mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m
Natural resources:
cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 27.63%
permanent crops: 6.54%
other: 65.83% (2005)
Irrigated land:
8,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
38.1 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.2 cu km/yr (19%/12%/69%)
per capita: 728 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
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
Environment - current issues:
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
Geography - note:
largest country in Caribbean and westernmost island of the Greater Antilles
People ::Cuba
Population:
11,477,459 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 73
Age structure:
0–14 years: 18.3% (male 1,077,745/female 1,020,393)
15–64 years: 70.4% (male 4,035,691/female 4,030,103)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 584,478/female 703,242) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 37.8 years
male: 37.1 years
female: 38.6 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.217% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 181
Birth rate:
11.02 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Death rate:
7.29 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
Net migration rate:
−1.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 169
Urbanization:
urban population: 76% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
Sex ratio:
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: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.72 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 180 male: 6.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.64 years country comparison to the world: 53 male: 75.36 years
female: 80.05 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.61 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 178
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 138
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban
Ethnic groups:
white 65.1%, mulatto and mestizo 24.8%, black 10.1% (2002 census)
Religions:
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented
Languages:
Spanish (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 18 years
male: 16 years
female: 19 years (2009)
Education expenditures:
13.6% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 2
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
Government ::Cuba
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba
local long form: Republica de Cuba
local short form: Cuba
Government type:
Communist state
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
Administrative divisions:
14