The 2002 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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 prices, recessions in key export markets, and damage from Hurricane Michelle hampered growth in 2001. Cuba paid high prices for oil imports in the face of slumping prices in the key sugar and nickel industries and suffered a slowdown in tourist arrivals following September 11. The government subsequently depreciated the peso by approximately 30% and now aims for 3% growth in 2002.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $25.5 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.6% industry: 34.5% services: 57.9% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 0.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 4.3 million (2000 est.) note: state sector 78%, non-state sector 22% (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 24%, industry 25%, services 51% (1999)
Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $14.9 billion expenditures: $15.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Industries: sugar, petroleum, tobacco, chemicals, construction, services, nickel, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, biotechnology
Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 14.87 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 94.63% hydro: 0.4% other: 4.97% (2000) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 13.829 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock
Exports: $1.7 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: sugar, nickel, tobacco, fish, medical products, citrus, coffee
Exports - partners: Russia 18%, Canada 16%, Netherlands 12% (2000)
Imports: $4.9 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: petroleum, food, machinery, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment, consumer goods
Imports - partners: Spain 16%, Venezuela 13%, Italy 8% (2000)
Debt - external: $11 billion (convertible currency, 2000 est.); another $15 billion -$20 billion owed to Russia (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $68.2 million (1997 est.)
Currency: Cuban peso (CUP)
Currency code: CUP
Exchange rates: 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 (January 2002)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Cuba
Telephones - main lines in use: 473,031 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,994 (1997)
Telephone system: 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: Radio broadcast stations: AM 169, FM 55, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 3.9 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 58 (1997)
Televisions: 2.64 million (1997)
Internet country code: .cu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2001)
Internet users: 60,000 (2001)
Transportation Cuba
Railways: total: 4,807 km standard gauge: 4,807 km 1.435-m gauge, in public use (147 km electrified) note: in addition to the 4,807 km of standard-gauge track in public use, 7,162 km of track is in private use by sugar plantations; about 90% of the private use track is standard gauge and the rest is narrow gauge (2000 est.)
Highways: total: 60,858 km paved: 29,820 km (including 638 km of expressway) unpaved: 31,038 km (1997)
Waterways: 240 km
Ports and harbors: Cienfuegos, Havana, Manzanillo, Mariel, Matanzas,
Nuevitas, Santiago de Cuba
Merchant marine: total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 44,187 GRT/63,416 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 6, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3 (2002 est.)
Airports: 172 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 78 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 36 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 94 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 63 (2001)
Military Cuba
Military branches: Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) including Ground
Forces, 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 manpower - military age: 17 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 3,102,312 females age 15-49: 3,036,549 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,915,586 females age 15-49: 1,869,867 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 86,632 females: 79,562 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: roughly 4% (FY95 est.)
Military - note: Moscow, for decades the key military supporter and supplier of Cuba, cut off almost all military aid by 1993
Transnational Issues Cuba
Disputes - international: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
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
This page was last updated on 1 January 2002
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Cape Verde
Introduction Cape Verde
Background: The uninhabited islands were discovered and colonized by the Portuguese in the 15th century; they subsequently became a trading center for African slaves and later an important coaling and resupply stop for whaling and transatlantic shipping. Most Cape Verdeans have both African and Portuguese antecedents. Independence was achieved in 1975.
Geography Cape Verde
Location: