Statistical information Cuba 2016

Cuba in the World

Cuba - Introduction 2016

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 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.
The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4-6 billion annually. Cuba at times portrays the US embargo in place since 1961 as the source of its difficulties. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts alien smugglers air flights or via the US's southern border - is a continuing problem. In FY 2014 the US Coast Guard interdicted 2,111 Cuban nationals at sea the highest number since FY 2008. Also in FY 2014 24,289 Cuban migrants presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US. As a result of efforts begun in December 2014 by President OBAMA to re-establishment diplomatic relations with the Cuban government which were severed in January 1961 the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries on 20 July 2015. Over the past decade there has been growing communication with the Cuban Government to address national interests.

Cuba - Geography 2016

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

Geographic coordinates: 21 30 N 80 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 110,860 km²
Land: 109,820 km²
Water: 1040 km²
Rank: 106
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 28.5 km
Border countries: (1) US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 28.5 km
Note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba

Coastline: 3,735 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 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

Elevation
Mean elevation: 108 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m: highest point: Pico Turquino 1974 m

Natural resources: cobalt nickel iron ore chromium copper salt timber silica petroleum arable land

Land use

Land use
Agricultural land: 60.3%

arable land: 33.8%
permanent crops: 3.6%
permanent pasture: 22.9%

Forest: 27.3%
Other: 12.4%

Irrigated land: 8,700 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles

Cuba - People 2016

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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: 11,179,995 (July 2016 est.)
Rank: 79
Growth rate: -0.3% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 220
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Cuban
Adjective: Cuban

Ethnic groups: white 64.1% mestizo 26.6% black 9.3% (2012 est.)

Languages: Spanish (official)

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.7%
15-24 years: 12.44%
25-54 years: 44.95%
55-64 years: 11.27%
65 years and over: 14.64% (2016 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 43.4%
Youth dependency ratio: 23.4%
Elderly dependency ratio: 20%
Potential support ratio: 5%

Median age
Total: 41.1 years
Male: 40 years
Female: 42.2 years
Rank: 41

Population growth rate: -0.3% (2016 est.)
Rank: 220

Birth rate: 10.8 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 183

Death rate: 8.6 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 75

Net migration rate: -5.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 196

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 77.1% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.07% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: HAVANA (capital) 2.137 million (2015)

Environment
Current issues: air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4.5 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 181

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.7 years
Male: 76.4 years
Female: 81.1 years
Rank: 55

Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 172

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 74.3% (2010/11)

Drinking water source:

urban: 96.4% of population
rural: 89.8% of population
total: 94.9% of population
urban: 3.6% of population
rural: 10.2% of population
total: 5.1% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 6.72 physicians/1000 population (2010)

Hospital bed density: 5.3 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access:

urban: 94.4% of population
rural: 89.1% of population
total: 93.2% of population
urban: 5.6% of population
rural: 10.9% of population
total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.31% (2015 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 94
People living with hivaids: 21,900 (2015 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 82
Deaths: 200 (2015 est.)
Deaths rank: 126

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever
Note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country ; it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex via blood transfusion or during pregnancy in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 27.2% (2014)
Rank: 85

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 12.8% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 2

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.8%
Male: 99.9%
Female: 99.8%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years

Youth unemployment

Cuba - Government 2016

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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
Conventional short form: Cuba
Local long form: Republica de Cuba
Local short form: Cuba
Etymology: name derives from the Taino Indian designation for the island 'coabana' meaning 'great place'

Government type: communist state

Capital
Name: Havana
Geographic coordinates: 23 07 N 82 21 W
Time difference: UTC-5
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

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

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Triumph of the Revolution (Liberation Day) 1 January (1959)

Constitution: several previous; latest adopted by referendum 15 February 1976 effective 24 February 1976; amended 1978 1992 2002 (2016)

Legal system: civil law system based on Spanish civil code

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz ; 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 chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz ; 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)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State appointed by the National Assembly or the 28-member Council of State and elected by the assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session
Electionsappointments: president and vice presidents indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term ; election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Election results: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; Miguel DIAZ-CANEL (PCC) Bermudez elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote- 100%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular ; note - the National Candidature Commission submits a slate of approved candidates who must obtain 50-percent of valid votes to be elected; if not a byelection may be held or the seat remains vacant
Elections: last held on 3 February 2013
Election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed

Judicial branch
Highest court: People's Supreme Court ; 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 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

Political parties and leaders: Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Raul CASTRO Ruz first secretary]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Ramon CABANAS Rodriguez
In the us chancery: 2,630 16th Street NW Washington DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] 797-8,518
In the us FAX: NA
In the us consulate general: NA
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Jeffrey DELAURENTIS (since 20 July 2015)
From the us embassy: Calzada between L & M Streets Vedado Havana
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [53] 839-4,100
From the us FAX: NA

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

National symbols: royal palm; national colors: red white blue

National anthem
Name: 'La Bayamesa'
Lyrics and music: Pedro FIGUEREDO
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' a line from the anthem

National heritage

Cuba - Economy 2016

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Economy 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. Approximately 476,000 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 late 2000 Venezuela has provided petroleum products to Cuba on preferential terms supplying nearly 100,000 barrels per day. Cuba has been paying for the oil in part with the services of Cuban personnel in Venezuela including some 30,000 medical professionals.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:

$128.5 billion (2014 est.)
$126.9 billion (2013 est.)
$123.5 billion (2012 est.)

