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Background: 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, marked initially by neglect, became increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and occasional rebellions that 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 2,712 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2005.
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Common Name: Cuba
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Local Official Name: Cuba
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Cuba
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Official Name: Republica de Cuba
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Official Script Name: Cuba
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Local Common Name: Cuba
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Former Name: Cuba
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Fidel CASTRO Ruz
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Government Type: Communist state
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Independence: 1902 May 20 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
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Constitution: 1976 February 24, amended July 1992 and June 2002
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 10 December
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International Organization Participation: ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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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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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: 16 years of age years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: 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)
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 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%
Legislative Branch:
unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609
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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Party Leaders: only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
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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
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Illicit Drugs: territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999
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Location of Cuba: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
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Continent: North America
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Land Area Total: 110,860 sq km
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Region: Caribbean |
Land Area Land: 110,860 sq km
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Capitol City: Havana
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Land Area Water: 0 sq km
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Current: -5
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Latitude: 021 30 N
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Border Boundary Land: 29 km
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Longitude: 080 00 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 3,735 km
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Arable Land: 27.63 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 6.54 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 2,005 m
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Location: Pico Turquino
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Caribbean Sea
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Largest City in Cuba: Havana
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Havana Largest City Population: 2,242,000
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Threatened Species: 225
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Environmental Issues: air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
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Environmental Agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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Irrigated Land: 8,700
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Bordering Countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba
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Natural Resources: cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
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Geographical Terrain: mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
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Comparative Area of Cuba: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
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Cuba's Geography: largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Cuba.
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General Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
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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
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Economic Overview: The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government in 2005 strengthened its controls over dollars coming into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. External financing has helped growth in the mining, oil, construction, and tourism sectors.
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GDP: $40,060,000,000 USD
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Currency: Cuban peso
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GDP per Capita: $3,500 USD
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Currency Code: CUP
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GDP Growth Rate: 8.00 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% CUP
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Currency Exchange Rate History: Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93
note: Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the official exchang
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GDP of Agriculture: 5.50 %
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GDP of Industry: 26.10 %
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GDP of Services: 68.40 % |
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Inflation Rate: 7.00 % |
Population in Poverty: 0.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 1.90 %
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Tourism: 1,561,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $2,110,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 0.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $23,650,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 15,650,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 13,270,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 94.63%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 0.40%
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Other Electricity Production: 4.97%
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Oil Production: 72,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 704,000,000 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 205,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 704,000,000 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 532,000,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 70,790,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $12,560,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $68,200,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
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Primary Industries: sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
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Industrial Growth Rate: 5.10 %
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Import Amount in USD: $6,916,000,000 USD - petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
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Import Partners: China 14.9%, Spain 13.9%, Canada 8.6%, US 8.5%, Germany 7.4%, Italy 5.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Japan 4.1%
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Export Amount in USD: $2,388,000,000 USD - sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
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Export Partners: Netherlands 25.4%, Canada 20.7%, China 9.8%, Spain 6.8%
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GINI Index: 0.00%
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Labor Force Number of People: 4,600,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture: 21.2%, industry: 14.4%, services: 64.4%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 225 |
Number of People with Radios: 3,900,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 58 |
Number of People with Televisions: 2,640,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 849,900 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 134,500 |
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Internet Service Providers: 2,234 |
Internet Users: 190,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .cu |
Newspapers: 0 |
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Two Letter Country Code: CU |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 53 |
Electricity Voltage: 110/220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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 remains restricted to foreigners and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally with the help of foreigners
domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2004; telephone line density remains low, at 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding
international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
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Highways: 29,820 km |
Railways: 4,226 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 279 km |
Waterways: 240 km
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Airports: 78 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 0 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 25,113,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 2.30 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,932 GRT/48,791 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1)
registered in other countries: 17 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1, unknown 1)
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Ports and Harbors: Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas
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Population: 11,382,820 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 11.89 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 102.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 7.22 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 0.31% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 1.66 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 1,117,677 |
Population Female 0-14: 1,058,512 |
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Population Male 15-64: 4,001,161 |
Population Female 15-64: 3,999,303 |
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Population Male 65+: 554,148 |
Population Female 65+: 652,019 |
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Population 0-14: 19.10% |
Literacy Rate: 97.00% |
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Population 15-64: 70.30% |
Literacy rate of Males: 97.20% |
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Population 65+: 10.60% |
Literacy rate of Females: 96.90% |
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Population that is Male: 49.50
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Population that is Female: 50.40% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 77.41 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 6.22 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 75.11 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 79.85 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.00%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 3,300
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 0 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -1.57
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Nationality: CUBAN
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Ethnic Groups: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
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Primary Language: Spanish
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Other Languages: Spanish
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
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Branches: Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (EJT)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 17 years
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Manpower Available: 5,881,424 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 4,838,668 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 179,401 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 1.80
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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