Statistical information Cuba 1989

Cuba in the World
top of pageBackground: Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959, and his guiding vision has defined Cuba's Communist revolution while his iron will has held the country together for more than four decades. CASTRO brought Cuba onto the world stage by inviting Soviet support in the 1960s, inciting revolutionary movements throughout Latin America and Africa in the 1970s, and sending his army to fight in Angola in the 1980s. At home, Havana provided Cubans with high levels of healthcare, education, and social security while suppressing the Roman Catholic Church and arresting political dissidents.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries:
29.1 km with US Naval Base at Guantanamo
note - Guantanamo is leased and as such remains part of Cuba
Coastline: 3,735 km
Maritime claimsContinental shelf: 200 m
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
ElevationNatural resources: cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica
Land use: 23% arable land; 6% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 17% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 10% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: largest country in Caribbean; 145 km south of Florida
top of pagePopulation: 10,450,360 (July 1989), growth rate 0.9% (1989)
Nationality: noun - Cuban(s; adjective - Cuban
Ethnic groups: 51% mulatto, 37% white, 11% black, 1% Chinese
Languages: Spanish
Religions: at least 85% nominally Roman Catholic before Castro assumed power
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 17 births/1000 population (1989)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1989)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1000 population (1989)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: averages one hurricane every other year
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 16 deaths/1000 live births (1989)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 74 years female (1989)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1989)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 98.5%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
Government type: Communist state
Capital: Havana
Administrative divisions: 13 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), 1 city** (ciudad), and 1 municipality* (municipio; Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Granma, Guantanamo, La Habana**, La Habana, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara
Dependent areasIndependence: 20 May 1902 (from Spain)
National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 January (1959)
Constitution: 24 February 1976
Legal system: based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal but not compulsory over age 16
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government - President Fidel CASTRO Ruz (since 1 January 1959)
Legislative branch: Revolutionary Armed Forces (Ground Forces, Revolutionary Navy, Air and Air Defense Force), Ministry of Interior Special Troops, Border Guard Troops, Territorial Militia Troops, Youth Labor Army
Judicial branchPolitical parties and leadersInternational organization participation: CEMA, ECLA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GEPLACEA - Latin America and Caribbean Sugar Exporters Organization, IADB (nonparticipant), IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, ICO, IHO, ILO, IMO, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC - International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS (nonparticipant), PAHO, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Postal Union of the Americas and Spain, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: none; protecting power in the US is Czechoslovakia - Cuban Interests Section; Counselor Ramon SANCHEZ-PARODI; 2,630 and 2,639 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20,009; telephone (202) 797-8,518 or 8,519, 8,520, 8,609, 8,610; US - protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland - US Interests Section; Principal Officer John J. TAYLOR; Calzada entre L y M, Vedado Seccion, Havana; telephone 320,551 or 320,543
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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The economy is centrally planned and largely state owned and is highly dependent on the agricultural sector. Sugar provides about 75% of export revenues and is mostly exported to the USSR and other CEMA countries under long-term agreements. Citrus production, also aimed at the export market, had by 1987 risen nearly four-fold from its 1980 level. Over the past decade the fishing industry has expanded, reaching a record catch of 245,000 tons in 1986. Fish exports are sold in hard currency markets. Cuba has about one-tenth of the world's known nickel reserves, nickel being its second-largest export earner after sugar. In 1987 industrial sector output declined by 3.7%. Economic growth has been sluggish with overall productivity falling 3.5% in 1987. Cuba continues to have difficulty in servicing its foreign debt and since 1982 has asked Western creditors to reschedule payments on both short- and long-term loans.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: sugar, tobacco, rice, potatoes, tubers, citrus, coffee
Industries: sugar milling, petroleum refining, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, paper and wood products, metals (particularly nickel), cement, fertilizers, consumer goods, agricultural machinery
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1988)
Labor force:
3,300,000; 30%
services and government, 29%
industry, 13% agriculture, 11% commerce, 10% construction, 7% transportation and communications (1987)
Unemployment rateYouth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $11.3 billion; expenditures $11.8 billion, including capi tal expenditures of $NA (1987)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1987)
Commodities: sugar, nickel, shellfish, citrus, tobacco, coffee
Partners: USSR 72%, other Communist countries 15%
Imports: $7.6 billion (c.i.f., 1987)
Commodities: capital goods, industrial raw materials, food, petroleum
Partners: USSR 72%, other Communist countries 14% (1987)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $6.2 billion (convertible currency, March 1988 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Cuban pesos (Cu$) per US$1 - 1.0000; linked to the US$
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 3,991,000 kW capacity; 15,972 million kWh produced, 1,540 kWh per capita (1988)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaCuba - Communication 1989
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: NA
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsCuba - Transportation 1989
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 197 total, 171 usable; 69 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 240 km
Merchant marine: 89 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 679,207 GRT/976,408 DWT; includes 58 cargo, 7 refrigerated cargo, 3 cargo/training, 10 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 8 bulk; note - Cuba beneficially owns an additional 23 ships (1,000 GRT and over) totaling 199,213 DWT under the registry of Panama and Malta
Ports and terminalsCuba - Transnational issues 1989
top of pageDisputes international: US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs