Compare Cuba (2005) - Marshall Islands (2005)

Compare Cuba (2005) z Marshall Islands (2005)

	Cuba (2005)	Marshall Islands (2005)

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	33 municipalities; Ailinginae, Ailinglaplap, Ailuk, Arno, Aur, Bikar, Bikini, Bokak, Ebon, Enewetak, Erikub, Jabat, Jaluit, Jemo, Kili, Kwajalein, Lae, Lib, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mejit, Mili, Namorik, Namu, Rongelap, Rongrik, Toke, Ujae, Ujelang, Utirik, Wotho, Wotje
Age structure	0-14 years: 19.6% (male 1,139,644/female 1,079,412) 15-64 years: 70.1% (male 3,977,110/female 3,975,818) 65 years and over: 10.4% (male 540,720/female 633,966) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 38.2% (male 11,488/female 11,071) 15-64 years: 59.1% (male 17,887/female 17,023) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 771/female 831) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock	coconuts, tomatoes, melons, taro, breadfruit, fruits; pigs, chickens
Airports	170 (2004 est.)	15 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 79 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 37 (2004 est.)	total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 91 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.)	total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 181.3 sq km land: 181.3 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the atolls of Bikini, Enewetak, Kwajalein, Majuro, Rongelap, and Utirik
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania	about the size of Washington, DC
Background	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 was severe and exploitative and occasional rebellions 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 1,498 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in 2004.	After almost four decades under US administration as the easternmost part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Marshall Islands attained independence in 1986 under a Compact of Free Association. Compensation claims continue as a result of US nuclear testing on some of the atolls between 1947 and 1962. The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll (USAKA) Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network.
Birth rate	12.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	33.52 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $18.01 billion expenditures: $19.06 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)	revenues: $42 million expenditures: $40 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1999)
Capital	Havana	Majuro
Climate	tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)	tropical; hot and humid; wet season from May to November; islands border typhoon belt
Coastline	3,735 km	370.4 km
Constitution	24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002	1 May 1979
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: Republic of the Marshall Islands conventional short form: Marshall Islands former: Marshall Islands District (Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands)
Death rate	7.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	4.88 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$12.09 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2004 est.)	$86.5 million (FY99/00 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) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland	chief of mission: Ambassador Greta N. MORRIS embassy: Oceanside, Mejen Weto, Long Island, Majuro mailing address: P. O. Box 1379, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands 96960-1379 telephone: [692] 247-4011 FAX: [692] 247-4012
Diplomatic representation in the US	none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera; address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518	chief of mission: Ambassador Banny DE BRUM chancery: 2433 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5414 FAX: [1] (202) 232-3236 consulate(s) general: Honolulu
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 US territory of Wake Island
Economic aid - recipient	$68.2 million (1997 est.)	more than $1 billion from the US, 1986-2002
Economy - overview	The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the depression of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. The government in 2004 strengthened its controls over dollars coming into the economy from tourism, remittances, and trade.	US Government assistance is the mainstay of this tiny island economy. Agricultural production, primarily subsistence, is concentrated on small farms; the most important commercial crops are coconuts and breadfruit. Small-scale industry is limited to handicrafts, tuna processing, and copra. The tourist industry, now a small source of foreign exchange employing less than 10% of the labor force, remains the best hope for future added income. The islands have few natural resources, and imports far exceed exports. Under the terms of the Amended Compact of Free Association, the US will provide millions of dollars per year to the Marshall Islands (RMI) through 2023, at which time a Trust Fund made up of US and RMI contributions will begin perpetual annual payouts. Government downsizing, drought, a drop in construction, the decline in tourism and foreign investment due to the Asian financial difficulties, and less income from the renewal of fishing vessel licenses have held GDP growth to an average of 1% over the past decade.
Electricity - consumption	13.4 billion kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - production	14.41 billion kWh (2002)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Likiep 10 m
Environment - current issues	air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation	inadequate supplies of potable water; pollution of Majuro lagoon from household waste and discharges from fishing vessels
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	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%	Micronesian
Exchange rates	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.	the US dollar is the legal tender
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 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%	chief of state: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Kessai Hesa NOTE (since 5 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament from among its own members for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held November 2007) election results: Kessai Hesa NOTE elected president; percent of Parliament vote - 100%
Exports	NA	$9 million f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities	sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee	copra cake, coconut oil, handicrafts, fish
Exports - partners	Netherlands 22.7%, Canada 20.6%, China 7.7%, Russia 7.5%, Spain 6.4%, Venezuela 4.4% (2004)	US, Japan, Australia, China (2000)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 October - 30 September
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	blue with two stripes radiating from the lower hoist-side corner - orange (top) and white; there is a white star with four large rays and 20 small rays on the hoist side above the two stripes
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 6.6% industry: 25.5% services: 67.9% (2004 est.)	agriculture: 14% industry: 16% services: 70% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2004 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	3% (2004 est.)	1% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates	21 30 N, 80 00 W	9 00 N, 168 00 E
Geography - note	largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles	two archipelagic island chains of 30 atolls and 1,152 islands; Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is now used as a US missile test range
