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Compare Saint Helena (2008) - Cuba (2005)

Compare Saint Helena (2008) z Cuba (2005)

 Saint Helena (2008)Cuba (2005)
 Saint HelenaCuba
Administrative divisions 1 administrative area and 2 dependencies*; Ascension*, Saint Helena, Tristan da Cunha* 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: 18.7% (male 716/female 691)


15-64 years: 71.1% (male 2,755/female 2,608)


65 years and over: 10.2% (male 358/female 415) (2007 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, corn, potatoes, vegetables; timber; fish, lobster (on Tristan da Cunha); livestock sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Airports 1 (2007) 170 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
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: 91


914 to 1,523 m: 29


under 914 m: 62 (2004 est.)
Area total: 413 sq km


land: Saint Helena Island 122 sq km; Ascension Island 90 sq km; Tristan da Cunha island group 201 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 110,860 sq km


land: 110,860 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background Saint Helena is a British Overseas Territory consisting of Saint Helena and Ascension Islands, and the island group of Tristan da Cunha.


Saint Helena: Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815 until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. During the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, several thousand Boer prisoners were confined on the island between 1900 and 1903.


Ascension Island: This barren and uninhabited island was discovered and named by the Portuguese in 1503. The British garrisoned the island in 1815 to prevent a rescue of Napoleon from Saint Helena and it served as a provisioning station for the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron on anti-slavery patrol. The island remained under Admiralty control until 1922, when it became a dependency of Saint Helena. During World War II, the UK permitted the US to construct an airfield on Ascension in support of trans-Atlantic flights to Africa and anti-submarine operations in the South Atlantic. In the 1960s the island became an important space tracking station for the US. In 1982, Ascension was an essential staging area for British forces during the Falklands War, and it remains a critical refueling point in the air-bridge from the UK to the South Atlantic.


Tristan da Cunha: The island group consists of the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale, Inaccessible, and Gough. Tristan da Cunha is named after its Portuguese discoverer (1506); it was garrisoned by the British in 1816 to prevent any attempt to rescue Napoleon from Saint Helena. Gough and Inaccessible Islands have been designated World Heritage Sites. South Africa leases a site for a meteorological station on Gough Island.
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 11.93 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 12.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $13.09 million


expenditures: $32.16 million


note: revenue data reflect locally raised revenues only; the budget deficit is resolved by grant aid from the United Kingdom (FY06/07 est.)
revenues: $18.01 billion


expenditures: $19.06 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital name: Jamestown


geographic coordinates: 15 56 S, 5 44 W


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Havana
Climate Saint Helena: tropical marine; mild, tempered by trade winds


Ascension Island: tropical marine; mild, semi-arid


Tristan da Cunha: temperate marine; mild, tempered by trade winds (tends to be cooler than Saint Helena)
tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October)
Coastline Saint Helena: 60 km


Ascension Island: NA


Tristan da Cunha: 40 km
3,735 km
Constitution 1 January 1989 24 February 1976; amended July 1992 and June 2002
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Saint Helena
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba


conventional short form: Cuba


local long form: Republica de Cuba


local short form: Cuba
Death rate 6.63 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.19 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $NA $12.09 billion (convertible currency); another $15-20 billion owed to Russia (2004 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 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 $29.56 million obtained in a grant from the United Kingdom (FY06/07) $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Economy - overview The economy depends largely on financial assistance from the UK, which will amount to about $27 million in FY06/07 or almost 70% of annual budgetary revenues. The local population earns income from fishing, raising livestock, and sales of handicrafts. Because there are few jobs, 25% of the work force has left to seek employment on Ascension Island, on the Falklands, and in the UK. 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 7.44 million kWh (2005) 13.4 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 8 million kWh (2005) 14.41 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha 2,062 m; Green Mountain on Ascension Island 859 m; Mount Actaeon on Saint Helena Island 818 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 African descent 50%, white 25%, Chinese 25% mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Exchange rates Saint Helenian pounds per US dollar - 0.4993 (2007), 0.5434 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003)


note: the Saint Helenian pound is on par with the British pound
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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Governor and Commander in Chief Andrew GURR (since 11 November 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, three ex-officio officers, and five elected members of the Legislative Council


