| Here are some more
facts... You can find
these facts in "The Cuban Economy" a publication by the United Nations and the
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL) of 1997.
- Cuba owes $18.3 billion dollars to Russia,(The
Miami Herald 5/26/1998)
- The province of Habana has 21% of the population and
people from other provinces of Cuba are not allowed to cross into Havana.
- The availability of public transportation decreased 70%
between 1990 and 1996 .
- Construction activity decreased 400% during the same period
of 1990 and 1996.
- Telecommunications is outdated and dates back to the 1930's
and 1940's .
- It is estimated that $8 billion dollars will be needed for
the reconstruction of power in Cuba.
- Sewer system is outdated and dates back to 1930 and 1950.
- In 1959 there were 11 prisons. Today there are more than
300.
- In the 1950's Cuba had 58 daily newspapers. Presently only
one exists.
- In the 1950's -Cuba ranked eighth in the world in number of
private radio stations. Presently privatly owned radio stations are forbidden.
- Cuba's infant mortality rate of 32 per 1,000 live births in
1957 was the lowest in Latin America and the 13th lowest in the world, according to UN
data. Cuba ranked ahead of France, Belgium, west Germany, Israel, Japan, Austria, Italy,
Spain, and Portugal, all of which would eventually pass Cuba in this indicator during the
following decades.
- Presently Cuba has one of the largest abortion rates in the
entire world
- Within Latin America, Cuba ranked second only to Venezuela
in 1958 in number of automobiles per capita at 24 per 1,000. Today its transportation
system is a complete disaster.
- During the late 1950's, Cuba ranked second only to Uruguay
in Latin America, with 169 radios per 1,000 people. (Worldwide, this put Cuba just ahead
of Japan.)
- In terms of television sets per capita, 1950's Cuba was far
ahead of the rest of Latin America and was among the world's leaders. Cuba had 45
television sets per 1,000 inhabitants in 1957, by far the most in Latin America and fifth
in the world, behind only Monaco, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
- During the 1950's, the Cuban people were among the most
informed in the world, living in an uncharacteristically large media market for such a
small country.
- In 1957, Cuba had more television stations (23) than any
other country in Latin America, easily outdistancing larger countries such as Mexico (12
television stations) and Venezuela (10). It also led Latin America and ranked eighth in
the world in number of radio stations (160), ahead of such countries as Austria (83 radio
stations), United Kingdom (62), and France (50), according to the UN statistical yearbook.
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