Highways	total: 60,858 km paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (1999 est.)	total: 64.5 km paved: 64.5 km unpaved: NA km note: paved roads on major islands (Majuro, Kwajalein), otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads and tracks (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone primarily for marijuana bound for North America; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999	-
Imports	NA	$54 million f.o.b. (2000)
Imports - commodities	petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels, beverages and tobacco
Imports - partners	Spain 14.7%, Venezuela 13.5%, US 11%, China 8.9%, Canada 6.4%, Italy 6.2%, Mexico 4.9% (2004)	US, Japan, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Fiji, China, Philippines (2000)
Independence	20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)	21 October 1986 (from the US-administered UN trusteeship)
Industrial production growth rate	1.4% (2004 est.)	NA
Industries	sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals	copra, tuna processing, tourism, craft items from shell, wood, and pearls
Infant mortality rate	total: 6.33 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.11 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 29.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 33.05 deaths/1,000 live births female: 25.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3.1% (2004 est.)	2% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, 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, WTO	ACP, AsDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO, Interpol, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Irrigated land	870 sq km (1998 est.)	0 sq km
Judicial branch	People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)	Supreme Court; High Court
Labor force	4.55 million note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2004 est.)	28,700 (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)	agriculture 21.4%, industry 20.9%, services 57.7%
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	0 km
Land use	arable land: 33.05% permanent crops: 7.6% other: 59.35% (2001)	arable land: 16.67% permanent crops: 38.89% other: 44.44% (2001)
Languages	Spanish	Marshallese 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English widely spoken as a second language; both Marshallese and English are official languages
Legal system	based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	based on adapted Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
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 NA 2008) election results: percent of vote - PCC 97.6%; seats - PCC 609	unicameral Parliament or Nitijela (33 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 17 November 2003 (next to be held not later than November 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA note: the Council of Chiefs is a 12-member body that advises on matters affecting customary law and practice
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 77.23 years male: 74.94 years female: 79.65 years (2005 est.)	total population: 70.01 years male: 68.05 years female: 72.06 years (2005 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: 93.7% male: 93.6% female: 93.7% (1999)
Location	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida	Oceania, group of atolls and reefs in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1) registered in other countries: 20 (2005)	total: 540 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,954,092 GRT/28,176,762 DWT by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 83, cargo 47, chemical tanker 77, combination ore/oil 12, container 88, liquefied gas 16, passenger 8, petroleum tanker 192, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 6, vehicle carrier 5 foreign-owned: 462 (Australia 1, Bahamas 1, Bermuda 1, Canada 4, Chile 2, Croatia 2, Cyprus 7, Denmark 2, Georgia 1, Germany 124, Greece 106, Hong Kong 7, India 1, Italy 1, Japan 5, Latvia 6, Monaco 9, Netherlands 4, New Zealand 1, Norway 21, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 2, Slovenia 2, Spain 1, Switzerland 5, Taiwan 1, Turkey 11, Ukraine 1, UAE 3, United Kingdom 15, United States 112) (2005)
Military - note	Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993	defense is the responsibility of the US
Military branches	Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT)	no regular military forces; Marshall Islands Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$572.3 million (2003)	NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.8% (2003)	NA
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)	Constitution Day, 1 May (1979)
Nationality	noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban	noun: Marshallese (singular and plural) adjective: Marshallese
Natural hazards	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	infrequent typhoons
Natural resources	cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land	coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals
Net migration rate	-1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	-5.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 overland via the southwest border	-
Pipelines	gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]	traditionally there have been no formally organized political parties; what has existed more closely resembles factions or interest groups because they do not have party headquarters, formal platforms, or party structures; the following two "groupings" have competed in legislative balloting in recent years - Kabua Party [Imata KABUA] and United Democratic Party or UDP [Litokwa TOMEING]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	11,346,670 (July 2005 est.)	59,071 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA
Population growth rate	0.33% (2005 est.)	2.27% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas	Majuro
Radio broadcast stations	AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0 note: additionally, the US Armed Forces Radio and Television Services (Central Pacific Network) operate one FM and one AM station on Kwajalein (2002)
Railways	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 (2004)	-
Religions	nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented	Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)
Sex ratio	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 (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage	16 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	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 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)	general assessment: digital switching equipment; modern services include telex, cellular, internet, international calling, caller ID, and leased data circuits domestic: Majuro Atoll and Ebeye and Kwajalein islands have regular, seven-digit, direct-dial telephones; other islands interconnected by shortwave radiotelephone (used mostly for government purposes) international: country code - 692; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); US Government satellite communications system on Kwajalein (2001)
Telephones - main lines in use	574,400 (2002)	4,500 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	17,900 (2002)	600 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	58 (1997)	2 (both are US military stations) (2002)
Terrain	mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast	low coral limestone and sand islands
Total fertility rate	1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)	3.93 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	2.5% (2004 est.)	30.9% (1999 est.)
Waterways	240 km (2004)	-

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