Cuba: Introduction

Total Population: 11,257,979

Natural Increase: -0.0%

Density: 106 Inhabitants/km²

Urban Population: 75.7%

Population of main cities including suburbs: La Habana (2,250,000); Santiago de Cuba (550,000); Camagüey (350,000); Holguín (320,000); Santa Clara (250,000).

Ethnic Origins: The majority of the Cuban population is of European origin (around 65%).  More than 10% of the Island's population is of African origin, 1% of Chinese origin and 22% is mixed.

Official Language: Spanish.

Other Languages Spoken: English

Business Language(s): Spanish

Religion: 85% of Cubans were Catholic before the revolution. The Catholic religion was banned after the revolution.  In 1992, an amendment to the Constitution authorised freedom of worship on the Island with some restrictions.  In practice, the religious beliefs of the old slaves merged with Catholicism giving birth to an Afro-Cuban religion called Santerias.

Literacy Rate: 99.8%

Area: 109,890 km²

Type of State: Socialist communist State

Type of Economy: Country with middle income (Lower-middle income).
Socialist planned economy; extremely dependent on tourism and the exports of raw materials.

HDI (World Rank): 48th/177

Telephone Code:
To Make a Call From Cuba, Dial 119
To Make a Call to Cuba, Dial +53

Internet Suffix: .cu

Telephone Lines: 9.9 per 100 Inhabitants

Internet Users: 12.9 per 100 Inhabitants

Access to Electricity: 96% of the Population