Cuba is a large Caribbean island nation under Communist rule. It’s located at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, with its nearest neighbours being Haiti to the east, Florida (United States) to the north, the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) to the west, and Jamaica to the south. In the south-east and south-central areas, the island is quite mountainous, but elsewhere it’s flat or rolling. Cuba also includes numerous small islands, cays and islets.

Cuba is well known for its rolling mountains, white sand beaches, cigars and rum. It’s very colourful capital, Havana, features beautifully preserved Spanish colonial architecture within its 16th century core.

The original indigenous inhabitants of Cuba were known as the Guanajatabey people: they were followed by the Ciboney and Taíno tribes. Christopher Columbus arrived on the island in 1492 and claimed Cuba as Spanish territory.

Interesting Facts about Cuba

The population of Cuba as at the year 2013 was 11.27 million;

The currencies of Cuba are the Cuban peso and the Cuban convertible peso;

The official language is Spanish, which is spoken throughout the country;

The major religions of Cuba include 95% Roman Catholic, with the remainder being Protestant, Jewish, Muslim and Santeria;

The ethnic groups of Cuba are 51% mulatto, 37% white (of European descent), 11% black, and Chinese 1%;

Because the island looks like an alligator from an aerial view, Cuba is often known as El Cocodrilo (Spanish for alligator) or El Caiman;

Every child in Cuba between the ages of six and 15 are required to attend school: students of each grade level wear a different coloured uniform;

Cuba, with its population of more than 11 million residents, is the most populated country in the Caribbean;

Because Fidel Castro admired The Beatles (and in particular John Lennon) he erected a statue of John in the year 2000. Castro believed that John Lennon was a true music revolutionary;

Cubans pass their recipes down from generation to generation, not through writing them down, but through stories and shared experiences;

There are many doctors in Cuba, so-much-so that Cuba has the highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the world. Cuban doctors are often sent abroad to work in countries who have a great need of medical professionals;

Cuba’s literacy rate is 99.8% – one of the highest in the world;

Cuba is the birthplace of classic dance styles such as the Cha-Cha, the Bolero and the Mambo;

The Mangar is a rare prehistoric fish, and today can only be found in Cuba;

Cuban citizens are only allowed to legally own cars manufactured and purchased before 1959. The Cuban government seized all cars after 1959 and to this day owns them all.