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General
Country:
Republic of Cuba (CU).
Nationality:
Cuban(s).
Language:
Spanish.
Capital: Havana.
Population:
11,100,000 (2013).
Climate:
Tropical; moderated by trade
winds; dry season (November to
April); rainy season (May to
October).
Geography
Coastline: 3,735
km.
Geographic
coordinates: 21 30 N, 80
00 W.
Highest point:
Pico Turquino 2,005 m.
Location:
Caribbean, island between the
Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of
Key West, Florida.
Size: 1000 km x
374 km (110,860 sq km).
Terrain: Mostly
flat to rolling plains, with
rugged hills and mountains in the
southeast.
Tourist
Information
Overview: Cuba
is the largest island in the
Caribbean, only 144 km (90 miles)
from the shores of the United
States. It is one of the most
beautiful Caribbean islands and
very interesting, too. Most
Cubans are good educated and very
friendly. Alike any other areas
in the world there are pros and
cons. Since Cuba has a communist
dictatorship, some strange
behaviour is common. Travellers
should be aware that they are not
in a democratic country.
Accommodations:
All inclusive resorts, hotels of
all categories, casas
particulares.
Activities:
Swimming, snorkeling, scuba
diving, cycling.
Average tourist
arrivals: 2,429,809
(2009).
Driving: On the
left site. A valid driver's
license is required. A seat belt
law is in effect which applies to
every person in the vehicle
including children.
Electricity: 110
volts AC, 60 cycles, but most
hotels and resorts have 220
volts. US two prongs thin plug
are used in Cuba, English and
European plugs are very hard to
find.
Entry
Requirements: European
nationals must have a valid
passport and a Tourist Card
("Tarjeta del Turista"), if
coming for touristic purposes. US
citizens must be licensed by the
Department of Treasury in order
to travel to Cuba, but travel to
the country is strictly
controlled and only select
categories of travellers are
licensable. Many US citizens
fligh from Mexico to Cuba, since
there is no passport stamping in
Cuba.
Telephone: The
international country code is 53.
There are two different cell
phone networks (TDMA and GSM).
Cuba currently have roaming
agreements with several
countries.
Time: UTC-5.
Daylight saving time: +1 hour,
begins last Sunday in March; ends
last Sunday in October.
Money
Cost of living:
Depending where you stay and how
you travel, but generally
moderate. Havanna is ranked
number 197 of the most expensive
places in the world (Barbados
108, Tampa Fla 235).
Credit cards:
Major credit cards are excepted
only in some banks, tourist
hotels and tourist shops.
Currency: Cuban
peso (CUP) and Convertible peso
(CUC). Convertible pesos per US
dollar - 0.9259 (2007). Cuba has
two currencies in circulation:
the Cuban peso (CUP) and the
convertible peso (CUC);
enterprises must exchange CUP and
CUC at a 1:1 ratio.
Tipping: Most
restaurants add a 10 % to 15 %
charge in lieu of tipping, so
check your bill carefully. Hotels
also often add a 10 % service
charge to your bill. Taxi drivers
expect a 10 % to 15 % tip.
Bartenders & Waitresses:
15-20% of the bill. Dive/Fishing
Boat Captain and Crew: $10-$20.
Bell Captain & Bellman: $1-$2
per bag. Hotel Courtesy Shuttle
Drivers: at least $1 or more per
person or $4-$5 per party.
Maids/Housekeepers: $1 or $2 per
day is adequate, usually left at
the end of your stay. Valet
Parking Attendants:
$1-$2.
Air
Transport
Airport:
(Havana) José Martà International Airport (HAV). The airport is
situated 15km (9 miles) southwest of Havana. Avoid illegal taxis. From
Havana, take Avenida Rancho Boyeros until Avenida Van Troy. (The
airport is named after the Cuban national hero Jose Marti. He
was a poet, an essayist, a journalist, a revolutionary
philosopher, a translator, a professor, a publisher, and a political
theorist.)
Departure Tax:
(Cuban Convertible pesos) in
cash.
Flight Times:
The shortest connecting flight
time from New York is 5 hours and
40 minutes. Miami: 0.5 hours.
Atlanta: 1.5 hours. Newark: 3
hours. London: 10 hours.
Frankfurt: 10,5 hours.
National
Airline: Cayman Airways;
operates 3 Boeing 737-200's, 2
Boeing 737-300 jets, and 2 Twin
Otter aircraft from its base in
Grand Cayman with service to:
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman;
Miami, New York, Tampa, Orlando,
Houston and Chicago in the United
States; Havana, Cuba; Kingston
and Montego Bay,
Jamaica.
Water
Transport
Ferry Terminal:
From the Malecon in Havanna
ferries are leaving to Jamaica,
Cancun in Mexico and Key West in
Florida.
Ports and
harbors: Cienfuegos,
Havana, Matanzas.
Politics
Ethnic groups:
Mulatto 51 %, white 37 %, black
11 %, Chinese 1 %.
Government type:
Communist state.
Legal system:
Based on Spanish civil law and
influenced by American legal
concepts, with large elements of
Communist legal theory; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction.
Literacy: 99.8 %
(2002 census).
Political
Status: British Overseas
Territory.
Religions:
Nominally 85 % Roman Catholic
prior to CASTRO assuming power;
Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Jews, and Santeria are also
represented.
Economy
Agriculture-products:
Sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee,
rice, potatoes, beans; livestock.
GDP per capita:
US$ 5,050 (2011 est.).
Industries:
Sugar, petroleum, tobacco,
construction, nickel, steel,
cement, agricultural machinery,
pharmaceuticals.
Natural
resources: Cobalt,
nickel, iron ore, chromium,
copper, salt, timber, silica,
petroleum, arable land.
Unemployment
rate: 1.9 % (2007 est.).
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