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Cuba is an island nation located in the Caribbean. Cuba is situated near the United States, Mexico, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
CapitalHavana
Largest CityHavana
Area42,426 sq mi.
Population11,241,161
Official LanguageSpanish
CurrencyCuban peso(CUP)
President & PremierRaul Castro
First Vice PresidentJ. R. M. Ventura
Major religion Syncretic, Christian
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The nearest neighbors to Cuba are the United States (particularly the state of Florida), Mexico, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.
Cuba is an archipelago, or island group, made up of the main island and four groups of small islands. The total area of Cuba is about 109,884 square kilometers (42,426 square miles), the majority of which is centralized in the main island. The main island of Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean. The capital and largest city in Cuba is Havana, with a population of about 2.2 million. The next largest city is Santiago de Cuba, followed by Camaguey.
The population of Cuba as a whole is estimated at 11,163,934, making it the most populous island in the Caribbean. As a former Spanish colony, Cuba's official language is Spanish. The next most commonly spoken language is Haitian Creole, which was brought to the island by Haitian immigrants.
Cuba was colonized by early Spanish explorers, founding the city of San Cristobal de la Habana, which later became the capital, Havana in 1515. The native people of the islands, the Tainos, were conquered and were nearly wiped out by European diseases. Many years after the rest of Latin America gained independence, Cuba declared independence on October 10, 1868, during a period of war and unrest. After the Spanish-American War, Cuba achieved independence from the United States and was declared the Republic of Cuba in 1902. The 1956 revolution in Cuba led to the rise of Fidel Castro, who overtook then leader, Fulgencio Batista, and established Cuba as a Communist nation.
Cuba has a vibrant culture, with influences from Spain and parts of Africa. Major features of Cuba's culture include an emphasis on music, in styles such as salsa, rumba, and cha-cha-cha, as well as food, which incorporates Caribbean influences, and a variety of sports, including baseball and boxing.
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Last Updated On : February 13, 2013
