World Facts Index > Cuba > Havana, Varadero
 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, marked initially by neglect, became
increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and occasional
rebellions that 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 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 is now slowly recovering from a severe economic downturn 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.
The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,864 individuals attempting to cross the Straits
of Florida in fiscal year 2006.
Geography of Cuba
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, island between
the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key
West, Florida |
|
Coordinates:
|
21 30 N, 80 00 W |
|
Area:
|
total: 110,860 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than
Pennsylvania |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 29 km
border countries: 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:
|
exclusive 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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
cobalt, nickel, iron ore,
copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
|
Natural hazards:
|
the east coast is subject
to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages
about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
air and water pollution;
biodiversity loss; deforestation |
|
Geography - note:
|
largest country in
Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
|
Population of Cuba
|
Population:
|
11,423,952 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 19.1% (male 1,117,677/female 1,058,512)
15-64 years: 70.3% (male 4,001,161/female 3,999,303)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 554,148/female 652,019) |
|
Median age:
|
35.9 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
0.31% |
|
Infant mortality:
|
6.22 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 77.41 years
male: 75.11 years
female: 79.85 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.66 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese
1% |
|
Religions:
|
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to
CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also
represented |
|
Languages:
|
Spanish |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97.2%
female: 96.9% |
|
People - note:
|
illicit migration 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 over-land via the southwest border
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Cuba
local long form: Republica de 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 Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president
since 24 February 2008); First Vice President of the Council of State and First
Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura
(since 24 February 2008); 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 Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (president since 24 February 2008);
First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the
Council of Ministers Gen. Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura (since 24 February 2008)
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 24 February 2008 (next to be held in
2013) |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea
Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats, elected directly from slates approved by special
candidacy commissions; members serve five-year terms) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) |
Economy
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against
a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms
undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate
serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's
standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the
1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies.
Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing oil on preferential terms, and
it currently supplies about 100,000 barrels per day of petroleum products.
Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban
personnel in Venezuela, including some 20,000 medical professionals. In 2007,
high metals prices continued to boost Cuban earnings from nickel and cobalt
production. Havana continued to invest in the country's energy sector to
mitigate electrical blackouts that had plagued the country since 2004.
|
GDP:
|
$125.5 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
8% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$11,000 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 26.1%
services: 68.4% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
7% |
|
Labor force:
|
4.6 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 21.2%
industry: 14.4%
services: 64.4% |
|
Unemployment:
|
1.9% |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $22.11 billion
expenditures: $23.65 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 93.9%
hydro: 0.6%
other: 5.4%
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
|
sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction,
nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals |
|
Agriculture:
|
sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice,
potatoes, beans; livestock |
|
Exports:
|
sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical
products, citrus, coffee |
|
Export partners:
|
Netherlands 24.5%, Canada 20%, China 9.3%, Spain 6.4%,
Venezuela 4.9% |
|
Imports:
|
petroleum, food, machinery and equipment,
chemicals |
|
Import partners:
|
China 13.4%, Venezuela 13%, Spain 12.6%, US 7.7%, Canada
7.4%, Germany 5.9%, Italy 5.1%, Mexico 4.5% |
|
Currency:
|
Cuban peso (CUP) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |