Cuba Demographics and Culture Because

Cuba

Demographics and Culture

Because it is a communist country and relatively isolated from the capitalist world, the demographics and population distribution of Cuba can be difficult to glean, in accurate and complete form. The estimated July 2000 population, according to Wordiq, was 11,141,997 and broken down, along age structure: 0-14 years: 21% (male 1,221,602; female 1,157,846); 15-64 years: 69% (male 3,849,135; female 3,829,599); 65 years and over: 10% (male 503,711; female 580,104) (2000 est.). The population growth rate was 0.39% (2000 est.), with a birth rate of 12.68 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) and a death rate: 7.31-deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.). The infant mortality rate was 7.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) the net migration rate from Cuba was 1.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.). (Wordiq, "Demographics," 2004)

Illicit migration is considered by the U.S. And Cuban governments to be a continuing problem. "Cubans attempt to depart the island and enter the U.S. using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, or falsified visas; some 3,800 Cubans took to the Florida Straits in 1999; the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted about 40% of these migrants." (Wordiq, "Demographics," 2004)

The current sex ratio at birth is 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female, 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female, 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female, with a total population: 1 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 76.21 years male: 73.84 years female: 78.73 years (2000 est.) the Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (2000 est.) ("Demographics," 2004)

In terms of Cuban culture, the main language spoken in Cuba is Spanish. Its ethnic groups are as thus: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%. Although religions are formally banned, since Castro came to power, the nation is nominally 85% Roman Catholic. Literacy, as defined along the lines of everyone over age 15 and over who can read and write of the total population: 95.7% (male: 96.2%, female: 95.3%). (Wordiq,"Demographics," 2004)

Traditionally in Cuba, the family was an important institution, but children "are required to take part in social activities outside of the home, resulting in children spending less time with parents and "Cuba's divorce rate is high" because of the strain on relationships because so few houses have been built. It is common for parents and children to live very tightly packed in small apartments. (Wordiq, "Culture, 2004) the fact that there is so little housing in urban centers means that the government is unwilling as well as perhaps unable to release statistics about how densely populated the nation's urban areas are per square mile.