The official language of Cuba. Cuba - Republic of Cuba

Motto: "Patria o Muerte"
"Fatherland or Death" Hymn: "La Bayamesa" Independence date December 10, 1898 (from) Official language Spanish Capital Largest cities Havana, Santiago de Cuba Form of government one-party socialist republic First Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Raul Castro The president Miguel Diaz-Canel Territory 104th in the world Total 110 860 km² Population Assessment (2013) ▼ 11,061,886 people (77th) Census (2015) ▲ 11,239,004 people Density 102 people / km² GDP (PPP) Total (2010) $ 114.1 billion (67th) Per capita USD 9,900 HDI (2018) ▲ 0.777 (high; 73rd place) Currency peso (CUP, 192)
convertible peso (CUC, 931) Internet domain .cu ISO Code CU IOC code CUB Telephone code +53 Time Zones -5 Car traffic on right

Cuba(Spanish. Cuba), official name - Republic of Cuba(Spanish. República de Cuba), unofficial since 1959 Liberty Island - Island state in the northern Caribbean. The country occupies the territory of the island of the same name as part of the Big Antilles, the Juventud Islands and many smaller islands. It is separated from Cuba by the Florida Strait in the north and the Yucatan Strait in the west. The country has been a member of the UN since 1945.

The capital and largest city is.

Etymology

The name "Cuba" has its origin in the now-dead languages of the Taino Indians who inhabited the Greater Antilles. The exact meaning of the name is unclear, there is a point of view that it can mean "a place where fertile land is abundant" ( cubao), or "beautiful place" ( coabana).

There is also a hypothesis that Christopher Columbus named the island after the village of Cuba in Beja's area.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Cuba

Geographical position

Relief of cuba

Minerals

Cuba ranks third in the world (after New Caledonia and Australia, 2007) in terms of nickel reserves, the production of which began in 1943 and increased significantly in the period after the 1959 revolution, when, with the assistance of the USSR, mine equipment was modernized and a mining and processing plant was built.

Cuba possesses large reserves of cobalt and ranks third in the world in terms of its extraction and production.

Also, Cuba has large deposits of copper ores (in the provinces of Oriente and Pinar del Rio), manganese ores (in the province of Oriente), chromites (in the province of Camaguey), kaolin (on the island of Pinos), iron ore, asbestos, rock salt, phosphorites. There are no coal deposits.

In 1984, oil and gas fields were discovered in the west of the country. In 2006, the development of an oil and gas field north of the island, off the coast of Florida, began. According to some reports, oil reserves on the Cuban shelf exceed 5 billion barrels (Havana insists on the figure of 20 billion barrels), and gas reserves - 300 billion cubic meters. The total proven oil reserves for 2010 amount to 178.9 million barrels, natural gas - 70.9 billion cubic meters.

Climate

Tropical, trade wind. Average annual temperature is 25.5 ° C. average temperature the coldest month (January) is 22.5 ° C and the hottest (August) is 27.8 ° C. The temperature of surface waters off the coast is 22-24 ° C in winter and 28-30 ° C in summer. The average annual rainfall, which usually falls in the form of rainstorms, is 1400 mm, but dry years also often occur.

Cuba has two distinct climatic seasons: rainy (May-September) and dry (October-April). The rainy season accounts for 3/4 of the total annual precipitation.

A characteristic feature of the Cuban climate is the typical high humidity throughout the year. The combination of high humidity and high temperature has an overall adverse effect on human life. However, on the coast, the wind from the sea moderates the heat, brings freshness, and in the evenings and coolness. In any place the winds are characterized by a certain constancy, therefore it is often possible to see trees, the trunks of which also have a corresponding slope.

Cuba is prone to tropical cyclones, which originate in the summer-autumn period (June - mid-November) east of the Lesser Antilles and in the west of the Caribbean Sea, then moving sideways. Cyclones are accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds that can cause great damage to the economy and the population of the island (see Cuban hurricane (1910)). Rivers in Cuba are short, not full of water. Forests, covering about 10% of the territory, have survived only in mountainous and swampy areas. The fauna of the land is relatively poor. At the same time, the waters surrounding Cuba contain valuable commercial fish, molluscs, lobsters, shrimps and sponges.

Administrative division

Main article: Administrative divisions of Cuba

Cuba is a unitary state. For political and administrative purposes, the national territory until 2011 was divided into 15 provinces and the special municipality of the island of Juventud, the provinces were divided into municipalities. On January 1, 2011, the decision to divide the province of Havana into the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeke came into force, and the number of provinces increased to 16. Provinces, in turn, are divided into 169 municipalities.

Pinar del Rio (Spanish. Pinar del rio )
Artemis (Spanish. Artemisa )
(Spanish. Ciudad de La Habana )
Mayabeke (Spanish. Mayabeque )
Matanzas (Spanish. Matanzas )

Cienfuegos (Spanish. Cienfuegos )
Villa Clara (Spanish. Villa Clara )
Sancti Spiritus (Spanish. Sancti spiritus )
Ciego de Avila (Spanish. Ciego de Avila )
Camaguey (Spanish. Camagüey )

Las Tunas (Spanish. Las tunas )
Granma (Spanish. Granma )
Holguin (Spanish. Holguin )
Santiago de Cuba (Spanish. Santiago de cuba )
Guantanamo (Spanish. Guantanamo )
Juventud Island (Spanish. Isla de la juventud )

The representative bodies of the provinces are the provincial assemblies of people's power, elected by the municipal assemblies of the people's power, executive bodies provinces - the executive committees of the provincial assemblies of people's power, elected by the provincial assemblies of people's power.

Representative bodies of municipalities - municipal assemblies of people's power, are elected by the population, executive bodies of municipalities - executive committees of municipal assemblies of people's power, elected by municipal assemblies of people's power.

Transport

Cuba Railways Scheme

On the island of Cuba there is Railway, a network of highways. There are sea and air links with other countries. Cubana de Aviación, the leading airline in Cuba, has offices in 32 countries.

Bridge in Cuba connecting the province of Matanzas with the province of Mayabeke

Population

Main article: Cubans

Cuba demographic curve. FAO data, 2005.

Cubans are a people of mixed origin. By the time the Spaniards appeared here, Cuba was inhabited by the tribes of the Siboneans, Indians of the Arawak group, Guanahanabes and Indians who moved from Haiti. But as a result of Spanish colonization, the Indians were mostly exterminated.

Since the Spanish colonists needed a lot of labor, primarily to work on the plantations, they began to import slaves from (mainly Yoruba, Ashanti, Ewe, Congo). Over 350 years, the Spaniards imported more than 1 million African slaves, their descendants make up 40% of the population. In addition, Indian slaves from Yucatan were imported in small numbers, and. During the same period, 850,000 Gallego settlers arrived, mostly Galicians, Castilians, Navarrians, Catalans, but not all of them remained to live in Cuba. Since the end of the 18th century. a large stream of Frenchmen from Haiti also arrived here and. Quite an intensive flow of immigrants was also from Italy and Britain.

On June 3, 1847, the first 200 Chinese were imported to the island; later, in the period from 1853 to 1874, more than 125,000 Chinese were imported from Asia. Chinatown has been preserved to this day.

At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans settled in Cuba, who established their colonies on the island of Pinos. There were very strong waves of immigration to Cuba during and after the First and Second World Wars, first of all, Jews moved here.

In 1953, the proportion of the white population was 84%, but then declined, mainly as a result of emigration after the revolution.

Data on the racial makeup of Cuba are inconsistent. According to the official data of the 2002 census, the population of Cuba consists of white - 65.1% (7,271,926), mulattos - 24.8% (2,778,923), blacks - 10.1% (1,126,894), 1% - Chinese (113,828). According to the Institute of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami, 68% of Cubans are blacks and mulattoes. The international minority rights group claims that 51% of the population is mulatto.

According to the census, in September 2012, the total population of Cuba was 11,163,934.

Matanzas

Population aging

According to British magazine The economist Cuba is the only Latin American country whose population is declining. The aging population of Cuba is also the highest in the region. In the opinion The economist, this is due to a sharp decline in the birth rate. Thus, the average number of children per woman fell from five in 1963 to 1.9 in 1978 and 1.5 between 2004 and 2008. On the other hand, good health care has led to an increase in the number of elderly people. As a result of these processes, in 2008, for the first time in the country's history, the share of the population under the age of 14 equaled the share of over 60 years old - approximately 18% each. In the opinion The economist this fact threatens the sustainability of Cuba's pension system. The trend towards an aging population is also visible in the example of the country's leadership: the average age of members of the Cuban Politburo is over 70 years.

Story

Main article: History of Cuba

Until the end of the 16th century, Cuba was inhabited by Indian tribes, first by the Guanahatabey (in the 6th century BC), and later by the Arawaks. The Indians were engaged in hunting and farming.

The first of the Europeans to find themselves here was Columbus, who landed in the east of the archipelago in October 1492. In 1511 Diego Velazquez de Cuellar subdued the indigenous population of the islands, built Fort Baracoa and became the first Spanish governor of Cuba. By 1514, seven settlements were founded. In 1515 Cuellar moved his headquarters to Santiago de Cuba, which became the first capital of Cuba. Colonization took place in a struggle with the indigenous population of the island - the Taino Indians, who constituted 75% of the population. Columbus reported on the millionth killed Indian. The population of Cuba in the 15th century was about 1,800,000.

In 1823, the first uprising for independence from Spain was suppressed.
In 1868, Cuba's Ten Years War of Independence began; the rebels were supported. Military operations culminated in 1872-1873, but then the rebels fought only in the eastern provinces, Camaguey and Oriente. In 1878, a peace agreement was signed that eliminated the most unpleasant legislative acts for the inhabitants of the island.
In 1895, a detachment of Cuban patriots led by José Martí landed in Cuba. This event became the starting point of a new war with the Spaniards, during which the Cubans gained control over almost the entire territory of the island, excluding large cities (see Cuba's War of Independence).
In 1898 they started a war with, in which they won (see Spanish-American War). Cuba becomes dependent on. The constitution stipulated the right to send troops into the country. This item was canceled in 1934.
In 1933, as a result of a coup organized by the revolutionaries led by Sergeant Fulgencio Batista y Saldivar, the dictator Gerardo Machado y Morales was overthrown and a democratic regime established.
On March 10, 1952, Fulgencio Batista carried out a coup d'etat and established a personal dictatorship.
On July 26, 1953, a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro attempted to seize the Moncada barracks. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the participants in the assault ended up in prisons, but this event became the starting point of the Cuban revolution. These events were immediately followed by political repression (see article Repressions during the reign of Batista). In 1955, the revolutionaries were amnestied. On December 2, 1956, a new group of revolutionaries disembarked from the yacht Granma in the east of the island and began military action against the Batista government.
On January 1, 1959, dictator Batista fled Cuba. At that time, the rebel forces occupied the city of Santa Clara in the center of the island and controlled large tracts of terrain in the east, although the capital was not in immediate danger and significant military forces remained at Batista's disposal. In the conditions of the power vacuum resulting from Batista's flight, on January 8, the rebel column entered Havana, where it was greeted with popular jubilation.

As a result of the victory of the revolution, power in Cuba was given to the government of the "left" orientation, headed by Fidel Castro, who then leaned towards the path of building socialism. The ruling and only authorized party in the country is the Cuban Communist Party. The government of Fidel Castro carried out an agrarian reform, the nationalization of industrial assets, and launched widespread social transformations. This caused discontent among part of the population and there was a massive emigration, mainly to the United States, where a large diaspora of opponents of Castro and his policies was created. Emigration was also facilitated by the Cuban Act, passed in 1966 by the US Congress, which guarantees permanent residence to any Cuban who arrives in the United States legally or illegally.

Immediately with the revolution of 1959, political repressions began (see repressions during the period of Castro's rule), primarily directed against the leaders of the ousted regime of the dictator Batista and CIA agents.

In April 1961, Cuban emigrants, with the active support of the United States, landed an armed assault on the southern coast of the island with the aim of organizing a massive uprising against the policies of the new government in the future, but the intervention was quickly suppressed, and the expected social explosion did not occur. Subsequently, the émigré organizations have repeatedly organized terrorist attacks and small-scale landings in Cuba, but without much results.

From the early 1960s to the early 1990s, Cuba was an ally of the USSR and actively supported the Marxist rebels and Marxist governments in Latin America (Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile), Africa (Ethiopia, Angola) and Asia, and also pursued a policy of providing humanitarian assistance to various countries of the world. In the late 1980s, more than 70,000 Cubans were abroad on military and humanitarian missions. At the same time, the USSR provided her with significant financial, economic and political support, often acting as a coordinator of foreign policy and determining participation in various armed conflicts.

Castro reacted negatively to the policy of Perestroika in the USSR and even banned the distribution in Cuba of a number of Soviet "pro-Yeltsin" publications (Moskovskie Novosti, Novoye Vremya, etc.).

After the collapse of the USSR economic situation Cuba deteriorated significantly (in 1990-1993, GDP decreased by 33%), and analysts predicted the imminent fall of the Castro government, but by 1994 the situation had basically stabilized, and the country's economic condition is currently assessed by international organizations as quite satisfactory.

On February 19, 2008, through the Granma newspaper, Fidel Castro announced his resignation from the post of President of the State Council and Commander-in-Chief of Cuban troops. “To my dear fellow citizens, who gave me the immeasurable honor of electing me a member of Parliament, in which the most important decisions for the fate of the revolution will be adopted, I inform in circulation.

On the this moment the President of the State Council is Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Fidel Castro passed away on November 25, 2016 at 10:29 pm Cuban time after a long illness.

On April 10, 2019, the new constitution of the country came into force, which was adopted in a constitutional referendum. It establishes the post of President of the Republic of Cuba, who runs for a term of 5 years with the right to be re-elected for a second term, and also recognizes the right of citizens to private property and small business.

State structure

Cuba is a parliamentary socialist republic in terms of government.

Most of the members of parliament are from the Cuban Communist Party.

Executive power is exercised by the chairman of the State Council (head of state), who in practice is both the general secretary of the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Cuba, and the chairman of the Council of Ministers (head of government) - the second secretary of the Central Committee, respectively.

The government consists of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers. The government is formed by the parliament of the republic, called the National Assembly of People's Power. He also appoints the head of the state council. Thus, the highest organ of state power in Cuba is precisely the National Assembly.

Administratively, the republic is divided into 16 provinces, which include 169 municipalities. One of the municipalities - Juventud - is directly subordinate to the central authorities, the rest - to local administrative structures.

Legal system

The highest court is the People's Supreme Court, appointed by the National Assembly of People's Power, the courts of appeal are the provincial courts, appointed by the provincial assemblies of the people's power, the courts of first instance are the municipal courts, appointed by the municipal assemblies of the people's power.

Economy

Beach in Cuba near the city of Varadero

Main articles: Cuba economy, US sanctions against Cuba and Cuban peso

Advantages: the tourism industry attracts foreign investors. Export of sugar and nickel. Elite cigars. The banking sector is strengthening. Oil rigs.

Weaknesses: lack of access to important markets and investments due to the US embargo. Acute foreign exchange deficit. Fluctuations in world prices for sugar and nickel. Complicated trade restrictions discourage investment. Bad infrastructure. Lack of fuel, fertilizers and spare parts.

In the period after 1960, colossal damage economic development Cuba was inflicted with an economic blockade imposed by the US government. According to official figures from the Cuban government, as of early December 2010, direct damage from the economic blockade amounted to $ 104 billion (and taking into account the depreciation of the dollar in relation to gold in the period after 1961 - $ 975 billion).

