2013 Edition

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 at times portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source if its difficulties. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the US's southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard interdicted 1,275 Cuban nationals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2012.

Area

110,860 sq km 109,820 sq km 1,040 sq km

total

110,860 sq km

water

1,040 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

Caribbean Sea 0 m Pico Turquino 2,005 m

highest point

Pico Turquino 2,005 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation

Environment - international agreements

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 Marine Life Conservation

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

4.42 cu km/yr (22%/14%/65%) 392.6 cu m/yr (2010)

per capita

392.6 cu m/yr (2010)

total

4.42 cu km/yr (22%/14%/65%)

Geographic coordinates

21 30 N, 80 00 W

Geography - note

largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

Irrigated land

8,703 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

29 km US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba

border countries

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km

total

29 km

Land use

32.31% 3.55% 64.15% (2011)

arable land

32.31%

other

64.15% (2011)

permanent crops

3.55%

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

12 nm 24 nm 200 nm

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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

Natural resources

cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast

Total renewable water resources

38.12 cu km (2011)

Age structure

16.6% (male 944,254/female 892,766) 13.9% (male 787,368/female 748,315) 46.9% (male 2,611,371/female 2,578,471) 10.3% (male 544,465/female 595,856) 12.3% (male 611,086/female 747,934) (2013 est.)

0-14 years

16.6% (male 944,254/female 892,766)

15-24 years

13.9% (male 787,368/female 748,315)

25-54 years

46.9% (male 2,611,371/female 2,578,471)

55-64 years

10.3% (male 544,465/female 595,856)

65 years and over

12.3% (male 611,086/female 747,934) (2013 est.)

Birth rate

9.92 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

3.4% (2000)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

74.3% (2011)

Death rate

7.58 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios

41.9 % 23 % 18.9 % 5.3 (2013)

elderly dependency ratio

18.9 %

potential support ratio

5.3 (2013)

total dependency ratio

41.9 %

youth dependency ratio

23 %

Drinking water source

urban: 96% of population rural: 89% of population total: 94% of population urban: 4% of population rural: 11% of population total: 6% of population (2010 est.)

rural

11% of population

total

6% of population (2010 est.)

urban

4% of population

Education expenditures

12.9% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

white 65.1%, mulatto and mestizo 24.8%, black 10.1% (2002 census)

Health expenditures

10% of GDP (2011)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

7,100 (2009 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

4.76 deaths/1,000 live births 5.12 deaths/1,000 live births 4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

female

4.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

total

4.76 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Spanish (official)

Life expectancy at birth

78.05 years 75.77 years 80.46 years (2013 est.)

female

80.46 years (2013 est.)

total population

78.05 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write 99.8% 99.8% 99.8% (2011 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.8% (2011 est.)

male

99.8%

total population

99.8%

Major infectious diseases

intermediate bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A dengue fever (2013)

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever (2013)

Major urban areas - population

HAVANA (capital) 2.116 million (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

73 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

Median age

39.5 years 38.6 years 40.3 years (2013 est.)

female

40.3 years (2013 est.)

male

38.6 years

total

39.5 years

Nationality

Cuban(s) Cuban

adjective

Cuban

noun

Cuban(s)

Net migration rate

-3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.5% (2008)

People - note

illicit emigration 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

Physicians density

6.72 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

11,061,886 (July 2013 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.13% (2013 est.)

Religions

nominally Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jewish, Santeria prior to CASTRO assuming power

Sanitation facility access

urban: 94% of population rural: 81% of population total: 91% of population urban: 6% of population rural: 19% of population total: 9% of population (2010 est.)

rural

19% of population

total

9% of population (2010 est.)

urban

6% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

15 years 15 years 16 years (2011)

female

16 years (2011)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

1.06 male(s)/female 1.06 male(s)/female 1.05 male(s)/female 1.01 male(s)/female 0.91 male(s)/female 0.82 male(s)/female 0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.91 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.82 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.46 children born/woman (2013 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

3.1% 2.8% 3.5% (2008)

female

3.5% (2008)

total

3.1%

Urbanization

75% of total population (2010) 0% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

rate of urbanization

0% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

75% of total population (2010)

Administrative divisions

15 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Artemisa, Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, La Habana, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

Capital

Havana 23 07 N, 82 21 W UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting

geographic coordinates

23 07 N, 82 21 W

name

Havana

time difference

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 February 1976, effective 24 February 1976; amended 1978, 1992, 2002 (2010)

Country name

Republic of Cuba Cuba Republica de Cuba Cuba

conventional long form

Republic of Cuba

conventional short form

Cuba

local long form

Republica de Cuba

local short form

Cuba

Diplomatic representation from the US

none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Chief of Mission John P. CAULFIELD (since September 2011); address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 839-4100; FAX: [53] (7) 839-4247; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland

none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Chief of Mission John P. CAULFIELD (since September 2011); address

USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 839-4100; FAX: [53] (7) 839-4247; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland

Diplomatic representation in the US

none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Jorge BOLANOS Suarez (since November 2007); address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521

none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Jorge BOLANOS Suarez (since November 2007); address

Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521

Executive branch

President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013) Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 28-member Council of State, elected by the assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018) Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 28-member Council of State, elected by the assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session

chief of state

President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%

elections

president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)

head of government

President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 24 February 2013)

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; the blue bands refer to the three old divisions of the island: central, occidental, and oriental; the white bands describe the purity of the independence ideal; the triangle symbolizes liberty, equality, and fraternity, while the red color stands for the blood shed in the independence struggle; the white star, called La Estrella Solitaria (the Lone Star) lights the way to freedom and was taken from the flag of Texas design similar to the Puerto Rican flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

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; the blue bands refer to the three old divisions of the island

central, occidental, and oriental; the white bands describe the purity of the independence ideal; the triangle symbolizes liberty, equality, and fraternity, while the red color stands for the blood shed in the independence struggle; the white star, called La Estrella Solitaria (the Lone Star) lights the way to freedom and was taken from the flag of Texas

Government type

Communist state

Independence

20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a day of independence

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, ALBA, AOSIS, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

People's Supreme Court (consists of court president, vice president, 41 professional justices, and NA lay judges; organized into the "Whole," State Council, and criminal, civil, administrative, labor, crimes against the state, and military courts) professional judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 2.5-year terms; lay judges nominated by workplace collectives and neighborhood associations and elected by municipal or provincial assemblies; lay judges appointed for 5-year terms and serve up to 30 days per year People's Provincial Courts; People's Regional Courts; People's Courts

highest court(s)

People's Supreme Court (consists of court president, vice president, 41 professional justices, and NA lay judges; organized into the "Whole," State Council, and criminal, civil, administrative, labor, crimes against the state, and military courts)

judge selection and term of office

professional judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 2.5-year terms; lay judges nominated by workplace collectives and neighborhood associations and elected by municipal or provincial assemblies; lay judges appointed for 5-year terms and serve up to 30 days per year

subordinate courts

People's Provincial Courts; People's Regional Courts; People's Courts

Legal system

civil law system based on Spanish civil code

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (number of seats in the National Assembly is based on population; 614 seats; members elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms) last held on 3 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018) Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed

election results

Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed

elections

last held on 3 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)

National anthem

"La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song) Pedro FIGUEREDO adopted 1940; Pedro FIGUEREDO first performed "La Bayamesa" in 1868 during the Ten Years War against the Spanish; a leading figure in the uprising, FIGUEREDO was captured in 1870 and executed by a firing squad; just prior to the fusillade he is reputed to have shouted, "Morir por la Patria es vivir" (To die for the country is to live), a line from the anthem

lyrics/music

Pedro FIGUEREDO

name

"La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song)

National holiday

Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959)

Political parties and leaders

Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Raul CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Human Rights Watch National Association of Small Farmers

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock

Budget

$47.78 billion $50.45 billion (2012 est.)

expenditures

$50.45 billion (2012 est.)

revenues

$47.78 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

$-134.4 million (2012 est.) $172.4 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$22.51 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $21.88 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Economy - overview

The government continues to balance the need for loosening its socialist economic system against a desire for firm political control. The government in April 2011 held the first Cuban Communist Party Congress in almost 13 years, during which leaders approved a plan for wide-ranging economic changes. President Raul CASTRO said such changes were needed to update the economic model to ensure the survival of socialism. The government has expanded opportunities for self-employment and has introduced limited reforms, some initially implemented in the 1990s, to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, services, and housing. 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. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms, and it currently supplies over 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela including some 30,000 medical professionals.

Exchange rates

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar - 1 (2012 est.) 0.98 (2011 est.) 0.93 (2010 est.) 0.93 (2009) 0.93 (2008)

Exports

$5.972 billion (2012 est.) $6.34 billion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

petroleum, nickel, medical products, sugar, tobacco, fish, citrus, coffee

Exports - partners

Canada 17.7%, China 16.9%, Venezuela 12.5%, Netherlands 9%, Spain 5.9% (2012)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

53.5% 35.4% 9.6% -2.5% 24.9% -20.9% (2012 est.)

exports of goods and services

24.9%

government consumption

35.4%

household consumption

53.5%

imports of goods and services

-20.9%

investment in fixed capital

9.6%

investment in inventories

-2.5%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

3.8% 22.2% 74% (2012 est.)

agriculture

3.8%

industry

22.2%

services

74% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$10,200 (2010 est.) $10,000 (2009 est.) $10,000 (2008 est.) data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.1% (2012 est.) 2.8% (2011 est.) 2.4% (2010 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$72.3 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$121 billion (2012 est.) $117.3 billion (2011 est.) $114.1 billion (2010 est.) data are in 2012 US dollars

Gross national saving

11.1% of GDP (2012 est.) 11.7% of GDP (2011 est.) 14.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

NA% NA%

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$13.72 billion (2012 est.) $14.02 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners

Venezuela 38.3%, China 10.8%, Spain 8.9%, Brazil 5.2%, US 4.3% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

6.2% (2012 est.)

