Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Cuba (2003)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Cuba (2003)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Cuba (2003)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryCuba
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
Age structure - 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 - sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports 1 (2001) 161 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
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: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 28


under 914 m: 63 (2002)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. 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 - 11.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget - revenues: $14.9 billion


expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital - Havana
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline 698 km 3,735 km
Constitution - 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
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 - 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external - $12.3 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2002 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain 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 - $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. 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 NA kWh 13.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 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: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues NA air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international 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 - mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates - 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
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 - NA (2001)
Exports - commodities - sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners - Netherlands 19.1%, Russia 18.1%, Canada 14.3%, Spain 9.5%, China 7.3% (2002)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag 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: 7.6%


industry: 34.5%


services: 57.9% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 1.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
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%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - 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 - NA (2001)
Imports - commodities - petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners - 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 - 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate - 0.2% (2001 est.)
Industries - sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology
Infant mortality rate - 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) - 7.1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - 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) 1 (2000) 5 (2001)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force - 4.3 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
Land boundaries 0 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: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 33.04%


permanent crops: 7.61%


other: 59.35% (1998 est.)
Languages - Spanish
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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)


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: 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: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references Political Map of the World Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - 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 defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches - 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 - 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, 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: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards NA 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 coconuts, fish, sugarcane cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate - -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 - gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders - only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
11,263,429 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 0.34% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios NA -
Railways - 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 - nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio - 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 - 16 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
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 NA 473,031 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 2,994 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 58 (1997)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate - 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate - 4.1% (2001 est.)
Waterways none 240 km
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.