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Compare Poland (2001) - Cuba (2003)

Compare Poland (2001) z Cuba (2003)

 Poland (2001)Cuba (2003)
 PolandCuba
Administrative divisions 16 provinces (wojewodztwa, singular - wojewodztwo); Dolnoslaskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lodzkie, Lubelskie, Lubuskie, Malopolskie, Mazowieckie, Opolskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie, Pomorskie, Slaskie, Swietokrzyskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Wielkopolskie, Zachodniopomorskie 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:
18.39% (male 3,640,451; female 3,463,604)

15-64 years:
69.17% (male 13,288,471; female 13,434,753)

65 years and over:
12.44% (male 1,836,816; female 2,969,817) (2001 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 potatoes, fruits, vegetables, wheat; poultry, eggs, pork sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports 122 (2000 est.) 161 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
83

over 3,047 m:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
29

1,524 to 2,437 m:
42

914 to 1,523 m:
6

under 914 m:
3 (2000 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:
39

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
13

under 914 m:
21 (2000 est.)
total: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 28


under 914 m: 63 (2002)
Area total:
312,685 sq km

land:
304,465 sq km

water:
8,220 sq km
total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than New Mexico slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background Poland gained its independence in 1918 only to be overrun by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. It became a Soviet satellite country following the war, but one that was comparatively tolerant and progressive. Labor turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" that over time became a political force and by 1990 had swept parliamentary elections and the presidency. A "shock therapy" program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe, boosting hopes for acceptance to the EU. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999. 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 10.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 11.87 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$49.6 billion

expenditures:
$52.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)
revenues: $14.9 billion


expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital Warsaw Havana
Climate temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline 491 km 3,735 km
Constitution 16 October 1997; adopted by the National Assembly 2 April 1997; passed by national referendum 23 May 1997 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name conventional long form:
Republic of Poland

conventional short form:
Poland

local long form:
Rzeczpospolita Polska

local short form:
Polska
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
Currency zloty (PLN) Cuban peso (CUP)
Death rate 9.98 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 7.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $57 billion (2000) $12.3 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission:
Ambassador Christopher R. HILL

embassy:
Aleje Ujazdowskie 29/31 00-054, Warsaw P1

mailing address:
American Embassy Warsaw, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5010 (pouch)

telephone:
[48] (22) 628-30-41

FAX:
[48] (22) 628-82-98

consulate(s) general:
Krakow
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 Przemyslaw GRUDZINSKI

chancery:
2640 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 234-3800 through 3802

FAX:
[1] (202) 328-6271

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
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 none 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 $NA $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview Poland has steadfastly pursued a policy of liberalizing the economy and today stands out as one of the most successful and open transition economies. GDP growth has been strong and steady since 1992 - the best performance in the region. The privatization of small and medium state-owned companies and a liberal law on establishing new firms has allowed for the rapid development of a vibrant private sector. In contrast, Poland's large agricultural sector remains handicapped by structural problems, surplus labor, inefficient small farms, and lack of investment. Restructuring and privatization of "sensitive sectors" (e.g., coal, steel, railroads, and energy) has begun. Structural reforms in health care, education, the pension system, and state administration have resulted in larger than expected fiscal pressures. Further progress in public finance depends mainly on privatization of Poland's remaining state sector. The government's determination to enter the EU as soon as possible affects most aspects of its economic policies. Improving Poland's outsized current account deficit and reining in inflation are priorities. Warsaw leads the region in foreign investment and needs a continued large inflow. 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 120.007 billion kWh (1999) 13.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 8.43 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 3.491 billion kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 134.351 billion kWh (1999) 14.38 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
96.43%

hydro:
3.16%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0.41% (1999)
fossil fuel: 93.9%


hydro: 0.6%


nuclear: 0%


other: 5.4% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Raczki Elblaskie -2 m

