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CUBA.

Constitution and Government.

Cuba after having been continuously in Spanish possession from its discovery,' was by the peace preliminaries and by the definitive treaty signed by the Peace Commissioners at Paris, December 10, 1898, relinquished by Spain, and thus has the position of an independent nation. The direct armed interposition of the United States in the struggle against Spanish domination has, however, brought the island into close association with the United States Government. On November 5, 1900, a convention met to decide on a constitution, and on February 21, 1901, a constitution was adopted, under which the island has a republican form of government, with a president, a vice-president, a Senate, and a House of Representatives. The United States legislature passed a law authorising the President ot the United States to make over the government of the island to the Cuban people as soon as Cuba should undertake to make no treaty with any foreij',n power endangering its independence, to contract no debts for which the current revenue would not suffice, to concede to the United States Govern- ment a right of intervention, and also to grant to it the use of naval stations. On June 12, 1901, these conditions were accepted by Cuba, on February 24, 1902, the President and Vice-President of the Republic were elected, and on May 20 the control of the island was formally transferred to the new Cuban Government. Under treaties signed July 2, 1903, the United States has coaling stations in the Bay of Guantauamo and Bahia Honda, for which they pay 2,000 dollars annually. The connection between Cuba and the United States was rendered still closer by the reci}.rocal com- mercial convention which came into operation on December 27, 1903.

In August, 1906, an insurrection broke out, and a United States Com- mission undertook the provisional government. On January 24, 1909, the provisional government came to an end, and the new president assumed office.

President.— Gener&l Mario G. Menocal (Nov., 1912).

There is a Cabinet consisting of the Secretaries of State, oi Justice, of the Interior, of Finance, of Agriculture, Commerce, and Labour, ot Public Instruction, of Public Works, and of Sanitation and Charity.

The National Congress is made up of a Senate (24 members, 4 for each province) and a House of Representatives (83 members, 1 for every 25,000 of the inhabitants).

Area and Population.

Cuba has an area of 44,164 square miles with a jtopulation, according iv the census enumeration of 1910, of 2,220,278. The area, population, and density of population of each of tlic six provinces according to the census of 1910 were as follows : —