Long-form name: Republic of Cuba

Type: Communist state

Capital: Havana

Administrative divisions: 13 provinces (provincias, singular--provincia), 1 city** (ciudad), and 1 municipality* (municipio); Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Cienfuegos, Granma, Guantanamo, La Habana**, La Habana, Holguin, Isla de la Juventud*, Las Tunas, Matanzas, Pinar del Rio, Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara

Independence: 20 May 1902 (from Spain)

Constitution: 24 February 1976

Legal system: based on Spanish and American law, with large elements of Communist legal theory; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Revolution Day, 1 January (1959)

Branches: executive; legislature (National Assembly of the People's Power); controlled judiciary

Leader: @m5Chief of State and Head of Government--President Fidel CASTRO Ruz (since 1 January 1959)

Suffrage: universal but not compulsory over age 16

Elections: National Assembly of the People's Power (indirect election) every five years; last election held December 1986

Political parties and leaders: Cuban Communist Party (PCC), First Secretary Fidel Castro Ruz, Second Secretary Raul Castro Ruz

Communists: about 500,000 party members

Member of: CEMA, ECLA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GEPLACEA--Latin America and Caribbean Sugar Exporters Organization, IADB (nonparticipant), IAEA, ICAO, IFAD, ICO, IHO, ILO, IMO, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, NAM, OAS (nonparticipant), PAHO, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Postal Union of the Americas and Spain, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation: none; protecting power in the US is Czechoslovakia--Cuban Interests Section; Counselor Ramon SANCHEZ-PARODI; 2630 and 2639 16th Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 797-8518 or 8519, 8520, 8609, 8610; US--protecting power in Cuba is Switzerland--US Interests Section; Principal Officer John J. TAYLOR; Calzada entre L y M, Vedado Seccion, Havana; telephone 320551 or 320543

Flag: five equal horizontal bands of blue (top and bottom) alternating with white; a red equilateral triangle based on the hoist side bears a white five-pointed star in the center

NOTE: The information regarding Cuba on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cuba Government 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cuba Government 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.