Cuba

§1. Cuba Introduction

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.

§2. Cuba Geography

Location:
  Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean,
  150 km south of Key West, Florida

Geographic coordinates:
  21 30 N, 80 00 W

Map references:
  Central_America_and_the_Caribbean

Area:
  total: 110,860 km²
  land: 110,860 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

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

Coastline:
  3,735 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

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)

Irrigated land:
  870 km² (1998 est.)

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

Environment - current issues:
  air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation

Environment - international 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

Geography - note:
  largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

§3. Cuba People

Population:
  11,382,820 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 19.1% (male 1,117,677/female 1,058,512)
  15-64 years: 70.3% (male 4,001,161/female 3,999,303)
  65 years and over: 10.6% (male 554,148/female 652,019) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35.9 years
  male: 35.2 years
  female: 36.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.31% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  11.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  7.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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: 0.85 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.22 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.41 years
  male: 75.11 years
  female: 79.85 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  3,300 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Cuban(s)
  adjective: Cuban

Ethnic groups:
  mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%

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

Languages:
  Spanish

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97.2%
  female: 96.9% (2003 est.)

People - note:
  illicit migration 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

§4. Cuba Government

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

Government 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:
  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

Legal system:
  based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal
  theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
  16 years of age; universal

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 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)

Political parties and leaders:
  only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first
  secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by
  Principal Officer Bernardo GUANCHE
  Hernandez; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th
    Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1]
  (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed
  by Principal Officer Michael E. PARMLY;
  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) 833-3700; protecting
    power in Cuba is Switzerland

Flag description:
  five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating
  with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a
  white, five-pointed star in the center

§5. Cuba Economy

Economy - 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $37.24 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $3,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 5.5%
  industry: 26.1%
  services: 68.4% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  4.6 million
  note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 21.2%, industry 14.4%, services 64.4% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
  1.9% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.2% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  9.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $22.11 billion
  expenditures: $23.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005
    est.)

Agriculture - products:
  sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock

Industries:
  sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement,
  agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:
  3.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  15.65 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
  13.27 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  72,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  205,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  532 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  704 million m³ (2004)

Natural gas - consumption:
  704 million m³ (2004)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2004)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2004)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  70.79 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-748 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $2.388 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee

Exports - partners:
  Netherlands 22.7%, Canada 20.6%, China 7.7%, Russia 7.5%, Spain 6.4%,
  Venezuela 4.4% (2004)

Imports:
  $6.916 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners:
  Spain 14.7%, Venezuela 13.5%, US 11%, China 8.9%, Canada 6.4%, Italy 6.2%,
  Mexico 4.9% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $2.518 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $13.1 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia
  (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $68.2 million (1997 est.)

Currency (code):
  Cuban peso (CUP) and Convertible peso (CUC)

Exchange rates:
  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 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.

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Cuba Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  768,200 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  75,800 (2004)

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 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)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  58 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .cu

Internet hosts:
  1,918 (2005)

Internet users:
  150,000
  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"
    (2005)

§7. Cuba Transportation

Airports:
  170 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 78
  over 3,047 m: 7
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 18
  914 to 1,523 m: 7
  under 914 m: 37 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 92
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 29
  under 914 m: 62 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 4,226 km
  standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
  note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about
    65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 60,858 km
  paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)
  unpaved: 31,038 km (1999)

Waterways:
  240 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  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 (The Bahamas 1, Cyprus 3, Netherlands
    Antilles 1, Panama 8, Spain 1, unknown 3) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas

§8. Cuba Military

Military branches:
  Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary
    Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia
    Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT)

Military service age and obligation:
  17 years of age; both sexes are eligible for military service (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 17-49: 2,967,865
  females age 17-49: 2,913,559 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 17-49: 2,441,927
  females age 17-49: 2,396,741 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 91,901
  females: 87,500 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $694 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.8% (2005 est.)

Military - note:
  Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut
  off almost all military aid by 1993

§9. Cuba Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement
  or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease

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


<Factbook 2006>
