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 was severe and exploitative and occasional rebellions were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution with Soviet support was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s 1970s and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts alien smugglers air flights or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2003; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals.

Geographic coordinates: 21 30 N 80 00 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 110,860 km²
Land: 110,860 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 29 km
Border countries: (1) US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km
Note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba

Coastline: 3,735 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 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
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 33.05%
Permanent crops: 7.6%
Other: 59.35% (2001)

Irrigated land: 870 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 11,308,764 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.34% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: NA

Nationality
Noun: Cuban
Adjective: Cuban

Ethnic groups: mulatto 51% white 37% black 11% Chinese 1%

Languages: Spanish

Religions: nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants Jehovah's Witnesses Jews and Santeria are also represented

Age structure
0-14 years: 20% (male 1,163,741; female 1,102,391)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 3,949,197; female 3,948,196)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male 528,162; female 617,077) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 34.8 years
Male: 34.2 years
Female: 35.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.34% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 12.18 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 7.17 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.45 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 7.25 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.6 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.04 years
Male: 74.77 years
Female: 79.44 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 3,300 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 97.2%
Female: 96.9% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
Conventional short form: Cuba
Local long form: Republica de Cuba
Local short form: Cuba

Government type: Communist state

Capital: Havana

Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (provincias singular - provincia) and 1 special municipality* (municipio especial); Camaguey Ciego de Avila Cienfuegos Ciudad de La Habana Granma Guantanamo Holguin Isla de la Juventud* La Habana Las Tunas Matanzas Pinar del Rio Sancti Spiritus Santiago de Cuba Villa Clara

Independence: 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)

National holiday: Independence Day 10 December (1898); note - 10 December 1898 is the date of independence from Spain 20 May 1902 is the date of independence from US administration; Rebellion Day 26 July (1953)

Constitution: 24 February 1976 amended July 1992 and June 2002

Legal system: based on Spanish and American law with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session
Elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008)
Election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in NA 2008)
Election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609

Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president vice president and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz first secretary]

International organization participation: ACP FAO G-77 IAEA ICAO ICC ICRM IFAD IFRCS IHO ILO IMO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) ISO ITU LAES LAIA NAM OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962) OPANAL OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera; address: Cuban Interests Section Swiss Embassy 2,630 16th Street NW Washington DC 20,009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8,518
From the us: none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; address: USINT Swiss Embassy Calzada between L and M Streets Vedado Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3,551 through 3,559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3,700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland

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; design influenced by the US flag

Economy overview: The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food consumer goods and services. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the depression of the 1990s which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government reluctantly allows a large dollar market sector fueled by tourism and remittances from Cubans abroad.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.5%
Industry: 26.9%
Services: 67.6% (2003 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2003 est.)

Labor force
Note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2003 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 24%
By occupation industry: 25%
By occupation services: 51% (1999)

Unemployment rate: 2.6% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA

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

Budget
Revenues: $17.21 billion
Expenditures: $18.28 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.1% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $-273 million (2003)

Exports: $1.467 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: sugar nickel tobacco fish medical products citrus coffee
Partners: Netherlands 21.8% Canada 16.2% Russia 10.7% Spain 8.7% China 7.3% (2003)

Imports: $4.531 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: petroleum food machinery and equipment chemicals
Partners: Spain 16.6% Venezuela 12.5% Italy 8.6% US 8.5% China 7.7% Canada 5.4% Mexico 5.3% France 4.9% (2003)

Debt external: $12.52 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible official rate for international transactions pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 27 pesos per US dollar by the Government of Cuba (2002)

Electricity
Production: 14.38 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 13.38 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 600 million m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 600 million m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 42.62 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 574,400 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 17,900 (2002)

Telephone system
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; cellular service, initially restricted, was opened to public access in 2003
Domestic: national fiber-optic system scheduled to be completed by end of 2003; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2002 with entire system by end 2003; telephone line density remains low; cellular service expanding
International: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Internet
Country code: .cu
Hosts: 1529 (2003)
Users: 120,000 (2001)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $572.3 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 1.8% (2003)

Airports: 170 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 79
With paved runways over 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 20
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6
With paved runways under 914 m: 37 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 91
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 29
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 4,226 km
Standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 km electrified)
Note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2003)

Waterways: 240 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT
By type: bulk 3, cargo 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2
Registered in other countries: 35 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease

Illicit drugs: territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999