2021 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 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 Spain in 1898 and, following three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba became an independent republic 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 authoritarian 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. Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez, hand-picked by Raul CASTRO to succeed him, was approved as president by the National Assembly and took office on 19 April 2018. DIAZ-CANEL was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party on 19 April 2021 following the resignation of Raul CASTRO. The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4-6 billion annually. Cuba traditionally and consistently portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source of its difficulties. As a result of efforts begun in December 2014 to re-establish diplomatic relations with the Cuban Government, which were severed in January 1961, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries in July 2015. The embargo remains in place, and the relationship between the US and Cuba remains tense.  Illicit migration of Cuban nationals to the US via maritime and overland routes has been a longstanding challenge. On 12 January 2017, the US and Cuba signed a Joint Statement ending the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy – by which Cuban nationals who reached US soil were permitted to stay. Illicit Cuban migration by sea has since dropped significantly, but land border crossings continue. In FY 2018, the US Coast Guard interdicted 312 Cuban nationals at sea. Also in FY 2018, 7,249 Cuban migrants presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US.

Area

land

109,820 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

highest point

Pico Turquino 1,974 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

108 m

Geographic coordinates

21 30 N, 80 00 W

Geography - note

largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

Irrigated land

8,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km

note

note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba

total

28.5 km

Land use

agricultural land

60.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 33.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 22.9% (2018 est.)

forest

27.3% (2018 est.)

other

12.4% (2018 est.)

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

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

Population distribution

large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

16.34% (male 929,927/female 877,035)

15-24 years

11.81% (male 678,253/female 627,384)

25-54 years

41.95% (male 2,335,680/female 2,303,793)

55-64 years

14.11% (male 760,165/female 799,734)

65 years and over

15.8% (male 794,743/female 952,348) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

10.25 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

2.4% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

69% (2019)

Current Health Expenditure

11.2% (2018)

Death rate

9.22 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

23.3

potential support ratio

4.3 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

46.7

youth dependency ratio

23.3

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 94.5% of population

improved: total

total: 97.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 5.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 2.6% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.8% of population

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

White 64.1%, Mulatto or mixed 26.6%, Black 9.3% (2012 est.)

note

note: data represent racial self-identification from Cuba's 2012 national census

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.4% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

33,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

5.3 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

4.72 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.19 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s)

La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

81.92 years (2021 est.)

male

77.04 years

total population

79.41 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.8% (2015)

male

99.9%

total population

99.8%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever

Major urban areas - population

2.143 million HAVANA (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

36 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

43.8 years (2020 est.)

male

40.2 years

total

42.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Cuban

noun

Cuban(s)

Net migration rate

-3.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.6% (2016)

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 overland via the southwest border; the number of Cubans migrating to the US surged after the announcement of normalization of US-Cuban relations in late December 2014 but has decreased since the end of the so-called "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy on 12 January 2017

Physicians density

8.42 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

11,032,343 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana

Population growth rate

-0.23% (2021 est.)

Religions

Christian 58.9%, folk religion 17.6%, Buddhist <1%, Hindu <1%, Jewish <1%, Muslim <1%, other <1%, none 23.2% (2020 est.)

note

note: folk religions include religions of African origin, spiritualism, and others intermingled with Catholicism or Protestantism; data is estimative because no authoritative source on religious affiliation exists in Cuba

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 94.8% of population

improved: total

total: 95.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 5.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 4.2% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.9% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2020)

male

14 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.08 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.83 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.71 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

77.3% of total population (2021)

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

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

etymology

the sites of Spanish colonial cities often retained their original Taino names; Habana, the Spanish name for the city, may be based on the name of a local Taino chief, HABAGUANEX

geographic coordinates

23 07 N, 82 21 W

name

Havana

time difference

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

unknown

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly of People’s Power; passage requires approval of at least two-thirds majority of the National Assembly membership; amendments to constitutional articles on the authorities of the National Assembly, Council of State, or any rights and duties in the constitution also require approval in a referendum; constitutional articles on the Cuban political, social, and economic system cannot be amended

history

several previous; latest drafted 14 July 2018, approved by the National Assembly 22 December 2018, approved by referendum 24 February 2019

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Cuba

conventional short form

Cuba

etymology

name derives from the Taino Indian designation for the island "coabana" meaning "great place"

local long form

Republica de Cuba

local short form

Cuba

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Timothy ZUNIGA-BROWN (since 31 July 2020)

email address and website

acshavana@state.govhttps://cu.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Calzada between L & M Streets, Vedado, Havana

FAX

[53] (7) 839-4247

mailing address

3200 Havana Place, Washington DC  20521-3200

telephone

[53] (7) 839-4100

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lianys TORRES RIVERA (since 14 January 2021)

email address and website

recepcion@usadc.embacuba.cuhttp://misiones.minrex.gob.cu/en/usa

FAX

[1] (202) 797-8521

telephone

[1] (202) 797-8515 through 8518

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers proposed by the president and appointed by the National Assembly; it is subordinate to the 21-member Council of State, which is elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session

chief of state

President Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 10 October 2019); Vice President Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (since 10 October 2019); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (PCC) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.8%; Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (PCC) elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 98.1%

