LocationNorthwest Caribbean.
Area110,860 sq km (42,803 sq miles).
Population11.3 million (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density102 per sq km.
CapitalHavana.
Population:
: 2.2 million (2006).
GovernmentSocialist Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1898.
LanguageThe official language is Spanish.
ReligionRoman Catholic majority. There are also minority Afro-Cuban religions.
TimeGMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from last Sunday in March to last
Sunday in October.)
Electricity110/230 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style flat two-pin plugs are generally used, except in certain large hotels where the European round two-pin plug is standard.
Head of StateFidel Castro Ruz, premier 1959-76, president since 1976.
Acting Head of State: Raul Castro since 2006.
TelephoneCountry code: 53. Phonecards for both internal and external calls are readily available from shops and kiosks. Some calls must be made through the international operator, and may be subject to delays.
Mobile TelephoneRoaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. For extended stays, consider buying a Cuban mobile and SIM card for internal calls. The mobile network is often more reliable than landlines, though coverage is far from universal.
InternetAvailable at hotels and some Internet cafes. Some websites are censored.
MediaExpect to be starved of information in Cuba. All media is state-controlled and Western newspapers are not available. When Castro is making a speech, it can be an eerie experience to stand in the street and hear the same sound from every television on the block - it may be rubbish, but any information is better than none. Journalists must operate within the confines of laws against anti-government propaganda. The insulting of officials carries penalties of up to three years in prison. Private ownership of electronic media is prohibited by the constitution, and foreign news agencies must hire local journalists only through government offices.
PostLetters to Western Europe can take several weeks. It is advisable to use the airmail service.
Post office hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1800; the large Havana post office (Plaza San Francisco) is open until 2200. Many luxury hotels have small post offices on site, or can sell stamps and post letters out of hours.
Press• Papers are in Spanish, although the Communist Party daily newspaper,
Granma, publishes a weekly edition, called
Granma International, in English, German, Portuguese and French.
• There is also a fortnightly international newspaper,
Prisma, published in Spanish and English.
Radio• News, music and sport provider
Radio Rebelde.
• Radio Reloj which broadcasts 24-hour news.
• Radio Habana Cuba, an external broadcaster broadcasting in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.
20071 Jan Liberation Day.
2 Jan Victory of Armed Forces.
1 May Labor Day.
20 May Independence Day.
25-27Jul Days of Rebelliousness.
10 Oct Anniversary of the beginning of the War of Independence in 1868.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
2008
1 Jan Liberation Day.
2 Jan Victory of Armed Forces.
1 May Labor Day.
20 May Independence Day.
25-27Jul Days of Rebelliousness.
10 Oct Anniversary of the beginning of the War of Independence in 1868.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
Contact Information:Embassy of Cuba in the UK167 High Holborn, London WC1V 6PA, UK
Tel: (020) 7240 2488
or 0870 240 3675 (recorded information line).
Website:
www.cubaldn.com Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 (embassy); Mon-Fri 0930-1230 (consulate).
Cuba Tourist Board in the UK154 Shaftesbury Avenue (first floor), London WC2H 8JT, UK
Tel: (020) 7240 6655
or 09001 600 295 (24-hour brochure request line; calls cost 60p per minute).
Website:
www.cubatravel.cuCaribbean Tourism Organization in the UK22 The Quadrant, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1BP, UK
Tel: (020) 8948 0057.
Website:
www.doitcaribbean.comCuban Interests Section in the USA2639 16th Street, NW, Washington DC 20009, USA
Tel: (202) 797 8518/19/20.
Website:
http://embacu.cubaminex.cu/sicw
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