Politics
conventional long form: Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana
Government type: Communist state
Date of Independence: 20 May 1902
National Holiday(s): Triumph of the Revolution (Liberation Day), 1 January (1959)
Chief of State: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
Head of Government: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
Executive Branch/Powers: president and vice presidents indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (no term limit); election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Legislative Branch/Powers: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (614 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority in a modified two-round vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the National Candidature Commission submits a slate of approved candidates who must obtain 50-percent of valid votes to be elected; if not, a byelection may be held or the seat remains vacant
Judicial Branch/Powers: professional judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 2.5-year terms; lay judges nominated by workplace collectives and neighborhood associations and elected by municipal or provincial assemblies; lay judges appointed for 5-year terms and serve up to 30 days per year
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Ambassador to the U.S.: Jose Ramon CABANAS Rodriguez (Charge d'Affaires)
Location of embassy in the US: 2630 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Location of consulate in the US: NA
Ambassador from the US: Jeffrey DELAURENTIS (Charge d'Affaires)
Location of their US embassy: Calzada, La Habana, Cuba
Location of US consulate: NA
Representative in the UN: Rodolfo Reyes Rodríguez
Flag Meaning: The colors represented the aspiration for freedom that all men share: red, white and blue. Three blue stripes represent the states into which the island was divided at that time; two white stripes imply the force and dedication of the idealistic soldier for independence; a red triangle for equality, fraternity and liberty, and the blood shed in the pursuit of freedom; a white five-sided star, inside the red triangle, as a symbol of freedom between nations.
National Symbols: royal palm; national colors: red, white, blue
International Disputes: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease
Quantity of refugees inside country AND country(ies) of origin of refugees: NA
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: NA
Quantity of Stateless Persons: NA
Current human trafficking issues: Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; child sex trafficking and child sex tourism occur in Cuba, while some Cubans are forced into prostitution in South America and the Caribbean; allegations have been made that some Cubans have been forced or coerced to work at Cuban medical missions abroad; assessing the scope of trafficking within Cuba is difficult because of the lack of information
Illicit Drug trafficking/use: territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008)
Capital: Havana
Government type: Communist state
Date of Independence: 20 May 1902
National Holiday(s): Triumph of the Revolution (Liberation Day), 1 January (1959)
Chief of State: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
Head of Government: Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz
Executive Branch/Powers: president and vice presidents indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (no term limit); election last held on 24 February 2013 (next to be held in 2018)
Legislative Branch/Powers: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (614 seats; members directly elected by absolute majority in a modified two-round vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the National Candidature Commission submits a slate of approved candidates who must obtain 50-percent of valid votes to be elected; if not, a byelection may be held or the seat remains vacant
Judicial Branch/Powers: professional judges elected by the National Assembly to serve 2.5-year terms; lay judges nominated by workplace collectives and neighborhood associations and elected by municipal or provincial assemblies; lay judges appointed for 5-year terms and serve up to 30 days per year
Suffrage: 16 years of age; universal
Ambassador to the U.S.: Jose Ramon CABANAS Rodriguez (Charge d'Affaires)
Location of embassy in the US: 2630 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Location of consulate in the US: NA
Ambassador from the US: Jeffrey DELAURENTIS (Charge d'Affaires)
Location of their US embassy: Calzada, La Habana, Cuba
Location of US consulate: NA
Representative in the UN: Rodolfo Reyes Rodríguez
Flag Meaning: The colors represented the aspiration for freedom that all men share: red, white and blue. Three blue stripes represent the states into which the island was divided at that time; two white stripes imply the force and dedication of the idealistic soldier for independence; a red triangle for equality, fraternity and liberty, and the blood shed in the pursuit of freedom; a white five-sided star, inside the red triangle, as a symbol of freedom between nations.
National Symbols: royal palm; national colors: red, white, blue
International Disputes: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease
Quantity of refugees inside country AND country(ies) of origin of refugees: NA
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: NA
Quantity of Stateless Persons: NA
Current human trafficking issues: Cuba is a source country for adults and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor; child sex trafficking and child sex tourism occur in Cuba, while some Cubans are forced into prostitution in South America and the Caribbean; allegations have been made that some Cubans have been forced or coerced to work at Cuban medical missions abroad; assessing the scope of trafficking within Cuba is difficult because of the lack of information
Illicit Drug trafficking/use: territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone for US- and European-bound drugs; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 (2008)