highest point:
Rysy 2,499 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Environment - current issues situation has improved since 1989 due to decline in heavy industry and increased environmental concern by postcommunist governments; air pollution nonetheless remains serious because of sulfur dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, and the resulting acid rain has caused forest damage; water pollution from industrial and municipal sources is also a problem, as is disposal of hazardous wastes air and water pollution; biodiversity loss; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to:
Air Pollution, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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 Polish 97.6%, German 1.3%, Ukrainian 0.6%, Byelorussian 0.5% (1990 est.) mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates zlotych per US dollar - 4.3126 (December 2000), 4.3461 (2000), 3.9671 (1999), 3.4754 (1998), 3.2793 (1997), 2.6961 (1996) 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:
President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995)

head of government:
Prime Minister Jerzy BUZEK - Solidarity Electoral Union - (since 31 October 1997), Deputy Prime Ministers Janusz STEINHOFF (since 12 June 2000), Longin KOMOLOWSKI (since 19 October 1999)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers responsible to the prime minister and the Sejm; the prime minister proposes, the president appoints, and the Sejm approves the Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the Sejm

election results:
Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI reelected president; percent of popular vote - Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 53.9%, Andrzj OLECHOWSKI 17.3%, Marian KRZAKLEWSKI 15.6%, Lech WALESA 1%
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 $28.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 30.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 25.5%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 20.9%, food and live animals 8.5% (1999) sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners Germany 36.1%, Italy 6.5%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.8%, UK 4.0%, Czech Republic 3.8% (1999) Netherlands 19.1%, Russia 18.1%, Canada 14.3%, Spain 9.5%, China 7.3% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white 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 - $327.5 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $30.69 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
3.8%

industry:
36.6%

services:
59.6% (1999)
agriculture: 7.6%


industry: 34.5%


services: 57.9% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $8,500 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.8% (2000 est.) 1.1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 52 00 N, 20 00 E 21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note historically, an area of conflict because of flat terrain and the lack of natural barriers on the North European Plain largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
Heliports 3 (2000 est.) -
Highways total:
381,046 km

paved:
249,966 km (including 268 km of expressways)

unpaved:
131,080 km (1998)
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%

highest 10%:
26.3% (1996)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of amphetamine for the international market; minor transshipment point for Asian and Latin American illicit drugs to Western Europe 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 $42.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment 38.2%, intermediate manufactured goods 20.8%, chemicals 14.3%, miscellaneous manufactured goods 9.5% (1999) petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners Germany 25.2%, Italy 9.4%, France 6.8%, Russia 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Netherlands 3.7% (1999) 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 11 November 1918 (independent republic proclaimed) 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
Industrial production growth rate 4.3% (1999) 0.2% (2001 est.)
Industries machine building, iron and steel, coal mining, chemicals, shipbuilding, food processing, glass, beverages, textiles sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology
Infant mortality rate 9.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 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) 10.2% (2000 est.) 7.1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC 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) 19 (2000) 5 (2001)
Irrigated land 1,000 sq km (1993 est.) 870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Council of the Judiciary for an indefinite period); Constitutional Tribunal (judges are chosen by the Sejm for nine-year terms) People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force 17.2 million (1999 est.) 4.3 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation industry 22.1%, agriculture 27.5%, services 50.4% (1999) agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
Land boundaries total:
2,888 km

border countries:
Belarus 605 km, Czech Republic 658 km, Germany 456 km, Lithuania 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) 206 km, Slovakia 444 km, Ukraine 428 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:
47%

permanent crops:
1%

permanent pastures:
13%

forests and woodland:
29%

other:
10% (1993 est.)
arable land: 33.04%


permanent crops: 7.61%


other: 59.35% (1998 est.)
Languages Polish Spanish
Legal system mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review of legislative acts although under the new constitution, the Constitutional Tribunal ruling will become final as of October 1999; court decisions can be appealed to the European Court of Justice in Strasbourg 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 Zgromadzenie Narodowe consists of the Sejm (460 seats; members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Senate or Senat (100 seats; members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Sejm elections last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001); Senate - last held 21 September 1997 (next to be held by NA September 2001)

