Academia El Mundo Hispano / Spanish World
Academy
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Cuba |
Introduction |
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Background: |
Fidel
CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule 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 in 1990,
following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6
billion annually. Havana portrays its difficulties as the result of the US
embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade
rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some
3,000 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2000; the US Coast Guard
interdicted only about 35% of these.
Habana |
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Cuba |
Geography |
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Location: |
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Florida |
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Geographic coordinates: |
21 30 N, 80 00 W |
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Map references: |
Central America and the Caribbean |
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Area: |
total: 110,860 sq km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 29 km |
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Coastline: |
3,735 km |
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Maritime claims: |
exclusive
economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate: |
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
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Terrain: |
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest
point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m |
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Natural resources: |
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
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Land use: |
arable
land: 24% |
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Irrigated land: |
9,100 sq km (1993 est.) |
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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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Environment - current issues: |
pollution of Havana Bay; overhunting threatens wildlife populations; deforestation |
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Environment - international agreements: |
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 |
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Geography - note: |
largest
country in Caribbean
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Cuba |
People |
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Population: |
11,184,023 (July 2001 est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14
years:
20.99% (male 1,205,159; female 1,142,070) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.37% (2001 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
12.36 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Death rate: |
7.33 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-1.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.06
male(s)/female |
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Infant mortality rate: |
7.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population:
76.41 years |
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Total fertility rate: |
1.6 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.03% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
1,950 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
120 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Cuban(s) |
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Ethnic groups: |
mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
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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 |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and
write |
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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; some 3,000 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2000;
the US Coast Guard interdicted about 35% of these migrants; Cubans also use
non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 2,400 Cubans arrived overland via
the southwest border and direct flights to Miami
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Cuba |
Government |
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Country name: |
conventional
long form:
Republic of Cuba |
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Government type: |
Communist state |
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Capital: |
Havana |
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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) |
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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 |
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Constitution: |
24 February 1976, amended July 1992 |
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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; universal |
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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 |
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Legislative branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular
(601 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy
commissions; members serve five-year terms) |
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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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Political parties and leaders: |
only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
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International organization participation: |
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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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) 797-8518 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
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 (operator assistance required); FAX: 33-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland |
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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; design influenced by the US flag
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Cuba |
Economy |
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Economy - overview: |
The government, the primary player in the economy, has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase enterprise efficiency, and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services, but prioritizing of political control makes extensive reforms unlikely. Living standards for the average Cuban, without access to dollars, remain at a depressed level compared with 1990. The liberalized farmers' markets introduced in 1994, sell above-quota production at market prices, expand legal consumption alternatives, and reduce black market prices. Income taxes and increased regulations introduced since 1996 have sharply reduced the number of legally self-employed from a high of 208,000 in January 1996. Havana announced in 1995 that GDP declined by 35% during 1989-93 as a result of lost Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The slide in GDP came to a halt in 1994 when Cuba reported growth in GDP of 0.7%. Cuba reported that GDP increased by 2.5% in 1995 and 7.8% in 1996, before slowing down in 1997 and 1998 to 2.5% and 1.2% respectively. Growth recovered with a 6.2% increase in GDP in 1999 and a 5.6% increase in 2000. Much of Cuba's recovery can be attributed to tourism revenues and foreign investment. Growth in 2001 should continue at the same level as the government balances the need for economic loosening against its concern for firm political control. |
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $19.2 billion (2000 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
5.6% (2000 est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 7% |
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Population below poverty line: |
NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest
10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
0.3% (1999 est.) |
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Labor force: |
4.3
million (2000 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture 25%, industry 24%, services 51% (1998) |
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Unemployment rate: |
5.5% (2000 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $13.5 billion |
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Industries: |
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
5% (2000 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
14.358 billion kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 94.2%
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Electricity - consumption: |
13.353 billion kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
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Agriculture - products: |
sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
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Exports: |
$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee |
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Exports - partners: |
Russia 23%, Netherlands 23%, Canada 13% (1999) |
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Imports: |
$3.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment, consumer goods |
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Imports - partners: |
Spain 18%, Venezuela 13%, Canada 8% (1999) |
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Debt - external: |
$11.1 billion (convertible currency, 1999); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$68.2 million (1997 est.) |
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Currency: |
Cuban peso (CUP) |
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Currency code: |
CUP |
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Exchange rates: |
Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible, official rate, for international transactions, pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 1.00 US dollar per 22 pesos by the Government of Cuba (January 2001) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar
year
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Cuba |
Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
473,031 (2000) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
2,994 (1997) |
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Telephone system: |
general
assessment:
NA |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) |
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Radios: |
3.9 million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
58 (1997) |
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Televisions: |
2.64 million (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.cu |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
4 (2001) |
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Internet users: |
60,000
(2000)
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Cuba |
Transportation |
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Railways: |
total: 11,969 km |
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Highways: |
total: 60,858 km |
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Waterways: |
240 km |
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Ports and harbors: |
Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 54,821 GRT/78,062 DWT |
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Airports: |
171 (2000 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 77 |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 94
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Cuba |
Military |
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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); the Border Guard (TGF) is controlled by the Interior Ministry |
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Military manpower - military age: |
17 years of age |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males
age 15-49:
3,090,633 |
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Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males
age 15-49:
1,911,160 |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 79,562 |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
roughly 4% (FY95 est.) |
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Military - note: |
Moscow,
for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost
all military aid by 1993
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Cuba |
Transnational Issues |
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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 |
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Illicit drugs: |
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
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