nese 1%

Religions:
nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming power;
Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria are also
represented

Languages:
Spanish

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 96.9% (2003 est.)
male: 97.2%
total population: 97%

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

Government Cuba

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
conventional short form: Cuba
local short form: Cuba
local long form: Republica de Cuba

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
Havana

Administrative divisions:
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

Independence:
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US
from 1898 to 1902)

National holiday:
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)

Constitution:
24 February 1976, amended July 1992 and June 2002

Legal system:
based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist
legal theory; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
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
elections: president and vice