Jordan (2004) | Cuba (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba | 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: 35.2% (male 1,009,604; female 967,645)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 1,829,984; female 1,598,141) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 100,896; female 104,932) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 20.1% (male 1,164,376; female 1,103,061)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 3,932,604; female 3,909,523) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 531,608; female 622,257) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry | sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
Airports | 17 (2003 est.) | 161 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 15
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 70
over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 under 914 m: 31 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
total: 91
914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 63 (2002) |
Area | total: 92,300 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km water: 329 sq km |
total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Indiana | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Background | For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a formal peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in the summer of 2003. The Prime Minister and government appointed in October 2004 declared their commitment to accelerated economic and political reforms and the new cabinet includes an unprecedented four women as ministers. | Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the country together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas - is a continuing problem. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals. |
Birth rate | 22.73 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 11.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.397 billion
expenditures: $3.587 billion, including capital expenditures of $582 million (2003 est.) |
revenues: $14.9 billion
expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | 'Amman | Havana |
Climate | mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April) | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
Coastline | 26 km | 3,735 km |
Constitution | 8 January 1952 | 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002 |
Country name | conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah local short form: Al Urdun former: Transjordan |
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba |
Currency | Jordanian dinar (JOD) | Cuban peso (CUP) |
Death rate | 2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $7.683 billion (2003 est.) | $12.3 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2002 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires David M. HALE
embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: [962] (6) 592-0101 FAX: [962] (6) 592-4102 |
none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer James C. CASON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 33-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 33-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR
chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110 |
none; note - Cuba has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto RODRIGUEZ Barrera (since August 2001); address: Cuban Interests Section, Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone: [1] (202) 797-8518 |
Disputes - international | border dispute settled with Syria in 2004 | 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 | ODA, $553 million (2000 est.) | $68.2 million (1997 est.) |
Economy - overview | Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), a free trade accord with the US (2000), and an association agreement with the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The US-led war in Iraq in 2003 dealt an economic blow to Jordan, which was dependent on Iraq for discounted oil (worth $300-$600 million a year). Several Gulf nations have provided temporary aid to compensate for the loss of this oil; when this foreign aid expires, the Jordanian government has pledged to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales tax base. Other ongoing challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit, broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures, and the encouragement of tourism. | The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has undertaken limited reforms in recent years to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services but is unlikely to implement extensive changes. A major feature of the economy is the dichotomy between relatively efficient export enclaves and inefficient domestic sectors. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the severe economic depression of the early 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. High oil import prices, recessions in key export markets, damage from Hurricanes Isidore and Lili, and the tourist slump after 11 September 2001 hampered growth in 2002. |
Electricity - consumption | 6.86 billion kWh (2001) | 13.38 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 2 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 267 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 7.091 billion kWh (2001) | 14.38 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 93.9%
hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 5.4% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1% | mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
Exchange rates | Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001), 0.709 (2000), 0.709 (1999) | Cuban pesos per US dollar - 1.0000 (nonconvertible, official rate, for international transactions, pegged to the US dollar); convertible peso sold for domestic use at a rate of 1.00 US dollar per 27 pesos by the Government of Cuba (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line to inherit the throne
head of government: Prime Minister Faisal al-FAYEZ (since 25 October 2003) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State, appointed by the National Assembly; note - there is also a Council of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables, manufactures, pharmaceuticals | sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee |
Exports - partners | US 21.5%, Iraq 17.6%, Switzerland 6.5%, India 6.5%, Saudi Arabia 5.3% (2003) | Netherlands 19.1%, Russia 18.1%, Canada 14.3%, Spain 9.5%, China 7.3% (2002) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I | five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center; design influenced by the US flag |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $23.64 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $30.69 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.6%
industry: 29% services: 67.4% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 7.6%
industry: 34.5% services: 57.9% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.1% (2003 est.) | 1.1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 31 00 N, 36 00 E | 21 30 N, 80 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank | largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles |
Heliports | 1 (2003 est.) | - |
Highways | total: 7,245 km
paved: 7,245 km unpaved: 0 km (2000) |
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%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 29.8% (1997) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods | petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Saudi Arabia 11.3%, China 7.9%, Germany 7.9%, US 6.8%, Iraq 6.5% (2003) | Spain 17.2%, China 12%, Italy 9.1%, France 7.6%, Mexico 7.3%, Canada 6.2%, US 5.6%, Brazil 4.7% (2002) |