Industries

petroleum, nickel/cobalt, pharmaceuticals, tobacco, construction, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, sugar

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.5% (2012 est.) 4.8% (2011 est.)

Labor force

5.227 million state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7% (2012 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

19.7% 17.1% 63.2% (2011)

agriculture

19.7%

industry

17.1%

services

63.2% (2011)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

35.8% of GDP (2012 est.) 36.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.693 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $4.393 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$36.29 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $34.77 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$4.138 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$NA

Stock of narrow money

$10.97 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $10.65 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

66.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.8% (2012 est.) 3.2% (2011 est.) these are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

28.41 million Mt (2011 est.)

Crude oil - exports

83,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

165,000 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

50,800 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

124 million bbl (1 January 2013 es)

Electricity - consumption

13.64 billion kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

99.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0.6% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.1% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5.914 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

17.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.03 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.03 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

70.79 billion cu m (1 January 2013 es)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

150,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

11,320 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

4,877 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

100,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

government owns and controls all broadcast media with private ownership of electronic media prohibited; government operates 4 national TV networks and many local TV stations; government operates 6 national radio networks, an international station, and many local radio stations; Radio-TV Marti is beamed from the US (2007)

Internet country code

.cu

Internet hosts

3,244 (2012)

Internet users

1.606 million 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" (2009)

Telephone system

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; national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches digitized by end of 2006; mobile-cellular telephone service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos, which effectively limits subscribership fixed-line density remains low at 10 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains only about 10 per 100 persons country code - 53; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) (2010)

domestic

fixed-line density remains low at 10 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains only about 10 per 100 persons

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; national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches digitized by end of 2006; mobile-cellular telephone service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos, which effectively limits subscribership

international

country code - 53; the ALBA-1 fiber-optic submarine cable links Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.217 million (2012)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.682 million (2012)

Airports

133 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

27 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

16

2,438 to 3,047 m

10

914 to 1,523 m

4

over 3,047 m

7

total

64

under 914 m

27 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

58 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

11

total

69

Merchant marine

cargo 1, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 1 5 (Curacao 1, Panama 2, unknown 2) (2010)

registered in other countries

5 (Curacao 1, Panama 2, unknown 2) (2010)

total

3

Pipelines

gas 41 km; oil 230 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

Antilla, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, Havana, Matanzas, Mariel, Nuevitas Bay, Santiago de Cuba

major seaport(s)

Antilla, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, Havana, Matanzas, Mariel, Nuevitas Bay, Santiago de Cuba

Railways

8,203 km 8,134 km 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified) 69 km 1.000-m gauge 48 km of standard gauge track is not for public use (2011)

narrow gauge

69 km 1.000-m gauge

total

8,203 km

Roadways

60,858 km 29,820 km (includes 639 km of expressways) 31,038 km (2001)

total

60,858 km

unpaved

31,038 km (2001)

Waterways

240 km (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

2,998,201 2,919,107 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

2,919,107 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,998,201

Manpower fit for military service

2,446,131 2,375,590 (2010 est.)

females age 16-49

2,375,590 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

2,446,131

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

72,823 69,108 (2010 est.)

female

69,108 (2010 est.)

male

72,823

Military - note

the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of its major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on the state of Cuban equipment; the army remains well trained and professional in nature; while the lack of replacement parts for its existing equipment has increasingly affected operational capabilities, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to any regional power (2010)

Military branches

Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER, includes Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT)); Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR, includes Marine Corps); Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT) (2013)

Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR)

Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER, includes Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT)); Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR, includes Marine Corps); Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT) (2013)

Military expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2011)

Military service age and obligation

17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2012)

Disputes - international

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility 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 (2008)

Trafficking in persons

Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; child prostitution and child sex tourism reportedly occurs in Cuba, and laws do not appear to penalize the prostitution of children between the ages of 16 and 18; allegations have been made of Cubans being subjected to forced labor, particularly with Cuban work missions abroad; the scope of trafficking within Cuba is particularly difficult to gauge due to the closed nature of the government and sparse non-governmental or independent reporting Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government has not publicized information about government measures to address human trafficking through prosecution, protection, or prevention efforts but did share information about its general approach to protection for children and youth; the government has a network of shelters for victims of domestic violence and child abuse but has not verified if trafficking victims receive care in those centers (2013)

current situation

Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; child prostitution and child sex tourism reportedly occurs in Cuba, and laws do not appear to penalize the prostitution of children between the ages of 16 and 18; allegations have been made of Cubans being subjected to forced labor, particularly with Cuban work missions abroad; the scope of trafficking within Cuba is particularly difficult to gauge due to the closed nature of the government and sparse non-governmental or independent reporting

tier rating

Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government has not publicized information about government measures to address human trafficking through prosecution, protection, or prevention efforts but did share information about its general approach to protection for children and youth; the government has a network of shelters for victims of domestic violence and child abuse but has not verified if trafficking victims receive care in those centers (2013)