%, Venezuela 31.5%, US 6.6%, China 11.8%, Canada
6.7%, (2008) |
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Reserves: |
foreign exchange & gold:
$3.947 billion (2008 est.) |
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Debt - external: |
$19.58 billion (convertible
currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2008 est.) |
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Currency: |
Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar - 0.9259 (2008 est.)note: Cuba has two
currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP) and the convertible peso
(CUC); in April 2005 the official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC
to $1.08 per CUC (0.93 CUC per $1) both for individuals and enterprises;
individuals can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold or sell 25
Cuban pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP
and CUC at a 1:1 ratio. |
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Communications |
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Telephone system:
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main lines in use:
1.043 million (2007)
cellular: 331,700 (2008) |
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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; wireless service is expensive and must be paid in
convertible pesos, which effectively limits mobile cellular
subscribership
domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches
digitized by end of 2006; fixed telephone line density remains low at
less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding
but remains at only about 2 per 100 persons
international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic
Ocean region) (2007) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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58 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.cu |
| Internet
hosts: |
3,664 (2008) |
| Internet
users: |
1.31 million
note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing
the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the
Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy
illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public
outlets to access limited email and the government-controlled "intranet"
(2007) |
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Transportation |
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| Airports: |
136 (2009) Main airport: Jose Marti
International Airport, Havana |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 65
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 27 (2009) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 71
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 58 (2009) |
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Pipelines: |
gas 41 km; oil 230 km (2008) |
| Railways: |
total: 8,598 km
standard gauge: 8,322 km 1.435-m gauge (176 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 276 km 1.000-gauge
note: 4,533 km of the track is used by sugar plantations; 4,257 km is
standard gauge; 276 km is narrow gauge (2006) |
| Roadways:
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total: 60,858 km
country comparison to the world: 74
paved: 29,820 km (includes 638 km of expressway)
unpaved: 31,038 km (2000) |
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Waterways: |
240 km (2008) |
| Ports and
terminals: |
Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 11
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 3, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3,
refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 13 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 1, Netherlands
Antilles 1, Panama 10) (2008) |
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| Military |
Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER; includes Territorial
Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT)), Revolutionary
Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR; includes Marine Corps),
Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (Ejercito
Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service
obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)
Military - note:
the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban Army of its major
economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on equipment
numbers and serviceability; the army remains well trained and
professional in nature; while the lack of replacement parts for its
existing equipment and the current severe shortage of fuel have
increasingly affected operational capabilities, Cuba remains able to
offer considerable resistance to any regional power (2008) |
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest |
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National Anthem: |
Hasten to battle, men of
Bayamo,
For the homeland looks proudly to you.
You do not fear a glorious death,
Because to die for the country is to live.
To live in chains
Is to live in dishonour and ignominy.
Hear the clarion call,
Hasten, braves ones, to battle!
Al combate corred bayameses
que la patria os comtempla orgullosa
no temais una muerte gloriosa
que morir por la patria es vivir
En cadenas vivir es morir
en afrenta y oprobio sumidos
del clarin escuchad el sonido
a las armas valientes corred
"La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo
Song) was first performed in 1868 during the battle of Bayamo, and the
author of the song played a leading part in the battle. Two years later,
he was captured by the Spaniards and executed by a firing squad.
Officially adopted in 1940, the anthem was retained even after the
communist revolution in 1959. |
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National Dish: |
Platillo Moros y Cristianos (Most famous dish) |
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