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Compare Cuba (2003) - Venezuela (2008)

Compare Cuba (2003) z Venezuela (2008)

 Cuba (2003)Venezuela (2008)
 CubaVenezuela
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 23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 capital district* (distrito capital), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia


note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
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.)
0-14 years: 31.6% (male 4,169,979/female 4,046,170)


15-64 years: 63.4% (male 8,120,661/female 8,369,065)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 586,863/female 730,790) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 161 (2002) 390 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways 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)
total: 128


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 34


914 to 1,523 m: 61


under 914 m: 18 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 28


under 914 m: 63 (2002)
total: 262


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 15


914 to 1,523 m: 97


under 914 m: 149 (2007)
Area total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 912,050 sq km


land: 882,050 sq km


water: 30,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Pennsylvania slightly more than twice the size of California
Background 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. Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, seeks to implement his "21st Century Socialism," which purports to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Birth rate 11.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 21.22 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $14.9 billion


expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
revenues: $63.27 billion


expenditures: $68.22 billion (2007 est.)
Capital Havana name: Caracas


geographic coordinates: 10 30 N, 66 56 W


time difference: UTC-4.5 (half an hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Coastline 3,735 km 2,800 km
Constitution 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002 30 December 1999
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela


conventional short form: Venezuela


local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela


local short form: Venezuela
Currency Cuban peso (CUP) -
Death rate 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 5.08 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $12.3 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2002 est.) $45.44 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick DUDDY


embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle Arriba, Caracas 1080


mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037


telephone: [58] (212) 975-9234, 975-6411


FAX: [58] (212) 975-8991
Diplomatic representation in the US 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ Herrera


chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007


telephone: [1] (202) 342-2214


FAX: [1] (202) 342-6820


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease claims all of the area west of the Essequibo River in Guyana, preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims before the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela extends into their waters; dispute with Colombia over maritime boundary and Venezuelan-administered Los Monjes islands near the Gulf of Venezuela; Colombian-organized illegal narcotics and paramilitary activities penetrate Venezuela's shared border region; in 2006, an estimated 139,000 Colombians sought protection in 150 communities along the border in Venezuela; US, France, and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's granting full effect to Aves Island, thereby claiming a Venezuelan EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest Venezuela's full effect claim
Economic aid - recipient $68.2 million (1997 est.) $48.66 million (2005)
Economy - overview 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. Venezuela remains highly dependent on oil revenues, which account for roughly 90% of export earnings, more than 50% of the federal budget revenues, and around 30% of GDP. A nationwide strike between December 2002 and February 2003 had far-reaching economic consequences - real GDP declined by around 9% in 2002 and 8% in 2003 - but economic output since then has recovered strongly. Fueled by high oil prices, record government spending helped to boost GDP in 2006 by about 9% and in 2007 by about 8%. This spending, combined with recent minimum wage hikes and improved access to domestic credit, has created a consumption boom but has come at the cost of higher inflation-roughly 20 percent in 2007. Imports also have jumped significantly. Embolden by his December 2006 reelection, President Hugo CHAVEZ in 2007 nationalized firms in the petroleum, communications, and electricity sectors, which reduced foreign influence in the economy. Although voters in December 2007 rejected CHAVEZ's proposed constitutional changes, CHAVEZ still has significant control of the economy and has indicated he intends to continue to consolidate and centralize authority over the economy by implementing "21st Century Socialism."
Electricity - consumption 13.38 billion kWh (2001) 73.36 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 14.38 billion kWh (2001) 99.2 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 93.9%


hydro: 0.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 5.4% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Environment - current issues air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
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
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed but not ratified:: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people
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) bolivares per US dollar - 2,147 (2007), 2,147 (2006), 2,089.8 (2005), 1,891.3 (2004), 1,607 (2003)
Executive branch 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%
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February 1999); Executive Vice President Ramon Alonzo CARRIZALEZ Rengifo (since 4 January 2008)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2012)


note: in 1999, a National Constituent Assembly drafted a new constitution that increased the presidential term to six years; an election was subsequently held on 30 July 2000 under the terms of this constitution


election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of vote - Hugo CHAVEZ Frias 62.9%, Manuel ROSALES 36.9%
Exports NA (2001) 2.203 million bbl/day (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners Netherlands 19.1%, Russia 18.1%, Canada 14.3%, Spain 9.5%, China 7.3% (2002) US 46.2%, Netherlands Antilles 13.5%, China 3.2% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description 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 three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
GDP purchasing power parity - $30.69 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 7.6%


