• Official name: Republic of Cuba
• Capital: Havana (2.2 Million inhabitant)
• Official language: Spanish
• Population (2005): 11 250 000 inhabitant
• Area: 110 860 square km
• GTM: - 5
• Country code: CU
• Phone code: + 53
• GSM: 900
• Currency: CUC (Cuban convertible peso)

• Florida (USA): 145 km (90 miles)
• Yucatan (Mexico): 210 Km
• Jamaica: 140 Km
• Haiti: 77 Km
• Bahamas: 50 Km
  

Area

Total area is 110 860 Km2, the island of Cuba area is 104 945 square km, Isla de la Juventud (Youth Island) is 2 200 square km and area of about 4 195 cays and little islands is 3 715 square km.

Main cays are:

• Romano Cay: 759 square km (Gardens of the King Archipelago)
• Coco Cay: 369 square km (Gardens of the King Archipelago)
• Fragoso Cay: 101 square km (Gardens of the King Archipelago)
• Guayaba Cay: 100 square km (Gardens of the King Archipelago)
• Cayo Largo del Sur: 36 square km (Canarreos Archipelago)

Population

Total population is 11 250 000 inhabitant , 75% residing in urban areas and 25% in rural areas. Cuba's people descends mainly from Spaniards and Africans, racial proportion are:

• White: 65%
• Mulattos: 25%
• Black: 10%

Administrative regions

Cuba is divided into 14 provinces and the Special Municipality of Isle of Youth. The provinces are: Pinar del Rio, Havana, Havana City, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguin, Granma, Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo

Climate

The climate of Cuba is subtropical humid, but without extreme temperatures since it is cooled by the breezes of Trade Winds. There are two clearly defined season, the dry one (winter, from November to April), and rainy season (summer, from May to October).

- Annual average temperature: 25°C
- Winter average temperature: 20°C
- Summer average temperature: 27°C

Total amount of rain is in average 1 200 mm per year, 70% in rainy season and 30% in dry season or winter. There are 80 rainy days per year.

The annual average relative humity is 80%

Religion

There is religious freedom in Cuba but the Roman Catholic Church is predominant and the most extended. There are many church along all country most of them with architectural and artistic values, the ones that stand out are Havana Cathedral Church, Santuario de la Virgen de la Caridad, Remedios Church, Santa Maria del Rosario Church, among others.

Afro-Cuban religions are deep-rooted, they are the result of syncretism between African pantheons and Catholic Saints.

Also, Protestant church denominations have been growing in last years.

Currency

There are two currencies in circulation in Cuba: CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso) and CUP (Cuban Peso). In Cuba all touristic services should be paid with CUC and practically all goods and services that you could purchase will be paid with CUC. The Cuban Peso (CUP) is only in use for Cuban people.

1 CUC = 24 CUP
1 CUC = 1.08 USD

To see CUC rates against other currencies (EUR, GBP, others) go to the website of Central Bank of Cuba.

US dollar no longer accepted in Cuba

Beginning November 8, 2004, the US dollar will no longer be accepted to purchase goods or services in Cuba.

All purchases will have to be made in the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC). It will be possible to exchange US currency, but a 10% fee will be charged to exchange US dollars in cash. It will also be possible to exchange Canadian currency, Sterling Pounds, Euros and Swiss Francs and traveller's cheques at major hotels and banks and at international airports for Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) without the 10% commission fee.

It will be possible to exchange Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) back to US dollars at the international airports before leaving the country or to Canadian dollars if available.

We recommend that you change your currency while in Cuba since it is not possible to exchange Cuban convertible pesos outside of Cuba

Economy

The Cuban economy adhere to socialist principles in organizing its state-controlled. Most of the means of production are owned and run by the government and about 75% of the labor force is employed by the state. The actual figure is closer to 93%, with some 150,000 small farmers and another 150,000 "cuentapropistas," or holders of licenses for self-employment, representing a mere 2.1% of the nearly 4.72 million-person workforce.

- GDP per capita income: $3,480 (2005).
- Natural resources: Nickel, cobalt, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber.
- Agriculture: Products-sugar, citrus and tropical fruits, tobacco, coffee, rice, beans, meat, vegetables.
- Industry: Types-sugar and food processing, oil refining, cement, electric power, light consumer and industrial products.
- Trade: Exports--$2.174 billion f.o.b. (2004.): nickel/cobalt, sugar and its byproducts, tobacco, seafood, pharmaceuticals, citrus, tropical fruits, coffee