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Compare British Virgin Islands (2001) - Cuba (2006)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2001) z Cuba (2006)

 British Virgin Islands (2001)Cuba (2006)
 British Virgin IslandsCuba
Administrative divisions none (overseas territory of the UK) 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:
22.77% (male 2,399; female 2,339)

15-64 years:
72.31% (male 7,741; female 7,309)

65 years and over:
4.92% (male 555; female 469) (2001 est.)
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) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports 3 (2000 est.) 170 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total:
2

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 78


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 18


914 to 1,523 m: 7


under 914 m: 37 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 92


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 62 (2006)
Area total:
150 sq km

land:
150 sq km

water:
0 sq km

note:
includes the island of Anegada
total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were soon after (1672) annexed by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency. 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 has held the regime 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, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,712 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2005.
Birth rate 15.18 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 11.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues:
$121.5 million

expenditures:
$115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
revenues: $22.11 billion


expenditures: $23.65 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital Road Town name: Havana


geographic coordinates: 23 08 N, 82 22 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
Climate subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline 80 km 3,735 km
Constitution 1 June 1977 24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
British Virgin Islands

abbreviation:
BVI
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
Currency US dollar (USD) -
Death rate 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 7.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $36.1 million (1997) $12.56 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2005 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK -
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 Michael E. PARMLY; 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) 833-3700; 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 Bernardo GUANCHE Hernandez; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521
Disputes - international none 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 $2.6 million (1995) $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, which generates an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1997. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. An estimated 250,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 1997. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959. 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. The government in 2005 strengthened its controls over dollars coming into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade. External financing has helped growth in the mining, oil, construction, and tourism sectors.
Electricity - consumption 39.1 million kWh (1999) 13.27 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 42 million kWh (1999) 15.65 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m

highest point:
Mount Sage 521 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchment) air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements - party to: 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, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups black 90%, white, Asian mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates the US dollar is used Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.93


note: Cuba has three currencies in circulation: the Cuban peso (CUP), the convertible peso (CUC), and the US dollar (USD), although the dollar is being withdrawn from circulation; in April 2005 the official exchange rate changed from $1 per CUC to $1.08 per CUC (0.93 CUC per $1), both for individuals and enterprises; individuals can buy 24 Cuban pesos (CUP) for each CUC sold, or sell 25 Cuban pesos for each CUC bought; enterprises, however, must exchange CUP and CUC at a 1:1 ratio.
Executive branch chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Francis J. SAVAGE (since NA)

head of government:
Chief Minister Ralph T. O'NEAL (since 15 May 1995)

cabinet:
Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council

elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council
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)


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 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 $6.2 million (2000 est.) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US Netherlands 25.4%, Canada 20.7%, China 9.8%, Spain 6.8% (2005)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful) 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $311 million (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
1.8%

industry:
6.2%

services:
92% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 5.5%


industry: 26.1%


services: 68.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2000 est.) 8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 18 30 N, 64 30 W 21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Highways total:
132 km

paved:
132 km

unpaved:
0 km (1997)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe 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
Imports $220 million (2000 est.) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US China 14.9%, Spain 13.9%, Canada 8.6%, US 8.5%, Germany 7.4%, Italy 5.7%, Mexico 5.2%, Japan 4.1% (2005)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate 4% (1985) 5.1% (2005 est.)
Industries tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate 20.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 6.22 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.41 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2% (2000) 7% (2005 est.)
International organization participation Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate) ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, 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, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 16 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 8,700 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force 4,911 (1980) 4.6 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% agriculture: 21.2%


industry: 14.4%


services: 64.4% (2004)
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 remains part of Cuba
Land use arable land:
20%

permanent crops:
7%

permanent pastures:
33%

forests and woodland:
7%

other:
33% (1993 est.)
arable land: 27.63%


permanent crops: 6.54%


other: 65.83% (2005)
Languages English (official) Spanish
Legal system English law based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve five-year terms)

elections:
last held 17 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VIP 7, CCM 1, NDP 5
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:
75.64 years

male:
74.74 years

female:
76.59 years (2001 est.)
total population: 77.41 years


male: 75.11 years


female: 79.85 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
97.8% (1991 est.)

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references Central America and the Caribbean Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
3 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,285 GRT/6,946 DWT

ships by type:
passenger 1 (2000 est.)
total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 33,932 GRT/48,791 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2


foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1)


registered in other countries: 17 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1, unknown 1) (2006)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK 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): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (EJT) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $694 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.8% (2005 est.)
National holiday Territory Day, 1 July 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:
British Virgin Islander(s)

adjective:
British Virgin Islander
noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October) the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to November (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common
Natural resources NEGL cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate 11.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border
Pipelines - gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL] only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 20,812 (July 2001 est.) 11,382,820 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.22% (2001 est.) 0.31% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Road Town -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 9,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km total: 4,226 km


standard gauge: 4,226 km 1.435-m gauge (140 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 (2005)
Religions Protestant 86% (Methodist 45%, Anglican 21%, Church of God 7%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 2%), Roman Catholic 6%, none 2%, other 6% (1981) 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:
1.03 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
1.06 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female


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


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 16 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment:
worldwide telephone service

domestic:
NA

international:
submarine cable to Bermuda
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; wireless service is expensive and remains restricted to foreigners and regime elites, many Cubans procure wireless service illegally with the help of foreigners


domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2004; telephone line density remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding


international: country code - 53; fiber-optic cable laid to but not linked to US network; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 10,000 (1996) 849,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 134,500 (2005)
Television broadcast stations 1 (plus one cable company) (1997) 58 (1997)
Terrain coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate 1.72 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.66 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 3% (1995) 1.9% (2005 est.)
Waterways none 240 km (2005)
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