* βeta
Cuba
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 eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from the US in 1902 after which the island experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He stepped down as president in February 2008 in favor of his younger brother Raul CASTRO. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country faced a severe economic downturn 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 2,656 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2007.
Location :
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Geographic Coordinates Center :
21 30 N, 80 00 W (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | -84.96 |
| North | 23.23 |
| East | -74.13 |
| South | 19.83 |
Map references :
America
Area :
| total | 110 860 | square km |
| land | 109 820 | square km |
| water | 1 040 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 29 | km |
| US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay | 29 | km |
Coastline :
3735.00 km
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 | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 2 005 | metres |
Natural resources :
| arable land | chromium |
| cobalt | copper |
| iron ore | nickel |
| petroleum | salt |
| silica | timber |
Land use :
| arable land | 27.63 | % |
| permanent crops | 6.54 | % |
| other | 65.83 | % |
Irrigated land :
8 700 square km
Total renewable water resources :
38 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| droughts | hurricanes |
current issues :
air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
international agreements :
| Antarctic Treaty | Biodiversity |
| Climate Change | Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| Desertification | Endangered Species |
| Environmental Modification | Hazardous Wastes |
| Law of the Sea | Marine Dumping |
| Marine Life Conservation | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Wetlands |
Population :
11 451 652
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 0.23 | % |
| Birth rate | 11.13 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 1.61 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 7.24 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -1.56 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 18.30 | % |
| 15-64 years | 70.40 | % |
| 65 years and over | 11.20 | % |
Median age :
| total | 37.30 | years |
| male | 36.60 | years |
| female | 38.00 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.06 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.06 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 1.00 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.83 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.99 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 5.82 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 77.45 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 75.19 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 79.85 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.10 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 6 200 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 100 |
Languages :
| Spanish |
Literacy :
| total population | 99.80 | % |
| male | 99.80 | % |
| female | 99.80 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Republic of Cuba |
| conventional short form | Cuba |
| local long form | Republica de Cuba |
| local short form | Cuba |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | CU |
| ISO Numeric | 192 |
| ISO3 | CUB |
| FIPS | CU |
| ccTLD | cu |
| English | Cuba |
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
Capital :
| name | Havana |
| geographic coordinates | 23 07 N, 82 21 W |
| time difference | -5.00 |
| daylight saving time | 1 |
International organization participation :
| ACP | AOSIS |
| FAO | G-77 |
| IAEA | ICAO |
| ICC | ICRM |
| IFAD | IFRCS |
| IHO | ILO |
| IMO | IMSO |
| IOC | IOM (observer) |
| IPU | ISO |
| ITSO | ITU |
| Interpol | LAES |
| LAIA | NAM |
| OPANAL | OPCW |
| PCA | PetroCaribe |
| RG | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNIDO | UNITAR |
| UNWTO | UPU |
| Union Latina | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO |
Independence :
1902-05-20
National holiday :
Triumph of the Revolution
1959-01-01
Executive branch :
| President Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 110 800 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 55 430 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 1.00 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 9 700 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 4.30 | % |
| industry | 20.90 | % |
| services | 74.80 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 20.00 | % |
| industry | 19.40 | % |
| services | 60.60 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 4 968 000 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 1.60 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 4.30 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 9.80 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | - 1 180 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 3 547 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 19 440 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 4 138 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 3.80 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 34.80 | % of GDP |
Budget :
| revenues | 39 110 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 42 580 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| beans | citrus |
| coffee | livestock |
| potatoes | rice |
| sugar | tobacco |
Industries :
| agricultural machinery | cement |
| construction | nickel |
| petroleum | pharmaceuticals |
| steel | sugar |
| tobacco |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 16 890 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 13 930 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Production | 52 630 | bbl/day |
| Oil Consumption | 176 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 104 800 | bbl/day |
| Oil Proved reserves | 124 000 000 | bbl |
| Natural gas Production | 400 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Natural gas Consumption | 400 000 000 | cubic metres |
| Electricity Exports | 70 790 000 000 | cubic metres |
Value :
3 253 000 000 $
Partners :
| Canada (ca) | 27.80 | % |
| China (cn) | 26.70 | % |
| Spain (es) | 6.20 | % |
| Netherlands (nl) | 5.60 | % |
Commodities :
| citrus | coffee |
| fish | medical products |
| nickel | sugar |
| tobacco |
Value :
10 860 000 000 $
Partners :
| Venezuela (ve) | 29.80 | % |
| China (cn) | 11.80 | % |
| Spain (es) | 10.00 | % |
| Canada (ca) | 6.40 | % |
| United States (us) | 6.30 | % |
| Brazil (br) | 4.60 | % |
Commodities :
| chemicals | food |
| machinery and equipment | petroleum |
Currency-code :
CUP
Currency-name :
Cuban peso
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 1 104 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 331 700 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 55 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 58 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | cu | |
| Internet Hosts | 3 637 | |
| Internet Users | 1 450 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 65 | |
| Pipelines - gas | 41 | km |
| Pipelines - oil | 230 | km |
| Roadways - total | 60 858 | km |
| Roadways - expressways | 638 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 29 820 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 31 038 | km |
| Railways | 8 598 | km |
| Waterways | 240 | km |
Flag
| Photos provided by
are under the copyright of their owners
|