)

Nationality: noun: Cuban(s) adjective: Cuban

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

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write male: 96.2%
female: 95.3% (1995 est.) total population: 95.7%

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 3,000 Cubans took to
the Straits of Florida in 2001; the US Coast Guard interdicted about 25%
of these migrants; Cubans also use non-maritime routes to enter the US;
some 2,400 Cubans arrived overland via the southwest border and direct
flights to Miami in 2000

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

Constitution: 24 February 1976, amended July 1992

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 president elected by the Na