Capital

Dominican Republic

name: Santo Domingo

geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: named after Saint Dominic de GUZMAN (1170-1221), founder of the Dominican Order

Kuba

name: Havana

geographic coordinates: 23 07 N, 82 21 W

time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - Cuba has been known to alter the schedule of DST on short notice in an attempt to conserve electricity for lighting

etymology: the sites of Spanish colonial cities often retained their original Taino names; Habana, the Spanish name for the city, may be based on the name of a local Taino chief, HABAGUANEX

Citizenship

Dominican Republic

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the Dominican Republic

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 2 years

Kuba

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

Legal system

Dominican Republic

civil law system based on the French civil code; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system

Kuba

civil law system based on Spanish civil code

Suffrage

Dominican Republic

18 years of age; universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age can vote; note - members of the armed forces and national police by law cannot vote

Kuba

16 years of age; universal

Area

Dominican Republic

total: 48,670 sq km

land: 48,320 sq km

water: 350 sq km

Kuba

total: 110,860 sq km

land: 109,820 sq km

water: 1,040 sq km

Land use

Dominican Republic

agricultural land: 51.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 16.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 10.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 24.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 40.8% (2018 est.)

other: 7.7% (2018 est.)

Kuba

agricultural land: 60.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 33.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 3.6% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 22.9% (2018 est.)

forest: 27.3% (2018 est.)

other: 12.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Dominican Republic

Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti

Kuba

Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, 150 km south of Key West, Florida

Age structure

Dominican Republic

0-14 years: 25.92% (male 1,422,186/female 1,374,991)

15-64 years: 67.09% (male 3,675,934/female 3,563,597)

65 years and over: 6.99% (2023 est.) (male 355,069/female 398,967)

Kuba

0-14 years: 16.39% (male 926,457/female 874,347)

15-64 years: 66.81% (male 3,692,573/female 3,647,316)

65 years and over: 16.8% (2023 est.) (male 835,005/female 1,010,276)

Birth rate

Dominican Republic

17.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Kuba

10 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Dominican Republic

7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Kuba

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Dominican Republic

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Kuba

Spanish (official)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Dominican Republic

total population: 71.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 70.3 years

female: 73.5 years

Kuba

total population: 79.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 77.5 years

female: 82.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Dominican Republic

3.524 million SANTO DOMINGO (capital) (2023)

Kuba

2.149 million HAVANA (capital) (2023)

Median age

Dominican Republic

total: 28.9 years (2023 est.)

male: 28.7 years

female: 29 years

Kuba

total: 42.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 40.8 years

female: 44.3 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Dominican Republic

20.9 years (2013 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Net migration rate

Dominican Republic

-2.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Kuba

-2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Dominican Republic

coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)

Kuba

large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana

Population growth rate

Dominican Republic

0.73% (2023 est.)

Kuba

-0.19% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Dominican Republic

2.13 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Kuba

1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Dominican Republic

urban population: 84.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Kuba

urban population: 77.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Dominican Republic

4.6% of GDP (2020 est.)

Kuba

NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Dominican Republic

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2017)

Kuba

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2021)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Dominican Republic

-3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Kuba

-10.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Dominican Republic

15.89% (2021 est.)

Kuba

-6.75% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Dominican Republic

5.027 million (2021 est.)

Kuba

5.135 million (2021 est.)

note: state sector 72.3%, non-state sector 27.7%

Population below poverty line

Dominican Republic

21% (2019 est.)

Kuba

NA

Unemployment rate

Dominican Republic

8.5% (2021 est.)

6.13% (2020 est.)

6.36% (2019 est.)

Kuba

2.76% (2021 est.)

2.62% (2020 est.)

1.74% (2019 est.)

note: data are official rates; unofficial estimates are about double

Public debt

Dominican Republic

37.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

34.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Kuba

47.7% of GDP (2017 est.)

42.7% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Dominican Republic

8.24% (2021 est.)

3.78% (2020 est.)

1.81% (2019 est.)

Kuba

5.5% (2017 est.)

4.5% (2016 est.)

Exports

Dominican Republic

$20.509 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$14.889 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.509 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Kuba

$2.63 billion (2017 est.)

$2.546 billion (2016 est.)

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - partners

Dominican Republic

United States 51%, Haiti 7%, Switzerland 7%, India 5%, Netherlands 3% (2021)

Kuba

China 38%, Spain 11%, Netherlands 5%, Germany 5% (2019)

Imports

Dominican Republic

$28.541 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$20.302 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$24.526 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Kuba

$11.06 billion (2017 est.)

$10.28 billion (2016 est.)

Imports - partners

Dominican Republic

United States 42%, China 19%, Spain 3%, Brazil 3%, Mexico 3% (2021)

Kuba

Spain 19%, China 15%, Italy 6%, Canada 5%, Russia 5%, United States 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)

Airports

Dominican Republic

36 (2021)

Kuba

133 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Dominican Republic

total: 1,031,858 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2020 est.)

Kuba

total: 231,654 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Dominican Republic

total: 9.35 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 85% (2021 est.)

Kuba

total: 7.81 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 71% (2021 est.)

note: private citizens are prohibited from buying computers or accessing the Internet without special authorization; foreigners may access the Internet in large hotels but are subject to firewalls; some Cubans buy illegal passwords on the black market or take advantage of public outlets to access limited email and the government-controlled "intranet"; issues relating to COVID-19 impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be different than published numbers suggest

Railways

Dominican Republic

total: 496 km (2014)

standard gauge: 354 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 142 km (2014) 0.762-m gauge

Kuba

total: 8,367 km (2017)

standard gauge: 8,195 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (124 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 172 km (2017) 1.000-m gauge

note: As of 2013, 70 km of standard gauge and 12 km of narrow gauge track were not for public use

Roadways

Dominican Republic

total: 19,705 km (2002)

paved: 9,872 km (2002)

unpaved: 9,833 km (2002)

Kuba

total: 60,000 km (2015)

paved: 20,000 km (2001)

unpaved: 40,000 km (2001)

Telephones - fixed lines

Dominican Republic

total subscriptions: 1,154,670 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 10 (2021 est.)

Kuba

total subscriptions: 1,539,269 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Dominican Republic

total subscriptions: 9,735,351 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 88 (2021 est.)

Kuba

total subscriptions: 7,103,296 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 63 (2021 est.)

Kuba

240 km (2011) (almost all navigable inland waterways are near the mouths of rivers)

Disputes - international

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic-Haiti: unauthorized migration and smuggling from impoverished and unstable Haiti has led to occasional border tensions and increased security by the Dominican Republic, including the construction of a fence and the deployment of military troops

Kuba

US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased to US and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the facility can terminate the lease