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Compare Haiti (2006) - Cuba (2005)

Compare Haiti (2006) z Cuba (2005)

 Haiti (2006)Cuba (2005)
 HaitiCuba
Administrative divisions 10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est 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: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987) (2006 est.)
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.)
Agriculture - products coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports 12 (2006) 170 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
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.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 7 (2006)
total: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.)
Area total: 27,750 sq km


land: 27,560 sq km


water: 190 sq km
total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the departure of President Jean-Betrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays have prompted repeated postponements, and Haiti missed the constitutionally-mandated presidential inauguration date of 7 February 2006. 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.
Birth rate 36.44 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 12.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $400 million


expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $18.01 billion


expenditures: $19.06 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital name: Port-au-Prince


geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W


time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
Havana
Climate tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline 1,771 km 3,735 km
Constitution approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991, military government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution remains technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's departure in 2004 24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Haiti


conventional short form: Haiti


local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti


local short form: Haiti/Ayiti
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
Death rate 12.17 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 7.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $1.313 billion (2005 est.) $12.09 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON


embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince


mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince


telephone: [509] 222-0200


FAX: [509] 223-9038
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
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of October 2005)


chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090


FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
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
Disputes - international since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic privation and civil unrest continue to cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island 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 $153 million (FY05 est.) $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth rate since 1999. Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit. In early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The government is reliant on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP in 2005. 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.
Electricity - consumption 507.8 million kWh (2003) 13.4 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 546 million kWh (2003) 14.41 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
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 95%, mulatto and white 5% mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367 (2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001) 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: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006)


head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since 30 May 2006)


cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 7 February 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly


election results: Rene PREVAL elected president; percent of vote - Rene PREVAL 51%
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%
Exports NA bbl/day NA
Exports - commodities manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa, mangoes sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners US 80.8%, Dominican Republic 6.9%, Canada 4% (2005) Netherlands 22.7%, Canada 20.6%, China 7.7%, Russia 7.5%, Spain 6.4%, Venezuela 4.4% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 October - 30 September calendar year
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength) 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 - composition by sector agriculture: 28%


industry: 20%


services: 52% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 6.6%


industry: 25.5%


services: 67.9% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.8% (2005 est.) 3% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 19 00 N, 72 25 W 21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic) largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
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%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption 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 bbl/day NA
Imports - commodities food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners US 49.3%, Netherlands Antilles 12%, Colombia 3.2% (2005) Spain 14.7%, Venezuela 13.5%, US 11%, China 8.9%, Canada 6.4%, Italy 6.2%, Mexico 4.9% (2004)
Independence 1 January 1804 (from France) 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 1.4% (2004 est.)
Industries sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate total: 71.65 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15.7% (2005 est.) 3.1% (2004 est.)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO 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
Irrigated land 920 sq km (2003) 870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force 3.6 million


note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)
4.55 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 66%


industry: 9%


services: 25%
agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
Land boundaries total: 360 km


border countries: Dominican Republic 360 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: 28.11%


permanent crops: 11.53%


other: 60.36% (2005)
arable land: 33.05%


permanent crops: 7.6%


other: 59.35% (2001)
Languages French (official), Creole (official) Spanish
Legal system based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate, the candidate in each department receiving the most votes in the last election serves six years, the candidate with the second most votes serves four years, and the candidate with the third most votes serves two years


elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be determined (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be determined (next regular election to be held in 2010)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS 1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to run-off election; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION 15, ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 3,KONBA 3, FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1, Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1, PLH 1, 13 seats subject to run-off election
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 53.23 years


male: 51.89 years


female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)
total population: 77.23 years


male: 74.94 years


female: 79.65 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 52.9%


male: 54.8%


female: 51.2% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic 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 territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 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)
Military - note - Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force - have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless they are constitutionally abolished Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $25.96 million (2003 est.) $572.3 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 0.9% (2003 est.) 1.8% (2003)
National holiday Independence Day, 1 January (1804) 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: Haitian(s)


adjective: Haitian
noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts 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 bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate -1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -1.58 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 Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action to Build Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance or ALYANS (coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL]; Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]; Front for Hope or L'ESPWA (alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central Plateau Peasants' Group, and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL]; Grand Center Right Front coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY]; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic and Reform Movement or MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together or Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent Movement for National Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]; Justice for Peace and National Development or JPDN [Rigaud DUPLAN]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL]; Merging of Haitian Social Democratic Parties or FUSION or FPSDH (merged Ayiti Capable, Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and National Congress of Democratic Movements) [Serge GILLES]; Mobilization for Haiti's Development or MPH [Samir MOURRA]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean Henold BUTEAU]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; National Christian Union for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Marie Claude GERMAIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Anes LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition of MIDH and FL) [Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE] only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or KOREGA; Group of 184 Civil Society Organizations, or G-184 [Andy APAID]; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church; Protestant Federation of Haiti NA
Population 8,308,504


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
11,346,670 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line 80% (2003 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.3% (2006 est.) 0.33% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas
Radio broadcast stations AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999) AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
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 Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%


note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female


total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 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 (2005 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 16 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better


domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service


international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
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)
Telephones - main lines in use 140,000 (2004) 574,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 400,000 (2004) 17,900 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997) 58 (1997)
Terrain mostly rough and mountainous mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate 4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.) 1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.) 2.5% (2004 est.)
Waterways - 240 km (2004)
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