Cuba
|
| Basic Facts |
| Country name |
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba local long form: Republica de Cuba local short form: Cuba |
| Gevernment type | Communist state |
| Capital |
name: Havana
geographic coordinates: 23 08 N, 82 22 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 |
| 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 |
| Currency | Cuban peso (CUP) and Convertible peso (CUC) |
| Internet country code | .cu |
| Ports and terminals | Cienfuegos, Havana, Matanzas |
| Agriculture products | sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock |
| Industries | sugar, petroleum, tobacco, construction, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals |
| Geography |
| Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida |
| Coordinates | 21 30 N, 80 00 W |
| Continent | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area |
total: 110,860 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Boundaries |
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 |
| Coastline | 3,735 km |
| Climate | tropical; moderated by trade winds; dry season (November to April); rainy season (May to October) |
| Terrain | mostly flat to rolling plains, with rugged hills and mountains in the southeast |
| Natural resources | cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land |
| 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 |
| People |
| Population | 11,382,820 (July 2006 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% |
| Religions | nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also represented |
| Languages | Spanish |
