Virgin Islands (2007) | Cuba (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas | 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: 21.8% (male 11,897/female 11,696)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 34,204/female 37,911) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 5,642/female 7,098) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 20% (male 1,163,741; female 1,102,391)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 3,949,197; female 3,948,196) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 528,162; female 617,077) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 170 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 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: 1,910 sq km
land: 346 sq km water: 1,564 sq km |
total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Background | During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. | 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. Some 2,500 Cubans attempted the crossing of the Straits of Florida in 2003; the US Coast Guard apprehended about 60% of the individuals. |
Birth rate | 13.68 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.18 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $17.21 billion
expenditures: $18.28 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
Capital | name: Charlotte Amalie
geographic coordinates: 18 21 N, 64 56 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Havana |
Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season September to November | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
Coastline | 188 km | 3,735 km |
Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | 24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002 |
Country name | conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies abbreviation: USVI |
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba |
Currency | - | Cuban peso (CUP) |
Death rate | 6.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.17 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $12.52 billion (convertible currency); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2003 est.) |
Dependency status | organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | 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 (territory of 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 |
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 | Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and employment. The islands hosted 2.6 million visitors in 2005. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are small but growing components of the economy. The islands are vulnerable to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment. | 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 reluctantly allows a large dollar market sector, fueled by tourism and remittances from Cubans abroad. |
Electricity - consumption | 926.4 million kWh (2005) | 13.38 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 996.1 million kWh (2005) | 14.38 billion kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 475 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m |
Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | 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 | black 76.2%, white 13.1%, Asian 1.1%, other 6.1%, mixed 3.5% (2000 census) | mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | 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 27 pesos per US dollar by the Government of Cuba (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor John DeJONGH (since 1 January 2007) cabinet: NA elections: under the US Constitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Virgin Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 7 and 21 November 2006 (next to be held November 2010) election results: John DeJONGH elected governor; percent of vote - John DeJONGH 57.3%, Kenneth MAPP 42.7% |
chief of state: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24 February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976); First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State and appointed by the National Assembly or the 31-member Council of State, elected by the Assembly to act on its behalf when it is not in session elections: president and vice presidents elected by the National Assembly for a term of five years; election last held 6 March 2003 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Fidel CASTRO Ruz reelected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee |
Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico (2006) | Netherlands 21.8%, Canada 16.2%, Russia 10.7%, Spain 8.7%, China 7.3% (2003) |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
Flag description | white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel | 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 - $32.13 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.) |
agriculture: 5.5%
industry: 26.9% services: 67.6% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2002 est.) | 2.6% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 21 30 N, 80 00 W |
Geography - note | important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean | 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 for cocaine and heroin bound for the US and Europe; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | petroleum, food, machinery and equipment, chemicals |
Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico (2006) | Spain 16.6%, Venezuela 12.5%, Italy 8.6%, US 8.5%, China 7.7%, Canada 5.4%, Mexico 5.3%, France 4.9% (2003) |
Independence | none (territory of the US) | 20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2.4% (2003 est.) |
Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals |
Infant mortality rate | total: 7.69 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.75 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 6.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.2% (2003) | 4.1% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | IOC, 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 | US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Superior Court of the Virgin Islands (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) | People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular (president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National Assembly) |
Labor force | 43,980 (2004 est.) | 4.58 million
note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (2003 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 1%
industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 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: 5.71%
permanent crops: 2.86% other: 91.43% (2005) |
arable land: 33.05%
permanent crops: 7.6% other: 59.35% (2001) |
Languages | English 74.7%, Spanish or Spanish Creole 16.8%, French or French Creole 6.6%, other 1.9% (2000 census) | Spanish |
Legal system | based on US laws | based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM 4, independent 3 note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held November 2008) |
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: 79.2 years
male: 75.4 years female: 83.22 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 77.04 years
male: 74.77 years female: 79.44 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90-95% est. male: NA% female: NA% (2005 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97.2% female: 96.9% (2003 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,818 GRT/81,850 DWT
by type: bulk 3, cargo 4, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2 registered in other countries: 35 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | 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) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 3,134,622
females age 15-49: 3,075,534 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 1,929,370
females age 15-49: 1,888,498 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 83,992
females: 91,901 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | 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: Virgin Islander(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban |
Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | 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 | sun, sand, sea, surf | cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
Net migration rate | -8.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 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 49 km; oil 230 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] | only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC [Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 108,448 (July 2007 est.) | 11,308,764 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% (2002) | NA |
Population growth rate | -0.171% (2007 est.) | 0.34% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 16, shortwave 0 (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 (2003) |
Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | 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: 1.017 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.902 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.795 male(s)/female total population: 0.912 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: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 16 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
domestic: full range of services available international: country code - 1-340; 2 submarine cable connections (Taino Carib, Americas-1); satellite earth stations - NA |
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; cellular service, initially restricted, was opened to public access in 2003
domestic: national fiber-optic system scheduled to be completed by end of 2003; 85% of switches digitized by end of 2002 with entire system by end 2003; telephone line density remains low; 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 | 71,700 (2005) | 574,400 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 80,300 (2005) | 17,900 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 5 (2006) | 58 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast |
Total fertility rate | 2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 6.2% (2004) | 2.6% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | - | 240 km (2004) |