sea: 12 nm

International disputes: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased
to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can
terminate the lease

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
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Turquino 2,005 m

Natural resources: cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese,
salt, timber, silica, petroleum

Land use:
arable land: 23%
permanent crops: 6%
meadows and pastures: 23%
forest and woodland: 17%
other: 31%

Irrigated land: 8,960 sq km (1989)

Environment:
current issues: pollution of Havana Bay; overhunting threatens
wildlife populations; deforestation
natural hazards: the east coast is subject to hurricanes from August
to October (in general, the country averages about one hurricane
every other year); droughts are common
international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified -
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Marine Life
Conservation

Geographic note: largest country in Caribbean

People
------

Population: 10,951,334 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 1,256,674; female 1,191,652)
15-64 years: 68% (male 3,753,343; female 3,736,043)
65 years and over: 10% (male 478,630; female 534,992) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: 0.44% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 13.37 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 7.39 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.9 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.05 years
male: 72.71 years
female: 77.54 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Cuban(s)
adjective: Cuban

Ethnic divisions: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%

Religions: nom