Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Cuba (2007)

Compare Paracel Islands (2003) z Cuba (2007)

	Paracel Islands (2003)	Cuba (2007)

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
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 18.8% (male 1,100,672/female 1,042,327) 15-64 years: 70.5% (male 4,019,648/female 4,016,429) 65 years and over: 10.7% (male 554,043/female 660,924) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports	1 (2002)	165 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)	total: 70 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 31 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 95 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 71 (2007)
Area	total: NA sq km land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 110,860 sq km land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	NA	slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background	The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.	The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule, marked initially by neglect, became increasingly repressive, provoking an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. It was US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 that finally overthrew Spanish rule. The subsequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist revolution, with Soviet support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. The country is now slowly recovering from a severe economic recession in 1990, following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies, worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba portrays its difficulties as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border - is a continuing problem. The US Coast Guard intercepted 2,810 individuals attempting to cross the Straits of Florida in fiscal year 2006.
Birth rate	-	11.44 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $32.41 billion expenditures: $34.28 billion (2006 est.)
Capital	-	name: Havana geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate	tropical	tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline	518 km	3,735 km
Constitution	-	24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Paracel Islands	conventional long form: Republic of Cuba conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba
Death rate	-	7.14 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	-	$16.62 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	-	none; note - the US has an Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Michael E. PARMLY; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and M Streets, Vedado, Havana; telephone: [53] (7) 833-3551 through 3559 (operator assistance required); FAX: [53] (7) 833-3700; protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland
Diplomatic representation in the US	-	none; 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; FAX: [1] (202) 797-8521
Disputes - international	occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam	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	-	$87.8 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview	China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism.	The government continues to balance the need for economic loosening against a desire for firm political control. It has rolled back limited reforms undertaken in the 1990s to increase enterprise efficiency and alleviate serious shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. The average Cuban's standard of living remains at a lower level than before the downturn of the 1990s, which was caused by the loss of Soviet aid and domestic inefficiencies. Since late 2000, Venezuela has been providing Cuba oil on preferential terms, and it currently supplies about 98,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. Cuba has been paying for the oil, in part, with the services of Cuban personnel, including some 20,000 medical professionals. In 2006, high metals prices continued to boost Cuban earnings from nickel and cobalt production. Havana continued to invest in the country's energy sector to mitigate electrical blackouts that have plagued the country since 2004.
Electricity - consumption	-	12.27 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	-	14.65 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues	NA	air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	-	mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates	-	Convertible pesos per US dollar - 0.9231 (2006) 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 of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976) cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% note: due to an ongoing health problem, Fidel CASTRO Ruz provisionally transferred power to his brother Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz on 31 July 2006 in accordance with the Cuban Constitution; Fidel CASTRO has not yet reclaimed control of the government
Exports	-	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	-	sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners	-	Netherlands 21.8%, Canada 21.6%, China 18.7%, Spain 5.9% (2006)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	-	five equal horizontal bands of blue (top, center, and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white, five-pointed star in the center
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 4% industry: 24.8% services: 71.2% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	11.1% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	16 30 N, 112 00 E	21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note	composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group	largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	-	territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999
Imports	-	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	-	petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners	-	Venezuela 26.6%, China 15.6%, Spain 9.6%, Germany 6.4%, Canada 5.6%, Italy 4.4%, US 4.3%, Brazil 4.2% (2006)
Independence	-	20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902); not acknowledged by the Cuban Government as a day of independence
Industrial production growth rate	-	17.6% (2006 est.)
Industries	-	sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 6.04 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	6.2% (2006 est.)
International organization participation	-	ACP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal participation since 1962), OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	8,700 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)
Labor force	-	4.847 million note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 20% industry: 19.4% services: 60.6% (2005)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 29 km border countries: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 29 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and remains part of Cuba
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)	arable land: 27.63% permanent crops: 6.54% other: 65.83% (2005)
Languages	-	Spanish
Legal system	-	based on Spanish civil law and influenced by American legal concepts, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	-	unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (609 seats; members elected directly from slates approved by special candidacy commissions to 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: 77.08 years male: 74.85 years female: 79.43 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2002 census)
Location	Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines	Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references	Southeast Asia	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	NA	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 12 ships (1000 GRT or over) 35,030 GRT/51,388 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Spain 1) registered in other countries: 16 (Bahamas 1, Cyprus 2, Netherlands Antilles 1, Panama 11, Spain 1) (2007)
Military - note	occupied by China	Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Military branches	-	Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR): Revolutionary Army (ER), Revolutionary Navy (Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria, MGR), Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Youth Labor Army (EJT) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	3.8% (2006 est.)
National holiday	-	Triumph of the Revolution, 1 January (1959)
Nationality	-	noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards	typhoons	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	none	cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate	-	-1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
People - note	-	illicit emigration is a continuing problem; Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the US using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, direct flights, or falsified visas; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US including direct flights to Miami and over-land via the southwest border
Pipelines	-	gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	-	Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	NA
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2003 est.)	11,394,043 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	0.273% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded	-
Radio broadcast stations	-	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 (2006)
Religions	-	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: 1.056 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.001 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.838 male(s)/female total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	-	16 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 must be paid in convertible pesos which effectively limits mobile cellular subscribership domestic: national fiber-optic system under development; 95% of switches digitized by end of 2006; fixed telephone line density remains low, at less than 10 per 100 inhabitants; domestic cellular service expanding but remains at only about 2 per 100 persons 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	-	972,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	152,700 (2006)
Television broadcast stations	-	58 (1997)
Terrain	mostly low and flat	mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate	-	1.6 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	1.9% (2006 est.)
Waterways	none	240 km (2007)

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