Independence | 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration) | 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3.5% (2003 est.) | 0.2% (2001 est.) |
Industries | phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light manufacturing, tourism | sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology |
Infant mortality rate | total: 18.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 7.15 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.4% (2003 est.) | 7.1% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 5 (2001) |
Irrigated land | 750 sq km (1998 est.) | 870 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal) | People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) |
Labor force | 1.36 million (2003) | 4.3 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 5%, industry 12.5%, services 82.5% (2001 est.) | agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 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: 2.67%
permanent crops: 1.83% other: 95.5% (2001) |
arable land: 33.04%
permanent crops: 7.61% other: 59.35% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes | Spanish |
Legal system | based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted 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 Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55 seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms; note - six seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special electoral panel if no women are elected)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - independents and others 89.6%, Islamic Action Front 10.4%; seats by party - independents and others 92, Islamic Action Front 18; note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF candidate note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001 elections until 2003 |
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: 78.06 years
male: 75.59 years female: 80.69 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 76.8 years
male: 74.38 years female: 79.36 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3% male: 95.9% female: 86.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97.2% female: 96.9% (2003 est.) |
Location | Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida |
Map references | Middle East | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 78,814 GRT/92,695 DWT
by type: cargo 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea/passenger 1 foreign-owned: Greece 6 registered in other countries: 11 (2004 est.) |
total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 59,257 GRT/90,295 DWT
ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 5, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | - | Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993 |
Military branches | Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations Command or SOCOM); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations | Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) including Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), and Youth Labor Army (EJT); note - the Border Guard Troops (TGF) are controlled by the Interior Ministry |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $2,043.2 million (2003) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 20.2% (2003) | roughly 4% (FY95 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,636,537 (2004 est.) | 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: 1,153,385 (2004 est.) | 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: 59,471 (2004 est.) | males: 81,095
females: 87,780 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 25 May (1946) | 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: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian |
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
Natural hazards | droughts; periodic earthquakes | the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane every other year); droughts are common |
Natural resources | phosphates, potash, shale oil | cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
Net migration rate | 6.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | -1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
People - note | - | illicit migration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; some 2,500 Cubans took to the Straits of Florida in 2002; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 60% of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US; some 1,500 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct flights to Miami in 2002 |
Pipelines | gas 10 km; oil 743 km (2004) | gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2003) |
Political parties and leaders | Al-Ahed Party [Khaldoun al-NASSER, secretary general]; Al-Ajyal [Muhammad KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Mahmood MA'AYTEH, secretary general]; Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Constitutional Front [Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Democratic Arab Islamic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR, president]; Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary] general; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general]; Islamic Action Front [Hazma MANSOUR, secretary general]; Muslim Centrist Party [NA leader]; National Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; (Arab) Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Pan-Arab (Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general] | only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general] | NA |
Population | 5,611,202 (July 2004 est.) | 11,263,429 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 30% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.67% (2004 est.) | 0.34% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Al 'Aqabah | Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999) | AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | total: 505 km
narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2003) |
total: 3,442 km
standard gauge: 3,442 km 1.435-m gauge (142 km electrified) note: an additional 7,742 km of track is used by sugar plantations; about 65% of this track is standard gauge; the rest is narrow gauge (2002) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.) | nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 16 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available international: country code - 962; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links total about 4,000 |
general assessment: NA
domestic: principal trunk system, end to end of country, is coaxial cable; fiber-optic distribution in Havana and on Isla de la Juventud; 2 microwave radio relay installations (one is old, US-built; the other newer, built during the period of Soviet support); both analog and digital mobile cellular service established international: satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 622,600 (2003) | 473,031 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,325,300 (2003) | 2,994 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995) | 58 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River | mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast |
Total fertility rate | 2.86 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.) | 4.1% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | - | 240 km |