1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Climate
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline
3,735 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment-current issues
pollution of Havana Bay; overhunting threatens wildlife populations; deforestation
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 signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Geographic coordinates
21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography-note
largest country in Caribbean
Irrigated land
9,100 sq km (1993 est.)
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 thus remains part of Cuba
Land use
arable land: 24% permanent crops: 7% permanent pastures: 27% forests and woodland: 24% other: 18% (1993 est.)
Location
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, south of Florida
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Natural resources
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum
Terrain
mostly flat to rolling plains with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 22% (male 1,247,339; female 1,182,612) 15-64 years: 69% (male 3,795,310; female 3,777,454) 65 years and over: 9% (male 490,883; female 557,131) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
13.13 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
7.35 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Infant mortality rate
7.89 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
Spanish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.64 years male: 73.29 years female: 78.13 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 95.7% male: 96.2% female: 95.3% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Net migration rate
-1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
11,050,729 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
0.42% (1998 est.)
Religions
nominally Roman Catholic 85% prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
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: 0.88 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.57 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
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
Constitution
24 February 1976
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba
Data code
CU
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, appointed by the National Assembly note: there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 24 February 1998 (next to be held NA) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote-NA; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote-NA
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
Government type
Communist state
Independence
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
International organization participation
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO 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 Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note-the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Michael G. KOZAK; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado Seccion, Havana; telephone: 33-3551 through 3559 and 33-3543 through 3547 (operator assistance required); FAX: 33-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
Judicial branch
People's Supreme Court (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]
Legal system
based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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) elections: last held 11 January 1998 (next to be held NA 2003) election results: percent of vote-NA; seats-PCC 601
National capital
Havana
National holiday
Rebellion Day, 26 July (1953); Liberation Day, 1 January (1959)
Suffrage
16 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
sugarcane, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes and other tubers, beans; livestock
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
1 Cuban peso (Cu$) = 100 centavos
Debt-external
$10.5 billion (convertible currency, 1996); another $20 billion owed to Russia (1996)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $46 million (1997 est.)
Economy-overview
The state plays the primary role in the economy and controls practically all foreign trade. The government has undertaken several reforms in recent years to stem excess liquidity, increase labor incentives, and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The liberalized agricultural markets introduced in October 1994, at which state and private farmers sell above-quota production at unrestricted prices, have broadened legal consumption alternatives and reduced black market prices. Government efforts to lower subsidies to unprofitable enterprises and to shrink the money supply caused the semi-official exchange rate for the Cuban peso to move from a peak of 120 to the dollar in the summer of 1994 to 23 to the dollar by yearend 1997. New taxes introduced in 1996 helped drive down the number of self-employed workers from 208,000 in January 1996 to 176,000 by September 1997. Havana announced in 1995 that GDP declined by 35% during 1989-93, the result of lost Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The drop in GDP apparently halted in 1994, when Cuba reported 0.7% growth, followed by increases of 2.5% in 1995 and 7.8% in 1996. Growth slowed again in 1997, to 2.5%, in part due to a poor sugar harvest. Export earnings declined 3% in 1997, to $1.9 billion, the result of lower sugar export volume and lower world prices for nickel and sugar. Imports remained unchanged in 1997 at $3.2 billion. Tourism plays a key role in foreign currency earnings. The disparity between those at the top of the ladder and those at the bottom has increased markedly in the past 10 years. Living standards for the average Cuban remain at a depressed level compared with 1990.
Electricity-capacity
3.988 million kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
924 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
10.105 billion kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
Cuban pesos (Cu$) per US$1-1.0000 (non-convertible, official rate, linked to the US dollar)
Exports
total value: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: sugar, nickel, tobacco, shellfish, medical products, citrus, coffee partners: Russia 18%, Netherlands 14% Canada 13% (1997 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$16.9 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 7.6% industry: 34.8% services: 57.6% (1996 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$1,540 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
2.5% (1997 est.)
Imports
total value: $3.2 billion (c.i.f., 1997 est.) commodities: petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals partners: Spain 14%, Russia 12%, Mexico 9% (1997 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
6% (1995 est.)
Industries
sugar, petroleum, food, tobacco, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals (particularly nickel), cement, fertilizers, consumer goods, agricultural machinery
Inflation rate-consumer price index
NA%
Labor force
total: 4.5 million economically active population (1996 est.) by occupation: services and government 30%, industry 22%, agriculture 20%, commerce 11%, construction 10%, transportation and communications 7% (June 1990) note: state sector 76%, non-state sector 24% (1996 est.)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 150, FM 5, shortwave 1
Radios
2.14 million (1993 est.)
Telephone system
among the world's least developed telephone systems domestic: NA international: satellite earth station-1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones
229,000
Television broadcast stations
58
Televisions
2.5 million (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate
8% (1996 est.)
Transportation
Airports
171 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 77 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 36 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 94 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 61 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 27,700 km paved: 15,484 km unpaved: 12,216 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 17 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 91,981 GRT/126,416 DWT ships by type: cargo 9, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 6 note: Cuba owns an additional 41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 463,155 DWT operating under the registries of Panama, Cyprus, Malta, and Belize (1997 est.)
Railways
total: 4,677 km standard gauge: 4,677 km 1.435-m gauge (132 km electrified) note: a large amount of track is in private use by sugar plantations
Waterways
240 km Ports and harbors: Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Military and Security
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), which is controlled by the Interior Ministry
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$NA
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
roughly 4% (1995 est.)
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 3,060,954 females age 15-49: 3,010,932 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 1,898,351 females: 1,861,976 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-military age
17 years of age
Military manpower-reaching military age annually
males: 67,200 females: 63,716 (1998 est.)
Military-note
Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
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
territory serves as lesser transshipment zone for cocaine bound for the US