LOCATION:
Location:
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida.
AREA:
Area:
total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
POPULATION
Population:
11,346,670
(July 2005 est.)
AGE STRUCTURE:
Age structure:
0-14 years:
19.6%
(male 1,139,644/female 1,079,412)
15-64 years:
70.1%
(male 3,977,110/female 3,975,818)
65 years and over:
10.4%
(male 540,720/female 633,966)
(2005 est.)
MEDIAN AGE:
Median age:
total: 35.36 years
male: 34.73 years
female: 35.98 years
(2005 est.)
POPULATION GROWTH:
Population growth rate:
0.33%
(2005 est.)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE:
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.33
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.11
deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.5
deaths/1,000 live births
(2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS-ADULT PREVALENCE RATE:
HIV/AIDS Adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1 %
HIV/AIDS- PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS :
Ages 15-49
3,300
low estimate:
less than 1,100
high estimate:
greater than 6,400
HIV/AIDS-DEATH
Adults and Children deaths:
low estimate:
less than 200
high estimate:
less than 400
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Ethnic groups:
mulatto 51%,
white 37%,
black 11%,
Chinese 1%
RELIGIONS:
Religions:
Nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
Protestants,
Jehovah's Witnesses,
Jews, and Santeria are also represented.
LANGUAGES:
Languages:
Spanish
LITERACY:
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
97%
male: 97.2%
female: 96.9%
(2003 est.)
GOVERNMENT TYPE:
Government type:
Communist state
CAPITAL:
Capital:
Havana
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:
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:
Independence:
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
ECONOMY:
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 in 2004 strengthened its controls over dollars coming
into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade.
GDP:
GDP:
purchasing power parity -
$33.92 billion
(2004 est.)
POPULATION BELOW POVERT LINE:
Population below poverty line:
NA
INFLATION RATE:
Inflation rate
(consumer prices):
3.1%
(2004 est.)
UNEMPLOYMENT:
Unemployment rate:
2.5%
(2004 est.)
EXCHANGE RATES:
Exchange rates:
Cuban pesos per US dollar -
1 (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)
Illicit Drugs:
Illicit drugs:
Territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone primarily for marijuana bound for North America; established
the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999.
