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Compare Brazil (2007) - Cuba (2003)

Compare Brazil (2007) z Cuba (2003)

 Brazil (2007)Cuba (2003)
 BrazilCuba
Administrative divisions 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins 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
Age structure 0-14 years: 25.3% (male 24,554,254/female 23,613,027)


15-64 years: 68.4% (male 64,437,140/female 65,523,447)


65 years and over: 6.3% (male 4,880,562/female 7,002,217) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 1,164,376; female 1,103,061)


15-64 years: 69.6% (male 3,932,604; female 3,909,523)


65 years and over: 10.2% (male 531,608; female 622,257) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports 4,263 (2007) 161 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 718


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 167


914 to 1,523 m: 467


under 914 m: 52 (2007)
total: 70


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 22


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3,545


1,524 to 2,437 m: 83


914 to 1,523 m: 1,555


under 914 m: 1,907 (2007)
total: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 28


under 914 m: 63 (2002)
Area total: 8,511,965 sq km


land: 8,456,510 sq km


water: 55,455 sq km


note: includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha da Trindade, Ilhas Martin Vaz, and Penedos de Sao Pedro e Sao Paulo
total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than the US slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822 and a republic in 1889. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the country 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, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals.
Birth rate 16.3 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 11.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $244 billion


expenditures: $219.9 billion (FY07)
revenues: $14.9 billion


expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital name: Brasilia


geographic coordinates: 15 47 S, 47 55 W


time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February


note: Brazil is divided into four time zones, including one for the Fernando de Noronha Islands
Havana
Climate mostly tropical, but temperate in south tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline 7,491 km 3,735 km
Constitution 5 October 1988 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name conventional long form: Federative Republic of Brazil


conventional short form: Brazil


local long form: Republica Federativa do Brasil


local short form: Brasil
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
Currency - Cuban peso (CUP)
Death rate 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $191.2 billion (2006 est.) $12.3 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Clifford M. SOBEL


embassy: Avenida das Nacoes, Quadra 801, Lote 3, Distrito Federal Cep 70403-900, Brasilia


mailing address: Unit 3500, APO AA 34030


telephone: [55] (61) 3312-7000


FAX: [55] (61) 3225-9136


consulate(s) general: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo


consulate(s): Recife
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) 33-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 33-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar PATRIOTA


chancery: 3006 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 238-2700


FAX: [1] (202) 238-2827


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera (since August 2001); address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518
Disputes - international unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute with Uruguay over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada boundary streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
Economic aid - recipient $191.9 million (2005) $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview Characterized by large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average only 2.2% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President CARDOSO and strengthened by President LULA DA SILVA. Since 2004, Brazil has enjoyed continued growth that yielded increases in employment and real wages. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, initially reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment; from 2003 to 2006, Brazil ran record trade surpluses and recorded its first current account surpluses since 1992. Productivity gains - particularly in agriculture - also contributed to the surge in exports. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003 - straining government finances - before falling as a percentage of GDP beginning in 2003. Brazil improved its debt profile in 2006 by shifting its debt burden toward real denominated and domestically held instruments. LULA DA SILVA restated his commitment to fiscal responsibility by maintaining the country's primary surplus during the 2006 election. Following his second inauguration, LULA DA SILVA announced a package of further economic reforms to reduce taxes and increase public investment. A major challenge will be to maintain sufficient growth to generate employment and reduce the government debt burden. The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services but is unlikely to implement extensive changes. 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 severe economic depression of the early 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. High oil import prices, recessions in key export markets, damage from Hurricanes Isidore and Lili, and the tourist slump after 11 September 2001 hampered growth in 2002.
Electricity - consumption 368.5 billion kWh (2005) 13.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 160 million kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 39.2 billion kWh; note - supplied by Paraguay (2005) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 396.4 billion kWh (2005) 14.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 93.9%


hydro: 0.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 5.4% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico da Neblina 3,014 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups white 53.7%, mulatto (mixed white and black) 38.5%, black 6.2%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 0.9%, unspecified 0.7% (2000 census) mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates reals per US dollar - 2.1761 (2006), 2.4344 (2005), 2.9251 (2004), 3.0771 (2003), 2.9208 (2002) 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 1.00 US dollar per 27 pesos by the Government of Cuba (2002)
Executive branch chief of state: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (since 1 January 2003); Vice President Jose ALENCAR (since 1 January 2003)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single four-year term; election last held 1 October 2006 with runoff 29 October 2006 (next to be held 3 October 2010 and, if necessary, 31 October 2010)


election results: Luiz Inacio LULA DA SILVA (PT) reelected president - 60.83%, Geraldo ALCKMIN (PSDB) 39.17%
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, appointed by the National Assembly; note - there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly


elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; 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%
Exports 278,400 bbl/day (2005) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners US 17.8%, Argentina 8.5%, China 6.1%, Netherlands 4.2%, Germany 4.1% (2006) Netherlands 19.1%, Russia 18.1%, Canada 14.3%, Spain 9.5%, China 7.3% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description green with a large yellow diamond in the center bearing a blue celestial globe with 27 white five-pointed stars (one for each state and the Federal District) arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil; the globe has a white equatorial band with the motto ORDEM E PROGRESSO (Order and Progress) 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $30.69 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 5.1%


industry: 30.9%


services: 64% (2006 est.)
agriculture: 7.6%


industry: 34.5%


services: 57.9% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 3.7% (2006 est.) 1.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 10 00 S, 55 00 W 21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Heliports 16 (2007) -
Highways - total: 60,858 km


paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway)


unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 0.9%


highest 10%: 44.8% (2004)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs illicit producer of cannabis; trace amounts of coca cultivation in the Amazon region, used for domestic consumption; government has a large-scale eradication program to control cannabis; important transshipment country for Bolivian, Colombian, and Peruvian cocaine headed for Europe; also used by traffickers as a way station for narcotics air transshipments between Peru and Colombia; upsurge in drug-related violence and weapons smuggling; important market for Colombian, Bolivian, and Peruvian cocaine; illicit narcotics proceeds earned in Brazil are often laundered through the financial system; significant illicit financial activity in the Tri-Border Area 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
Imports 674,500 bbl/day (2004) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners US 16.2%, Argentina 8.8%, China 8.7%, Germany 7.1%, Nigeria 4.3%, Japan 4.2% (2006) Spain 17.2%, China 12%, Italy 9.1%, France 7.6%, Mexico 7.3%, Canada 6.2%, US 5.6%, Brazil 4.7% (2002)
Independence 7 September 1822 (from Portugal) 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate 3.2% (2006 est.) 0.2% (2001 est.)
Industries textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology
Infant mortality rate total: 27.62 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 31.27 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 23.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 7.15 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.2% (2006 est.) 7.1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation AfDB, BIS, CAN (associate), CPLP, CSN, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ECLAC, 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, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 5 (2001)
Irrigated land 29,200 sq km (2003) 870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Federal Tribunal (11 ministers are appointed for life by the president and confirmed by the Senate); Higher Tribunal of Justice; Regional Federal Tribunals (judges are appointed for life); note - though appointed "for life," judges, like all federal employees, have a mandatory retirement age of 70 People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force 97.77 million (2006 est.) 4.3 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 20%


industry: 14%


services: 66% (2003 est.)
agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 16,885 km


border countries: Argentina 1,261 km, Bolivia 3,423 km, Colombia 1,644 km, French Guiana 730.4 km, Guyana 1,606 km, Paraguay 1,365 km, Peru 2,995 km, Suriname 593 km, Uruguay 1,068 km, Venezuela 2,200 km
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
Land use arable land: 6.93%


permanent crops: 0.89%


other: 92.18% (2005)
arable land: 33.04%


permanent crops: 7.61%


other: 59.35% (1998 est.)
Languages Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French Spanish
Legal system based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral National Congress or Congresso Nacional consists of the Federal Senate or Senado Federal (81 seats; 3 members from each state and federal district elected according to the principle of majority to serve eight-year terms; one-third and two-thirds elected every four years, alternately) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara dos Deputados (513 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: Federal Senate - last held 1 October 2006 for one-third of the Senate (next to be held in October 2010 for two-thirds of the Senate); Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)


election results: Federal Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PFL 6, PSDB 5, PMDB 4, PTB 3, PT 2, PDT 1, PSB 1, PL 1, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1, PCdoB 1; total seats following election - PFL 18, PMDB 15, PSDB 15, PT 11, PDT 5, PTB 4, PSB 3, PL 3, PCdoB 2, PRB 2, PPS 1, PRTB 1, PP 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PMDB 89, PT 83, PFL 65, PSDB 65, PP 42, PSB 27, PDT 24, PL 23, PTB 22, PPS 21, PCdoB 13, PV 13, PSC 9, other 17
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)


elections: last held 19 January 2003 (next to be held in 2008)


election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.24 years


male: 68.3 years


female: 76.38 years (2007 est.)
total population: 76.8 years


male: 74.38 years


female: 79.36 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 88.6%


male: 88.4%


female: 88.8% (2004 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references South America Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 135 ships (1000 GRT or over) 2,020,182 GRT/3,039,015 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 20, cargo 21, carrier 1, chemical tanker 6, container 9, liquefied gas 12, passenger/cargo 12, petroleum tanker 47, roll on/roll off 7


foreign-owned: 16 (Chile 1, Denmark 2, Germany 7, Mexico 1, Norway 1, Spain 4)


registered in other countries: 5 (Bahamas 1, Ghana 1, Liberia 3) (2007)
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 59,257 GRT/90,295 DWT


ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 (2002 est.)
Military - note - Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches Brazilian Army, Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil (MB), includes Naval Air and Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais)), Brazilian Air Force (Forca Aerea Brasileira, FAB) (2007) Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) including Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), and Youth Labor Army (EJT); note - the Border Guard Troops (TGF) are controlled by the Interior Ministry
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.6% (2006 est.) roughly 4% (FY95 est.)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 3,120,702


females age 15-49: 3,049,927


note: both sexes are liable for military service (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 1,923,967


females age 15-49: 1,875,412 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 81,095


females: 87,780 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 September (1822) 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)
Nationality noun: Brazilian(s)


adjective: Brazilian
noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south 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
Natural resources bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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; some 2,500 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 60% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 1,500 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2002
Pipelines condensate/gas 244 km; gas 11,669 km; liquid petroleum gas 341 km; oil 5,212 km; refined products 4,755 km (2006) gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Brazilian Democratic Movement Party or PMDB [Federal Deputy Michel TEMER]; Brazilian Labor Party or PTB [Roberto JEFFERSON]; Brazilian Renewal Labor Party or PRTB [Jose Levy FIDELIX da Cruz]; Brazilian Republican Party or PRB [Vitor Paulo Araujo DOS SANTOS]; Brazilian Social Democracy Party or PSDB [Senator Tasso JEREISSATI]; Brazilian Socialist Party or PSB [Governor Eduardo Henrique Accioly CAMPOS]; Communist Party of Brazil or PCdoB [Jose Renato RABELO]; Democratic Labor Party or PDT [Carlos Roberto LUPI]; Democratic Socialist Party or PSD [Luis Marques MENDES]; Freedom and Socialism Party or PSOL [Heloisa HELENA]; Green Party or PV [Jose Luiz de Franca PENNA]; Humanist Party of Solidarity or PHS; Liberal Front Party or PFL (now known as the Democrats Party or DEM); Liberal Party or PL; Partido Municipalista Renovador or PMR [Natal Wellington Rodrigues FURUCHO]; Party of the Republic or PR [Sergio TAMER]; Popular Socialist Party or PPS [Federal Deputy Roberto FREIRE]; Progressive Party or PP [Federal Deputy Pedro CORREA]; Social Christian Party or PSC; Workers' Party or PT [Ricardo Jose Ribeiro BERZOINI] only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders Landless Worker's Movement; labor unions and federations; large farmers' associations; religious groups including evangelical Christian churches and the Catholic Church NA
Population 190,010,647


note: Brazil conducted a census in August 2000, which reported a population of 169,799,170; that figure was about 3.3% lower than projections by the US Census Bureau, and is close to the implied underenumeration of 4.6% for the 1991 census; estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
11,263,429 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 31% (2005) NA%
Population growth rate 1.008% (2007 est.) 0.34% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Radio broadcast stations AM 1,365, FM 296, shortwave 161 (of which 91 are collocated with AM stations) (1999) AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 29,295 km


broad gauge: 4,932 km 1.600-m gauge (939 km electrified)


standard gauge: 194 km 1.440-m gauge


narrow gauge: 23,773 km 1.000-m gauge (581 km electrified)


dual gauge: 396 km 1.000 m and 1.600-m gauges (three rails) (78 km electrified) (2006)
total: 3,442 km


standard gauge: 3,442 km 1.435-m gauge (142 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 (2002)
Religions Roman Catholic (nominal) 73.6%, Protestant 15.4%, Spiritualist 1.3%, Bantu/voodoo 0.3%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.2%, none 7.4% (2000 census) nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.697 male(s)/female


total population: 0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory over 18 and under 70 years of age; note - military conscripts do not vote 16 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: good working system; fixed-line connections have remained relatively stable in recent years and stand at about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone density has risen to nearly 55 per 100 persons


domestic: extensive microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations; mobile-cellular usage has more than tripled in the past 5 years


international: country code - 55; landing point for a number of submarine cables that provide direct links to South and Central America, the Caribbean, the US, Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region east), connected by microwave relay system to Mercosur Brazilsat B3 satellite earth station (2007)
general assessment: NA


domestic: principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable; fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud; 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, built during the period of Soviet support); both analog and digital mobile cellular service established


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 38.8 million (2006) 473,031 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 99.919 million (2006) 2,994 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 138 (1997) 58 (1997)
Terrain mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate 1.88 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 9.6% (2006 est.) 4.1% (2001 est.)
Waterways 50,000 km (most in areas remote from industry and population) (2007) 240 km
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