Cuba Brittney Weber

Geography

Quick Facts: Largest country by land area in

Caribbean Terrain is mostly flat and rolling

plains much like the land found in the Midwest

Has a few mountains and rugged hills in southern parts

Zapata Swamp is found along the coastal areas which is the largest marsh in Cuba

2,321 miles of coastline which contain mostly white sand beaches and a number of marshes

Broken up into 14 provinces and 1 municipality (Isla de la Juventud) which are subdivided into 3 subdivisions municipalities

Has tropical clime Dry season: Nov-

April Wet season: May-

October

Jamaica

N

S

EW

Yucatan Channel

Strait of Florida

Bahamas

Turks and Caicos Islands

Faces Among Cuba

• People of Cuba are very enthusiastic when it comes to sports

• Their interests also include music and uniquely are able to perform until a high age

• The decent of Cubans are most Spanish and African slaves along with a mixture of the two

• Due to their economic hardships and distance from outsiders for so long, dishonesty and cheating is common among Cubans

• Roman Catholic is the most popular religion among Cubans

Cuban cigars are very popular

Baseball has been the favorite past

time for ages

People playing the guitars at

such a elder age

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Fidel Castro

Culture

• Diversity of culture is seen through the presence of architecture, sports, and the greatest is noticeable in their music

• Salsa originated here• Religion holds an important

place in Cuban hearts• During the 1950’s American

influence was seen through the nightlife, architecture, and brand names such as Sears

• Their music is influenced by Spain, France, United States and America• According to many, Cubans are born artists reflecting their rich heritage in music, art and literature

Cuba Living in the Past

• Havana was once filled with rich and vibrant people, buildings, and architecture, which only holds remains of it now

• 1950’s cars are still found riding the streets today

Cuba’s history “has a significance out of proportion to its size. The story of Cuba’s struggle for liberation from 400 years of

Spanish domination is one of the great epics in history.” - A History of Cuba and its relations with The United States, Vol. 1 Philip S. Foner, 1962 Explore 5 centuries of Cuban history...

• Spanish influence dates back to around 1511 with the conquest of Spaniard, Diego Velazquez

• Carlos Manuel de Céspedes-started first formal war against Spain

• The Ten Year War was one of three attempts to separate from Spain and it was not until The Cuban Revolution, was Cuba free of Spain

• After his conquer, Cuba remained under Spanish control for almost 500 years

• José Marti and

Juan Gualberto GómezRecognized for their ideology of

a “race-less” society for Cuba

Brief History

• The U.S. embargo began in 1960 and still continues for the most part in present day

• American owned and operated monopolies were strangling Cuba’s economy because of their wide use which was the main factor for trouble

• American influence is widely seen

Sources

“Culture of Cuba.” Maps XL, 2000. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. “Geography of Cuba." Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation, Inc,

20 Oct. 2010. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. Sierra, J.A. "500 Years of Cuban History." History of Cuba.

N.p., 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. Sierra, J.A. "Struggle for Cuban Independence ." History of

Cuba. N.p., 1 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2010.