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SIGNATURE CECILIA GONDOR-MORALES
TITLE SECRETARY/TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund, Inc.
Financial Data Schedule
</LEGEND>
<CIK> 0000880406
<NAME> THE HERZFELD CARIBBEAN BASIN FUND, INC.
<S> <C> <C> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS YEAR YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUN-30-1999 JUN-30-1998 JUN-30-1997
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1998 JUN-30-1998 JUN-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 8,799,628 8,319,879 7,185,233
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 9,476,943 9,636,191 9,494,147
<RECEIVABLES> 18,863 16,628 38,307
<ASSETS-OTHER> 58,841 383,231 90,771
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 506,080 833,060 1,064,615
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 10,060,727 10,869,110 10,687,840
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0 0 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0 0 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,298,006 84,613 59,752
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 1,298,006 84,613 59,752
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0 0 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 8,364,180 8,364,180 8,364,180
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 1,677,636 1,677,636 1,677,636
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 1,676,636 1,677,636 1,677,636
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (267,155) (144,572) (128,248)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0 0 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (11,619) 1,248,577 83,242
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0 0 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 677,315 1,316,312 2,308,914
<NET-ASSETS> 8,762,721 10,784,497 10,628,088
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 54,301 212,056 88,700
<INTEREST-INCOME> 6,151 112,886 119,028
<OTHER-INCOME> 0 0 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 183,035 351,266 280,001
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (122,583) (16,324) (72,273)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (70,751) 1,902,656 30,631
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (638,997) (992,602) 1,880,758
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> (709,748) 893,730 1,839,116
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<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0 0 4118
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 1,189,445 737,321 134,119<F1>
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<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> (144,572) (128,248) (52,083)
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<GROSS-EXPENSE> 0 0 0
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 9,365,247 10,912,725 9,304,820
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 6.43 6.34 5.32
<PER-SHARE-NII> (0.08) (0.01) (0.04)
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (0.42) 0.54 1.14
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.71) 0.44 0.08
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0 0 0
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 5.22 6.43 6.34
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.039<F2> 0.032 0.030
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<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0 0 0
<FN>
<F1>All short-term
<F2>Annualized
</FN>
</TABLE>
