Cuba

In brief

Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. Its capital is Havana. With 10.9 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 87th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 109,884 km². An island nation, Cuba has no land border.

GDP per capita stands at $9,605 (2020), 87th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 78.3 years (2024). 77% of the population lives in cities.

History of Cuba

Home to the Taíno, the island was reached by Columbus in 1492 and became a Spanish colony, with Havana as its great port. Sugar growing relied on slavery, abolished only in 1886. After two wars of independence, in which the poet José Martí died, and US intervention in 1898, Cuba became independent in 1902. The revolution led by Fidel Castro triumphed on 1 January 1959, followed by the failed Bay of Pigs invasion (1961), the Missile Crisis (1962) and a US embargo still in force.

Geography of Cuba

The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba stretches for about 1,250 km. Fertile plains and hills dominate; the Sierra Maestra in the east peaks at Pico Turquino (1,974 m). The archipelago also includes the Isle of Youth and thousands of islets.

Map of Cuba

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Flag of Cuba

The flag of Cuba is red, white and blue. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).

• Blue49%
• White31%
• Red20%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Three blue and two white stripes, a red triangle and a white star, “la Estrella Solitaria”. The blue stripes represent the three provinces of colonial times, the triangle equality and the blood shed, the star independence. Designed in 1849, it has been official since 1902.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Cuba” and “Flag of Cuba”.

See also: flags with a star.

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Fact file

Economy and society