Note: data are in 2012 US dollars
Rank: 79

Real gdp growth rate:

1.3% (2014 est.)
2.7% (2013 est.)
3% (2012 est.)

Rank: 154

Real gdp per capita:

$10,200 (2010 est.)
$10,000 (2009 est.)
$10,000 (2008 est.)

Note: data are in 2010 US dollars
Rank: 137

Gross national saving:

6% of GDP (2015 est.)
12.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
13.3% of GDP (2013 est.)

Rank: 164

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 58.3%
Government consumption: 36.9%
Investment in fixed capital: 9.3%
Investment in inventories: -6.4%
Exports of goods and services: 21.1%
Imports of goods and services: -19.2%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 24.6%
Services: 71.5%

Agriculture products: sugar tobacco citrus coffee rice potatoes beans; livestock

Industries: petroleum nickel cobalt pharmaceuticals tobacco construction steel cement agricultural machinery sugar

Industrial production growth rate: 9.8% (2015 est.)
Rank: 11

Labor force: 5.111 million
Note: state sector 72.3% non-state sector 27.7%
Rank: 79
By occupation agriculture: 18%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 72%

Labor force

Unemployment rate:

2.4% (2015 est.)
2.7% (2014 est.)

Note: these are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double the official figures
Rank: 16

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $49.8 billion
Expenditures: $53.93 billion
Surplus or deficit: -5.4% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 173

Taxes and other revenues: 64.5% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 6

Public debt:

34.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
32.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

Rank: 129

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

4.6% (2015 est.)
5.3% (2014 est.)

Rank: 169

Central bank discount rate: NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA%

Stock of narrow money:

$18.91 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$16.87 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 68

Stock of broad money:

$24.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$24.08 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Rank: 81

Stock of domestic credit: $N/A

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

-$145.7 million (2015 est.)
$1.996 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 74

Exports:

$3.903 billion (2015 est.)
$5.149 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 116
Commodities: petroleum nickel medical products sugar tobacco fish citrus coffee
Partners: Canada 17.7% Venezuela 13.8% China 13% Netherlands 6.4% Spain 5.4% Belize 4.7% (2015)

Imports:

$13.48 billion (2015 est.)
$13.1 billion (2014 est.)

Rank: 87
Commodities: petroleum food machinery and equipment chemicals
Partners: Venezuela 31.8% China 17.6% Spain 10% Brazil 4.8% (2015)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$12.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$11.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 73

Debt external:

$26 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$25.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Rank: 79

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $4.138 billion (2006 est.)
Rank: 71

Exchange rates:

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar -
18.43 (2015 est.)
1 (2014 est.)
22.7 (2013 est.)
1 (2012 est.)
0.9847 (2011 est.)

Cuba - Energy 2016

Cuba - Communication 2016

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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1,295,857
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 12
Fixed lines rank: 67
Mobile cellular total: 3.335 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30
Mobile cellular rank: 144

Telephone system
General assessment: fixed-line and mobile services still under the monopoly of state-run ETESCA; mobile-cellular telephone service is expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos; Cuban Government has opened Internet cafes around the island which are expensive and offer slow-speed connections
Domestic: fixed-line density remains low at about 10 per 100 inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains only about 30 per 100 persons
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 (2015)

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
Users total: 3.432 million
Users percent of population: 31.1%
Users 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'
Users rank: 85

Broadband fixed subscriptions

Cuba - Military 2016

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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

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)

Space program

Terrorist groups

Cuba - Transportation 2016

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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 18
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,294,458
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 20,919,645 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: CU (2016)

Airports: 133 (2013)
Rank: 43
With paved runways total: 64
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 27
With unpaved runways total: 69
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 58

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 41 km; oil 230 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 8,285 km
Standard gauge: 8,125 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 160 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: 82 km of standard gauge track is not for public use
Rank: 25

Roadways
Total: 60,858 km
Paved: 29,820 km
Unpaved: 31,038 km
Rank: 68

Waterways: 240 km (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers) (2011)
Rank: 94

Merchant marine
Total: 3
By type: cargo 1 passenger 1 refrigerated cargo 1
Registered in other countries: 5 (2010)
Rank: 135

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Antilla Cienfuegos Guantanamo Havana Matanzas Mariel Nuevitas Bay Santiago de Cuba

Cuba - Transnational issues 2016

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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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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)