election results:
Sejm - percent of vote by party - AWS 33.8%, SLD 27.1%, UW 13.4%, PSL 7.3%, ROP 5.6%, MNSO 0.4%, other 12.4%; seats by party - AWS 201, SLD 164, UW 60, PSL 27, ROP 6, MNSO 2; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AWS 51, SLD 28, UW 8, ROP 5, PSL 3, independents 5; note - seats by party in the Sejm as of February 2001: AWS 175, SLD 161, UW 49, PSL 26, PP 6, KdP 7, ROP-PC 4, independents 31, one seat vacant

note:
two seats are assigned to ethnic minority parties
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:
73.42 years

male:
69.26 years

female:
77.82 years (2001 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:
99%

male:
99%

female:
98% (1978 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location Central Europe, east of Germany Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references Europe Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive economic zone:
defined by international treaties

territorial sea:
12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total:
46 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 943,540 GRT/1,532,694 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 41, cargo 2, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (2000 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 Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force 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 $3.17 billion (FY00) $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.95% (FY00) roughly 4% (FY95 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
10,447,931 (2001 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:
8,139,245 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 1,923,967


females age 15-49: 1,875,412 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 19 years of age 17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
344,781 (2001 est.)
males: 81,095


females: 87,780 (2003 est.)
National holiday Constitution Day, 3 May (1791) 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:
Pole(s)

adjective:
Polish
noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards NA 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 coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, arable land cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate -0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 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 crude oil and petroleum products 2,280 km; natural gas 17,000 km (1996) gas 49 km; oil 230 km (2003)
Political parties and leaders Coalition for Poland or KdP [first name unknown GRABOWSKI]; Confederation for an Independent Poland-Patriotic Camp or KPN-OP (KPN-Fatherland or KPN-O is a small group within the KPN-OP) [Michal JANISZEWSKI]; Democratic Left Alliance or SLD (Social Democracy of Poland) [Leszek MILLER]; Freedom Union or UW [Bronislaw GEREMEK]; German Minority of Lower Silesia or MNSO [Henryk KROLL]; Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland or ROP-PC [Jan OLSZEWSKI]; Polish Accord or PP [Jan LOPUSZANSKI]; Polish Peasant Party or PSL [Jaroslaw KALINOWSKI]; Polish Socialist Party or PPS [Piotr IKONOWICZ]; Solidarity Electoral Action or AWS (includes RS-AWS and Solidarity) [Marian KRZAKLEWSKI]; Social Movement-Solidarity Electoral Action or RS-AWS [Jerzy BUZEK] only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders All Poland Trade Union Alliance or OPZZ (trade union); Roman Catholic Church; Solidarity (trade union) NA
Population 38,633,912 (July 2001 est.) 11,263,429 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 18.4% (2000 est.) NA%
Population growth rate -0.03% (2001 est.) 0.34% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Gdansk, Gdynia, Gliwice, Kolobrzeg, Szczecin, Swinoujscie, Ustka, Warsaw, Wroclaw Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Radio broadcast stations AM 14, FM 777, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 20.2 million (1997) -
Railways total:
23,420 km

broad gauge:
646 km 1.524-m gauge

standard gauge:
21,639 km 1.435-m gauge (11,626 km electrified; 8,978 km double track)

narrow gauge:
1,135 km various gauges including 1.000-m, 0.785-m, 0.750-m, and 0.600-m (1998)
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 Roman Catholic 95% (about 75% practicing), Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and other 5% 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:
1.05 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2001 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:
underdeveloped and outmoded system; government aimed to have 10 million telephones in service by 2000; the process of partial privatization of the state-owned telephone monopoly has begun; in 1998 there were over 2 million applicants on the waiting list for telephone service

domestic:
cable, open wire, and microwave radio relay; 3 cellular networks; local exchanges 56.6% digital

international:
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat, NA Eutelsat, 2 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions), and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
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 8.07 million (1998) 473,031 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.78 million (1998) 2,994 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 179 (plus 256 repeaters) (September 1995) 58 (1997)
Terrain mostly flat plain; mountains along southern border mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate 1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.61 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 12% (1999) 4.1% (2001 est.)
Waterways 3,812 km (navigable rivers and canals) (1996) 240 km
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