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor is 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 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 0 bbl/day (2004) NA
Exports - commodities fish (frozen, canned, and salt-dried skipjack, tuna), coffee, handicrafts sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners Tanzania 37.7%, US 17.4%, Japan 15.2%, UK 8.4%, Nigeria 4.8%, Spain 4.5% (2006) Netherlands 22.7%, Canada 20.6%, China 7.7%, Russia 7.5%, Spain 6.4%, Venezuela 4.4% (2004)
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March calendar year
Flag description blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Saint Helenian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield features a rocky coastline and three-masted sailing ship 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: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
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 NA% 3% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates Saint Helena: 15 57 S, 5 42 W


Ascension Island: 7 57 S, 14 22 W


Tristan da Cunha island group: 37 15 S, 12 30 W
21 30 N, 80 00 W
Geography - note Saint Helena harbors at least 40 species of plants unknown anywhere else in the world; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns; Queen Mary's Peak on Tristan da Cunha is the highest island mountain in the South Atlantic and a prominent landmark on the sea lanes around southern Africa 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 - 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 64.07 bbl/day (2004) NA
Imports - commodities food, beverages, tobacco, fuel oils, animal feed, building materials, motor vehicles and parts, machinery and parts petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners UK 53.5%, South Africa 14.3%, Spain 10.3%, Tanzania 8.5%, US 4.6% (2006) Spain 14.7%, Venezuela 13.5%, US 11%, China 8.9%, Canada 6.4%, Italy 6.2%, Mexico 4.9% (2004)
Independence none (overseas territory of the UK) 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 construction, crafts (furniture, lacework, fancy woodwork), fishing, philatelic sales sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals
Infant mortality rate total: 17.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.19 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 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) 3.2% (1997 est.) 3.1% (2004 est.)
International organization participation UPU 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 NA 870 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Magistrate's Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly)
Labor force 2,486


note: 1,200 work offshore (1998 est.)
4.55 million


note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 6%


industry: 48%


services: 46% (1987 est.)
agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
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 thus remains part of Cuba
Land use arable land: 12.9%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 87.1% (2005)
arable land: 33.05%


permanent crops: 7.6%


other: 59.35% (2001)
Languages English Spanish
Legal system English common law and statutes, supplemented by local statutes based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Legislative Council (16 seats, including the speaker, three ex officio and 12 elected members; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 31 August 2005 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 12
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: 78.09 years


male: 75.19 years


female: 81.15 years (2007 est.)
total population: 77.23 years


male: 74.94 years


female: 79.65 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 20 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97%


female: 98% (1987 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97%


male: 97.2%


female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
Location islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and Africa; Ascension Island lies 700 nm northwest of Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha lies 2300 nm southwest of Saint Helena Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida
Map references Africa Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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 defense is the responsibility of the UK 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 (MGR), Air and Air Defense Force (DAAFAR), Territorial Militia Troops (MTT), Youth Labor Army (EJT)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $572.3 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.8% (2003)
National holiday Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) 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: Saint Helenian(s)


adjective: Saint Helenian


note: referred to locally as "Saints"
noun: Cuban(s)


adjective: Cuban
Natural hazards active volcanism on Tristan da Cunha, last eruption in 1961 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 fish, lobster cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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 none only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 7,543


note: only Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha islands are inhabited (July 2007 est.)
11,346,670 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA
Population growth rate 0.53% (2007 est.) 0.33% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors - Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas
Radio broadcast stations Saint Helena: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0


Ascension: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2005)
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 Anglican (majority), Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.036 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.056 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.863 male(s)/female


total population: 1.031 male(s)/female (2007 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 NA years of age 16 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: can communicate worldwide


domestic: automatic digital network


international: country code (Saint Helena) - 290, (Ascension Island) - 247; international direct dialing; satellite voice and data communications; satellite earth stations - 5 (Ascension Island - 4, Saint Helena - 1)
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 2,200 (2002) 574,400 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 17,900 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 0 (3 television channels are received via satellite and distributed by UHF) (2005) 58 (1997)
Terrain the islands of this group result from volcanic activity associated with the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge


Saint Helena: rugged, volcanic; small scattered plateaus and plains


Ascension: surface covered by lava flows and cinder cones of 44 dormant volcanoes; ground rises to the east


Tristan da Cunha: sheer cliffs line the coastline of the nearly circular island; the flanks of the central volcanic peak are deeply dissected; narrow coastal plain lies between The Peak and the coastal cliffs
mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Total fertility rate 1.55 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Transportation - note there is no air connection to Saint Helena or Tristan da Cunha; an international airport for Saint Helena is in development for 2010 -
Unemployment rate 14% (1998 est.) 2.5% (2004 est.)
Waterways - 240 km (2004)
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