Background: The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the arrival of Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492, as the country was developed 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 after three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba became an independent republic in 1902. Cuba then 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 handed off the presidency to his younger brother Raul CASTRO in 2008. 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 in 2018. DIAZ-CANEL was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party in 2021 after the retirement of Raul CASTRO and continues to serve as both president and first secretary. Cuba traditionally and consistently portrays the US embargo, in place since 1961, as the source of its socioeconomic difficulties. As a result of efforts begun in 2014 to reestablish diplomatic relations, the US and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries in 2015. The embargo remains in place, however, 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. In 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. Irregular Cuban maritime migration has dropped significantly since 2016, when migrant interdictions at sea topped 5,000, but land border crossings continue.

Area
Total: 110,860 km²
Land: 109,820 km²
Water: 1,040 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 28.5 km
Border countries (1): (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
Highest point: Pico Turquino 1,974 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 108 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 61.7% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 28% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 6.3% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 27.4% (2023 est.)
Forest: 34.9% (2023 est.)
Other: 3.5% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 8,700 km² (2012)

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
Total: 10,966,038 (2024 est.)
Male: 5,441,507
Female: 5,524,531
Distribution: large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana
Growth rate: -0.17% (2024 est.)

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.

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 918,066/female 866,578)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 3,670,531/female 3,623,658)
65 years and over: 17.2% (2024 est.) (male 852,910/female 1,034,295)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 49.6 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 23 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 26.5 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.8 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 42.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 41 years
Female: 44.4 years

Population growth rate: -0.17% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 9.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 9.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 77.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 2.149 million HAVANA (capital) (2023)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 35 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 77.8 years
Female: 82.6 years

Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 4.5% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 8.2% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 5.3% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 1.6% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 4.3% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 2.2% of population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 2.4% (2019 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 1.6% (2024 est.); 1.8% (2023 est.); 1.9% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
Name: Havana
Geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W
Time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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: Spanish soldier Diego VELAZQUEZ named the city San Cristobal de la Habana, or Saint Christopher of the Habana; 'Habana' may have been the name of a local ethnic group, but the meaning of the word is unknown

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 (Havana), Las Tunas, Matanzas, Mayabeque, Pinar del Río, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

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

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (since 19 April 2018)
Head of government: Prime Minister Manuel MARRERO Cruz (since 21 December 2019)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president and appointed by the National Assembly
Election/appointment process: president and vice president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
Most recent election date: 19 April 2023
2023: Miguel DIAZ-CANEL Bermudez (PCC) reelected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 97.7%; Salvador Antonio VALDES Mesa (PCC) reelected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 93.4%
2018: 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%
Expected date of next election: 2,028

Legislative branch
Legislature name: National Assembly of the People's Power (Asamblea nacional del Poder popular)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 470 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: other systems
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 5 years
Most recent election date: 3/26/2023
Percentage of women in chamber: 55.7%
Expected date of next election: March 2,028
Note: 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

Flag description: five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the left side has a five-pointed white star in the center

National anthem
Title: 'La Bayamesa' (The Bayamo Song)
Lyrics/music: Pedro FIGUEREDO
History: adopted 1940; Pedro FIGUEREDO first performed it 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 before being shot, he is said to have shouted, 'Morir por la Patria es vivir' (To die for the country is to live), a line from the anthem

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 9 (7 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: -1.9% (2023 est.); 1.8% (2022 est.); 1.3% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: -1.9% (2023 est.); 1.8% (2022 est.); 1.3% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 73.3% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 25.5% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 12.3% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 10% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.5% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -64.6% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.3% (2023 est.)
Industry: 27.5% (2023 est.)
Services: 70% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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

Industrial production growth rate: -0.9% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 4.859 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 1.6% (2024 est.); 1.8% (2023 est.); 1.9% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 1.6% (2024 est.); 1.8% (2023 est.); 1.9% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $54.52 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $64.64 billion (2017 est.)

Exports: $8.768 billion (2020 est.); $12.632 billion (2019 est.); $14.53 billion (2018 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: tobacco, nickel, liquor, zinc ore, precious metal ore (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $8.067 billion (2020 est.); $10.971 billion (2019 est.); $12.567 billion (2018 est.)
Note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: beer, poultry, rice, plastic products, soybean oil (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 7.264 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 11.951 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 3.352 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 95.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 1.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 2.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Consumption: 1,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 25 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 8,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 34,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 118,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 124 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 850.133 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 850.133 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 70.792 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 19.716 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 16,000 metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 18.12 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 1.58 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 26.07 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1.589 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 7.67 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 68 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 71% (2023 est.)
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'; issues relating to COVID-19 impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be different than published numbers suggest

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 327,000 (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (2020 est.); 3.2% of GDP (2019 est.); 2.9% of GDP (2018 est.); 2.9% of GDP (2017 est.); 3.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

Airports: 120 (2025)

Heliports: 4 (2025)

Railways
Total: 8,367 km (2017)
Standard gauge: 8,195 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge
Note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use

Merchant marine
Total: 65 (2023)
By type: general cargo 13, oil tanker 10, other 42