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:
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 last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
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); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a
day of independence
National holiday:
Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959)
Constitution:
24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Legal system:
based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts
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 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 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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National
Assembly for a five-year term; election last held on 24 February
2008 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz elected president; percent of
legislative vote - 100%; Jose Ramon MACHADO Ventura elected vice
president; percent of legislative vote - 100%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional
del Poder Popular (number of seats in the National Assembly is based
on population; 614 seats; members elected directly from slates
approved by special candidacy commissions to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 20 January 2008 (next to be held in January
2013)
election results: Cuba's Communist Party is the only legal party,
and officially sanctioned candidates run unopposed
Judicial branch:
People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice
presidents, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights Watch; National Association of Small Farmers
International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, 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, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union
Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy,
headed by Principal Officer Jorge BOLANOS Suarez; address: Cuban
Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington,
DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy,
headed by Chief of Mission Jonathan D. FARRAR; address: USINT, Swiss
Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone:
[53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX:
[53] (7) 833-1653; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
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 anthem:
name: "La Bayamesa" (The Bayamo Song)
lyrics/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 in
front of a firing squad; just prior to the fusillade he is reputed
to have shouted, "Morir por la Patria es vivir" (To die for the
country is to live), a line from the anthem
Economy ::Cuba
Economy - overview:
The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening
against a desire for firm political control. The government
announced it would eliminate 500,000 state jobs by March 2011 and
has expanded opportunities for self-employment. President CASTRO
said such changes were needed to update the economic model to ensure
the survival of socialism. 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 30,000 medical professionals.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$114.1 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$112.4 billion (2009 est.)
$110.8 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$57.49 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
1.4% (2009 est.)
4.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$9,900 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$9,800 (2009 est.)
$9,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 22.7%
services: 72.9% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
5.164 million
country comparison to the world: 72
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2010 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 20%
industry: 19.4%
services: 60.6% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
1.7% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
10.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Public debt:
34.4% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
34.7% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13
-0.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA%
Stock of narrow money:
$11.57 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 69
$11.74 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$35.92 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
$35.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA
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:
0.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Electricity - production:
16.89 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 73
Electricity - consumption:
13.93 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
48,340 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Oil - consumption:
169,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Oil - imports:
104,800 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
Oil - proved reserves:
178.9 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - production:
400 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Natural gas - consumption:
400 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Natural gas - proved reserves:
70.79 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Current account balance:
-$87 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
$539 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$3.311 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
$2.879 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners:
China 25.68%, Canada 20.31%, Spain 6.79%, Netherlands 4.53% (2009)
Imports:
$10.25 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
$8.91 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Venezuela 30.51%, China 15.48%, Spain 8.3%, US 6.87% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.847 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
$4.647 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$19.75 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72
$19.42 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$4.138 billion (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Exchange rates:
Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar - 0.9259 (2010), 0.9259 (2009),
0.9259 (2008), 0.9259 (2007), 0.9231 (2006)
Communications ::Cuba
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.168 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 71
Telephones - mobile cellular:
443,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 162
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;
national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches
digitized by end of 2006; mobile-cellular telephone service is
expensive and must be paid in convertible pesos, which effectively
limits subscribership
domestic: fixed-line density remains low at less than 10 per 100
inhabitants; mobile-cellular service expanding but remains less than
5 per 100 persons
international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not
linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region) (2009)
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
Internet hosts:
3,025 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 145
Internet users:
1.606 million
country comparison to the world: 79
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" (2009)
Transportation ::Cuba
Airports:
136 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 43
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 65
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 27 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 71
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 58 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 41 km; oil 230 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 8,598 km
country comparison to the world: 24
standard gauge: 8,322 km 1.435-m gauge (176 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 276 km 1.000-gauge
note: 4,533 km of the track is used by sugar plantations; 4,257 km
is standard gauge; 276 km is narrow gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 60,858 km
country comparison to the world: 75
paved: 29,820 km (includes 638 km of expressway)
unpaved: 31,038 km (2000)
Waterways:
240 km (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of
rivers) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 95
Merchant marine:
total: 5
country comparison to the world: 129
by type: cargo 2, passenger 1, refrigerated cargo 2
registered in other countries: 6 (Cyprus 1, former Netherlands
Antilles 1, Panama 4) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Antilla, Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, Havana, Matanzas, Mariel, Nuevitas
Bay, Santiago de Cuba, Tanamo
Military ::Cuba
Military branches:
Revolutionary Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias, FAR):
Revolutionary Army (Ejercito Revolucionario, ER, includes
Territorial Militia Troops (Milicia de Tropas de Territoriales,
MTT)); Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR,
includes Marine Corps); Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Forces
(DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (Ejercito Juvenil del Trabajo, EJT) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
17-28 years of age for compulsory military service; 2-year service
obligation; both sexes subject to military service (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,078,049
females age 16-49: 3,004,713 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,516,543
females age 16-49: 2,450,902 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 74,084
female: 70,445 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.8% of GDP (2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Military - note:
the collapse of the Soviet Union deprived the Cuban military of its
major economic and logistic support and had a significant impact on
the state of Cuban equipment; the army remains well trained and
professional in nature; while the lack of replacement parts for its
existing equipment has increasingly affected operational
capabilities, Cuba remains able to offer considerable resistance to
any regional power (2010)
Transnational Issues ::Cuba
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
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Cuba is principally a source country for children
subjected to trafficking in persons, specifically commercial sexual
exploitation within the country; the scope of trafficking within
Cuba is difficult to gauge due to the closed nature of the
government and sparse non-governmental or independent reporting
tier rating: Tier 3 - Cuba does not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making
significant efforts to do so; in a positive step, the Government of
Cuba shared information about human trafficking and its efforts to
address the issue; the government did not prohibit all forms of
trafficking during the reporting period, nor did it provide specific
evidence that it prosecuted and punished trafficking offenders,
protected victims of all forms of trafficking, or implemented victim
protection policies or programs to prevent human trafficking (2010)
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)
page last updated on January 20, 2011
======================================================================
@Curacao (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Curacao
Background:
Originally settled by Arawak Indians, Curacao was seized by the
Dutch in 1634 along with the neighboring island of Bonaire. Once the
center of the Caribbean slave trade, Curacao was hard hit by the
abolition of slavery in 1863. Its prosperity (and that of
neighboring Aruba) was restored in the early 20th century with the
construction of the Isla Refineria to service the newly discovered
Venezuelan oil fields. In 1954, Curacao and several other Dutch
Caribbean possesions were reorganized as the Netherlands Antilles,
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In referenda in 2005 and
2009, the citizens of Curacao voted to become a self-governing
country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The change in status
became effective in October of 2010 with the dissolution of the
Netherlands Antilles.
Geography ::Curacao
Location:
Caribbean, an island in the Caribbean Sea - located 56.35 km off the
coast of Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
12 10 N, 69 00 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 444 sq km
country comparison to the world: 198
land: 444 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
364 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
tropical marine climate, ameliorated by northeast trade winds,
results in mild temperatures; semi-arid with average rainfall of 600
mm/year
Terrain:
generally low, hilly terrain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt. Christoffel, 372m
Natural resources:
calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical
fruit
Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 90%
Irrigated land:
NA
Total renewable water resources:
NA
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
NA
Natural hazards:
Curacao is south of the Caribbean hurricane belt and is rarely
threatened
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
Curacao is a part of the Windward Islands (southern) group
People ::Curacao
Population:
142,180 (est. January 2010)
country comparison to the world: 187
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.1% (males 15,337/females 14,589)
15-64 years: 66.7% (males 42,896/females 51,998)
65 years and over: 12.2% (males 6,972/females 10,388) (2010)
Population growth rate:
NA
Birth rate:
NA
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (2009)
country comparison to the world: 106
Net migration rate:
1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008)
country comparison to the world: 50
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2010)
Life expectancy at birth:
total: NA
males: 72.4 years
females: 80.1 years (2009)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (2009)
country comparison to the world: 120
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80.1%, Protestant 5.5%, none 4.6%, Pentecostal 3.5%,
Seventh Day Adventist 2.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.7%, Jewish 0.8%,
other 1.3%, not reported 0.3% (2001 census)
Languages:
Papiamento 81.2% (a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect), Dutch
8% (official), Spanish 4%, English 2.9%, other 3.9% (2001 census)
Government ::Curacao
Country name:
Dutch long form: Land Curacao
Dutch short form: Curacao
Papiamentu long form: Pais Korsou
Papiamentu short form: Korsou
former: Netherlands Antilles; Curacao and Dependencies
Dependency status:
constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full
autonomy in internal affairs granted in 2010; Dutch Government
responsible for defense and foreign affairs
Government type:
parliamentary
Capital:
name: Willemstad
geographic coordinates: 12 06 N, 68 55 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
National holiday:
Queen's Day (Birthday of Queen-Mother JULIANA and accession to the
throne of her oldest daughter BEATRIX), 30 April (1909 and 1980)
Constitution:
Staatsregeling, 10 October 2010; revised Kingdom Charter pending
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law
influence
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April
1980); represented by Governor General Frits GOEDGEDRAG (since 10
October 2010)
head of government: Prime Minister Gerrit SCHOTTE (since 10 October
2010)
cabinet: Executive Council
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is usually elected prime minister by the parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral parliament or Staten (21 seats; members elected by
popular vote for four year terms)
elections: last held 27 August 2010 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - PAR 30%, MFK 21%, PS
19%, MAN 9%, FOL 7%, PNP 6%; seats by party - PAR 8, MFK 5, PS 4,
MAN 2, FOL 1, PNP 1
Judicial branch:
Common Court of Justice, Joint High Court of Justice (judges
appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and leaders:
Frente Obrero Liberashon (Workers' Liberation Front) or FOL [Anthony
GODETT]; Movimentu Antiyas Nobo (New Antilles Movement) or MAN
[Charles COOPER]; Movementu Futuro Korsou or MFK [Gerrit SCHOTTE];
Partido Antia Restruktura or PAR [Emily DE JONGH-ELHAGE]; People's
National Party or PNP [Ersilia DE LANNOOY]; Pueblo Soberano or PS
[Herman WIELS]
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Consul General Valerie BELON
consulate(s) general: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Willemstad, Curacao
mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao
telephone: [599] (9) 4613066
FAX: [599] (9) 4616489
Flag description:
on a blue field a horizontal yellow band somewhat below the center
divides the flag into proportions of 5:1:2; two five-pointed white
stars - the smaller above and to the left of the larger - appear in
the canton; the blue of the upper and lower sections symbolizes the
sky and sea respectively; yellow represents the sun; the stars
symbolize Curacao and its uninhabited smaller sister island of Klein
Curacao; the five star points signify the five continents from which
Curacao's people derive
National anthem:
name: Himmo di Korsou (Anthem of Curacao)
lyrics/music: Guillermo ROSARIO, Mae HENRIQUEZ, Enrique MULLER,
Betty DORAN/Frater Candidus NOWENS, Errol "El Toro" COLINA