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (may be reelected for another 5-year term); election last held on 10 October 2019 (next to be held in 2024)

head of government

Prime Minister Manuel MARRERO Cruz (since 21 December 2019); Deputy Prime Ministers Ramiro VALDES Menendez, Roberto MORALES Ojeda, Ines Maria CHAPMAN Waugh, Jorge Luis TAPIA Fonseca, Alejandro GIL Fernandez, Ricardo CABRISAS Ruiz (since 21 December 2019)

note

note - on 19 April 2018, DIAZ-CANEL succeeded Raul CASTRO as president of the Council of State; on 10 October 2019 he was elected to the newly created position of President of the Republic, which replaced the position of President of the Council of State

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

note

note: design similar to the Puerto Rican flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed

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, EAEU (observer), 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, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest courts

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

judge selection and term of office

professional judges elected by the National Assembly are not subject to a specific term; 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

description

unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asamblea Nacional del Poder Popular (605 seats; (586 seats filled in 2021); members directly elected by absolute majority vote; members serve 5-year terms); note 1 - the National Candidature Commission submits a slate of approved candidates; to be elected, candidates must receive more than 50% of valid votes otherwise the seat remains vacant or the Council of State can declare another election; note 2 - in July 2019, the National Assembly passed a law which reduces the number of members from 605 to 474, effective with the 2023 general election

election results

Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party, and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed; composition (as of June 2021) - men 273, women 313, percent of women 53.4%

elections

last held on 11 March 2018 (next to be held in early 2023)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Pedro FIGUEREDO

name

"La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song)

note

note: 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

National holiday

Triumph of the Revolution (Liberation Day), 1 January (1959)

National symbol(s)

royal palm; national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties and leaders

Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Raul CASTRO Ruz]

Suffrage

16 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugar cane, cassava, vegetables, plantains, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, milk, pumpkins, mangoes/guavas, rice

Budget

expenditures

64.64 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

54.52 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-10.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

Caa2 (2014)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

$2.008 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

$985.4 million (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$29.89 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$30.06 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

The government continues to balance the need for loosening its socialist economic system against a desire for firm political control. In April 2011, the government held the first Cuban Communist Party Congress in almost 13 years, during which leaders approved a plan for wide-ranging economic changes. Since then, the government has slowly and incrementally implemented limited economic reforms, including allowing Cubans to buy electronic appliances and cell phones, stay in hotels, and buy and sell used cars. The government has cut state sector jobs as part of the reform process, and it has opened up some retail services to "self-employment," leading to the rise of so-called "cuentapropistas" or entrepreneurs. More than 500,000 Cuban workers are currently registered as self-employed. The Cuban regime has updated its economic model to include permitting the private ownership and sale of real estate and new vehicles, allowing private farmers to sell agricultural goods directly to hotels, allowing the creation of non-agricultural cooperatives, adopting a new foreign investment law, and launching a "Special Development Zone" around the Mariel port. Since 2016, Cuba has attributed slowed economic growth in part to problems with petroleum product deliveries from Venezuela. Since late 2000, Venezuela provided petroleum products to Cuba on preferential terms, supplying at times nearly 100,000 barrels per day. Cuba paid for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela, including some 30,000 medical professionals.

Exchange rates

currency

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

22.7 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

1 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

1 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

1 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

1 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2016

$2.546 billion (2016 est.)

Exports 2017

$2.63 billion (2017 est.)

Exports - commodities

cigars, raw sugar, nickel products, rum, zinc (2019)

Exports - partners

China 38%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

14.6% (2017 est.)

government consumption

31.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

57% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-12.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

9.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4% (2017 est.)

industry

22.7% (2017 est.)

services

73.4% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$93.79 billion (2017 est.)

note

note: data are in Cuban Pesos at 1 CUP = 1 US$; official exchange rate

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2016

$10.28 billion (2016 est.)

Imports 2017

$11.06 billion (2017 est.)

Imports - commodities

poultry meat, wheat, soybean products, corn, concentrated milk (2019)

Imports - partners

Spain 19%, China 15%, Italy 6%, Canada 5%, Russia 5%, United States 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-1.2% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

4.5% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

5.5% (2017 est.)

Labor force

4.691 million (2017 est.)

note

note: state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7%

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

18%

industry

10%

services

72% (2016 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA

Public debt

Public debt 2016

42.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

47.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2016 US dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$134.2 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$134.8 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$137 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

4.4% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

0.5% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

1.6% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2016 US dollars

Real GDP per capita 2014

$12,100 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$12,200 (2015 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2016

$12,300 (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$12.3 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$11.35 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

58.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

note

note: data are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double

Unemployment rate 2016

2.4% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

2.6% (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

112,400 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

50,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

124 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

16.16 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

91% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

6.998 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

19.28 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

1.189 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.189 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

70.79 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

175,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

24,190 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

52,750 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

104,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2.05 (2020 est.)

total

231,654 (2020)

Broadcast media

government owns and controls all broadcast media: five national TV channels (Cubavision, Tele Rebelde, Multivision, Educational Channel 1 and 2), two international channels (Cubavision Internacional and Caribe), 16 regional TV stations, 6 national radio networks, and multiple regional stations; the Cuban Government beams over the Radio-TV Marti signal; although private ownership of electronic media is prohibited, several online independent news sites exist; those that are not openly critical of the government are often tolerated; the others are blocked by the government; there are no independent TV channels, but several outlets have created strong audiovisual content (El Toque, for example); a community of young Youtubers is also growing, mostly with channels about sports, technology and fashion; Christian denominations are creating original video content to distribute via social media (2019)

Internet country code

.cu

Internet users

note

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"

percent of population

67.97% (2019 est.)

total

7.7 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line density remains low at about 13 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service is expanding to about 53 per 100 persons (2019)

general assessment

Internet availability has increased substantially over the past few years, but only about 64 percent of Cubans have Internet access, and even fewer Cubans--about 60 percent of the population--have access to cell phone service; in 2021 the Cuban Government passed a decree that strengthened its authority to censor Internet and telephonic communications; state control of the telecom sector hinders development; Cuba has the lowest mobile phone and Internet penetration rates in the region; fixed-line density is also very low; thaw of US-Cuba relations encouraged access to services, such as Wi-Fi hotspots; access to sites is controlled and censored; DSL and Internet are available in Havana, though costs are too high for most Cubans; international investment and agreement to improve Internet access through cost-free and direct connection between networks (2021)

international

country code - 53; the ALBA-1, GTMO-1, and GTMO-PR fiber-optic submarine cables link Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

13.26 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

1,502,230 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

58.82 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

6,661,763 (2020)

Airports

total

133 (2017)

Airports - with paved runways

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 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

11

total

69

under 914 m

58 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

CU

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 12, oil tanker 7, other 40 (2021)

total

59

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

17.76 million mt-km (2018)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

560,754 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

18

number of registered air carriers

4 (2020)

Pipelines

41 km gas, 230 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

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

Railways

narrow gauge

172 km 1.000-m gauge (2017)

note

note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use

standard gauge

8,195 km 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified) (2017)

total

8,125 km (2017)

Roadways

paved

20,000 km (2001)

total

71,140 km (2015)

unpaved

40,000 km (2001)

Waterways

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

Military - note

the FAR has a large role in the Cuban economy through several military owned and operated conglomerates, including such sectors as banking, hotels, industry, retail, and tourism (2021)

Military and security forces

Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR): Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR, includes Marine Corps), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces (Defensas Anti-Aereas y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria, DAAFAR); Paramilitary forces: Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT), Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales, MTT), Civil Defense Force; Ministry of Interior: Border Guards, State Security (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

limited available information; estimated 50,000 active personnel (approximately 40,000 Army; 3,000 Navy; 8,000 Air Force) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the Cuban military inventory is comprised of ageing Russian and Soviet-era equipment; the last recorded arms delivery to Cuba was by Russia in 2004; in 2019, Russia approved a loan for approximately $43-50 million for Cuba's purchase of spare parts and armored vehicles (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

3.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Military Expenditures 2017

2.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

Military Expenditures 2018

2.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

3.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

4.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service obligation for males, optional for females (2021)

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

Cuba is not a major consumer, producer, or transit point of illicit drugs; strict policing on smuggling, production and consumption; prescription drug abuse is increasing

Trafficking in persons

current situation

human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Cuba and Cubans abroad; individuals are forced or coerced into participating and threatened to stay in labor export programs, most notably foreign medical missions; sex trafficking and sex tourism occur within Cuba; traffickers exploit Cubans in sex trafficking and forced labor in South America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the US; foreigners from Africa and Asia are subject to sex trafficking and forced labor in Cuba to pay off travel debts; the government uses high school students in some rural areas to harvest crops without pay, claiming that the work is voluntary

tier rating

Tier 3 — Cuba does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government made some efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict sex traffickers and sex tourists and identified and provided assistance to some victims; however, no efforts were made to address forced labor; there was a government policy or pattern to profit from labor export programs with strong indications of forced labor, particularly in foreign medical missions; authorities did not protect potential trafficking victims, leaving them at risk of being detained or charged for crimes their traffickers forced them to commit (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

28.28 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

9.3 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

18.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)

Environment - current issues

soil degradation and desertification (brought on by poor farming techniques and natural disasters) are the main environmental problems; biodiversity loss; deforestation; air and water pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

Land use

agricultural land

60.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 33.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 22.9% (2018 est.)

forest

27.3% (2018 est.)

other

12.4% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.06% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

38.12 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

4.519 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

740 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

1.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

77.3% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

2,692,692 tons (2007 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

255,536 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

9.5% (2015 est.)