industry: 34.5%


services: 57.9% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 3.5%


industry: 40%


services: 56.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 1.1% (2002 est.) 8.3% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 21 30 N, 80 00 W 8 00 N, 66 00 W
Geography - note largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
Heliports - 2 (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%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 0.7%


highest 10%: 35.2% (2003)
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 small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by Colombian insurgents on border
Imports NA (2001) 0 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials
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) US 30.6%, Colombia 10.2%, Brazil 10.1%, Mexico 5.9%, China 4.9%, Panama 4.8% (2006)
Independence 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) 5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 0.2% (2001 est.) 5.5% (2007 est.)
Industries sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology petroleum, construction materials, food processing, textiles; iron ore mining, steel, aluminum; motor vehicle assembly
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.)
total: 22.52 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 26.14 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.1% (2002 est.) 20.7% (Year ending November 2007)
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 CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, CSN, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, LAS (observer), Mercosur (associate), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2001) -
Irrigated land 870 sq km (1998 est.) 5,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia (magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single 12-year term)
Labor force 4.3 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2000 est.)
12.5 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999) agriculture: 13%


industry: 23%


services: 64% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries 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
total: 4,993 km


border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Land use arable land: 33.04%


permanent crops: 7.61%


other: 59.35% (1998 est.)
arable land: 2.85%


permanent crops: 0.88%


other: 96.27% (2005)
Languages Spanish Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Legal system based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction open, adversarial court system
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
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (167 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)


elections: last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - pro-government 167 (MVR 114, PODEMOS 15, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), opposition 0; total seats by party as of 1 January 2008 - pro-government 152 (PSUV 114, PPT 11, indigenous 2, other 25), PODEMOS 15
Life expectancy at birth total population: 76.8 years


male: 74.38 years


female: 79.36 years (2003 est.)
total population: 73.28 years


male: 70.24 years


female: 76.48 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 93%


male: 93.3%


female: 92.7% (2001 census)
Location Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Map references Central America and the Caribbean South America
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 15 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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.)
total: 59 ships (1000 GRT or over) 808,721 GRT/1,285,783 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 14, chemical tanker 3, container 1, liquefied gas 6, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 1


foreign-owned: 12 (Denmark 3, Greece 3, Mexico 3, Panama 1, Russia 1, Spain 1)


registered in other countries: 11 (Bahamas 1, Panama 10) (2007)
Military - note 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 National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN): Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces (Fuerzas Navales or Armada; includes Marines, Coast Guard), Air Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP roughly 4% (FY95 est.) 1.2% (2005 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) Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Nationality noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
noun: Venezuelan(s)


adjective: Venezuelan
Natural hazards 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 subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Natural resources cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds
Net migration rate -1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -1.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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) extra heavy crude oil 992 km; gas 5,400 km; oil 7,607 km; refined products 1,650 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] A New Time or UNT [Manuel ROSALES]; Christian Democrats or COPEI [Cesar PEREZ Vivas]; Communist Party of Venezuela or PCV [Jeronimo CARRERA]; Democratic Action or AD [Henry RAMOS Allup]; Fatherland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNOZ]; Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Hector MUJICA]; United Socialist Party of Venezuela or PSUV [Hugo CHAVEZ]; Venezuela Project or PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]; We Can or PODEMOS [Ismael GARCIA]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups; Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization dominated by the Democratic Action)
Population 11,263,429 (July 2003 est.) 26,023,528 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 37.9% (end 2005 est.)
Population growth rate 0.34% (2003 est.) 1.486% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba -
Radio broadcast stations AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
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)
total: 682 km


standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
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.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.031 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.803 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 16 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: modern and expanding


domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas; substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines; installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of digital multimedia services; fixed-line teledensity, at 16 per 100 persons, is low by regional standards; mobile-cellular subscribership jumped 50 percent in 2006


international: country code - 58; submarine cable systems provide connectivity to the Caribbean, Central and South America, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an international fiber-optic network
Telephones - main lines in use 473,031 (2000) 4.217 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2,994 (1997) 18.79 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 58 (1997) 66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Total fertility rate 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.) 2.55 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 4.1% (2001 est.) 9.1% (2007 est.)
Waterways 240 km 7,100 km


note: Orinoco River (400 km) and Lake de Maracaibo navigable by oceangoing vessels (2005)
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