According to the British weekly The economist The main cause of Cuba's economic problems is low productivity caused by a lack of incentives to work. In an article on Cuba's economy, the magazine writes:

Sugar cane plantation

The US embargo is annoying, but the main problem with the Cuban economy is that Fidel's paternalistic state has removed both incentives to work and penalties for idleness. Therefore, Cubans are not particularly overworked in their official jobs. People spend their work time talking and long phone calls.

Original text (eng.)

The American embargo is an irritant, but the economy’s central failing is that Fidel’s paternalist state did away with any incentive to work, or any sanction for not doing so. So most Cubans do not work very hard at their official jobs. People stand around chatting or conduct long telephone conversations with their mothers. They also routinely pilfer supplies from their workplace: that is what keeps the informal economy going.

Cuba ranks 4-5 among Latin American countries (it stands above) and 67th in the world according to the UN classification by the level of Human Development.

There are different points of view regarding the level of development of Cuba before the revolution. According to a number of sources, Cuba was ahead of that time in terms of GNP per capita. Robin Blackburn also wrote that Cuba was one of the richest countries in the category of the underdeveloped. Professor Maurice Halperin, who worked in Cuba immediately after the revolution, objected to the application of the term "underdeveloped" to pre-revolutionary Cuba, which, in his words, evoked false associations with truly backward countries, and suggested calling it "moderately developed." On the other hand, the Groningen Growth and Development Center, having carried out their own retrospective calculations using a special method, received data stating that Cuba in 1958 was inferior to these countries and a number of Latin American ones.

A source	Robin blackburn	Humberto (Bert) Corzo	NationMaster	Angus maddison
Units	U.S. dollars	USD PPP	U.S. dollars	Geary-Khamis dollars
Year	1953-1954	1958	1960	1960	1953	1960
Cuba	360	356	4399	1900	2363	2052
Spain	250	180	396	396	2528	3150
Mexico		284	353	353	2439	3025
Chile		360	551	551	4112	4392
Costa Rica		230	381	381	2353	2605
Japan	254		471	471	2474	3289
USA			2881	2793	10613	11328

According to statistics, in 1951 in Cuba there were 122 thousand cars per 5.5 million population, that is, 1 car for 41 people. At the same time, according to the authors of the Area Handbook for Cuba, "all this as a fact does not matter, since there were de facto two Cubes, in one the elite lived beautifully and comfortably, and in the other the most necessary things for life were not available."

Combine KTP-1 for mechanized harvesting of sugar cane, developed at the Lyubertsy plant of agricultural machinery named after A. V. Ukhtomsky in the second half of the 1970s for work in Cuba and subsequently released under license in the city of Holguín.

In 1960, a massive nationalization of the private sector was carried out. Cuba currently has one of the most nationalized economies in the world. In the second half of the 1960s. the government tried to abandon central planning in favor of sectoral planning. There have been extensive experiments with moral incentives for labor and the use of non-monetized compulsory labor. The fall in production levels and the evasion of work forced a return to Soviet-style central planning. In the 1970s - 80s. with the help of the countries of the socialist bloc, the basis of industry is being created in Cuba.

After the collapse of the USSR, there was a reduction in purchases of Cuban sugar and the termination of economic assistance. For 1989-1993 Cuba's GDP fell by a third. Economic collapse was avoided by opening the country for foreign investment in industry and tourism.

According to the CIA handbook, in 2010 real GDP growth was 1.5%.

The main branch of the Cuban economy is the sugar industry. The capacities of the sugar factories of Cuba are capable of processing 670 thousand tons of sugar cane per day (production of 9-9.5 million tons of sugar per year). In the past, the industry has developed extensively thanks to the support of the CMEA.

The Cuban government, in order to attract foreign investment, creates free economic zones (FEZ). In 1996, a law was adopted on the procedure for the creation and functioning of free economic zones. The term of the concession for the right to operate in the FEZ is 50 years. In 1997, three SEZs (Mariel, Gorod and Wahai) began to operate.

View of a valley with tobacco plantations, Viñales, Cuba.

Exports ($ 3.3 billion in 2010) - sugar, nickel, tobacco, seafood, medical products, citrus fruits, coffee. The main export partners are China (26%), Canada (20%), Spain (7%), the Netherlands (5%).

In November 2004, during a visit to Cuba by Chinese President Hu Jintao, an agreement was reached that China would invest $ 500 million in Cuba's nickel industry. In January 2008, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and the head of the state oil company Petrobras, Jose Sergio Gabrielli, who visited Cuba, announced their intention to invest $ 500 million in the exploration of Cuban hydrocarbon deposits in the Gulf of Mexico and the construction of a plant for the production of technical oils in Cuba. In May 2010, construction began on another large nickel ore plant in the province of Holguin.

Cuban cigars

Cuba imports ($ 10.3 billion in 2010) - oil products, foodstuffs, industrial equipment, chemical products. The main import partners are Venezuela (31%), China (15%), Spain (8%), USA (7%).

An important role in Cuba's foreign trade plays, which, in exchange for the services of Cuban doctors, teachers and trainers, supplies Havana with cheap oil under the Petrocaribe program (some of the oil is then resold by the Cuban authorities). In 2011, trade between the two countries reached $ 8.3 billion. At the beginning of 2013, 36 Cuban-Venezuelan enterprises were operating in the field of energy, transport, communications, tourism, agriculture, construction, and mining.

Cuba's banking system consists of the Central Bank of Cuba, 8 commercial banks, 13 non-bank financial institutions, 13 representative offices of foreign banks and 4 representative offices of foreign financial institutions. There are 2 types of currency in Cuba. Cuban citizens receive black and white Cuban pesos, foreigners receive colored (convertible) pesos when exchanging currency. Western media reported on the currency manipulation of the top Cuban leadership and the family of F. Castro.

Since 1962, a rationing system has been operating in Cuba, products are issued according to the same standards for the whole country. According to Cuban experts, at present, the population receives from 40 to 54 percent of the minimum required calories from food distributed by cards. Milk is given free of charge by the state to children under 6 years old or purchased by the population on the market. Throughout the post-revolutionary years, there was a black market in Cuba. A number of goods, the distribution of which by cards is carried out irregularly or intended only for beneficiaries, are still purchased on the black market.

In 2008, Cubans were allowed to buy cell phones, computers and DVD players, as well as 19- and 24-inch televisions, electric pressure cookers and e-bicycles, car alarms and microwave ovens (but only with convertible currency).

In 2009, about 100 thousand passenger cars were registered in the country, of which 60 thousand were old American cars that were on the island before the revolution.

The average monthly salary in Cuba in January 2011 was 300-350 pesos (23-25 pesos per dollar). However, domestic prices for domestically produced goods can differ significantly from the world average. There is a developed system of free services and government benefits. For example, workers are given free clothing. The system is free medical care, free higher and secondary education.

Reform 2010

In October 2010, the country's government significantly increased the number of permitted types of entrepreneurial activity by adopting laws and regulations governing private business.
Cuban President Raul Castro appealed to his fellow citizens to support his radical program of economic change, saying that "the future of the revolution hangs in the balance." According to him, reforms that provide for a significant increase in the role of private entrepreneurship are aimed at saving the socialist system, and not at a return to capitalism. R. Castro noted that the ruling Communist Party must correct its past mistakes and abandon its negative attitude towards small private business.

Private business

At the end of May 2016, the Cuban authorities announced the legalization of private small and medium-sized businesses.

Foreign policy

Main article: Foreign policy Cuba

The largest cooperation to date is with Venezuela.

Sino-Cuban relations.

Venezuela

The basic agreement on cooperation between the two countries was signed under Hugo Chavez in 2000. And already in 2009, 98 thousand Cubans worked in Venezuela. In 2011, an undersea cable was stretched from Venezuela to Cuba, providing the island with Internet.

The EU

In 1993-2003, the European Union provided Cuba with small support of about 145 million euros (including about 90 million euros in humanitarian aid). In 2003, the EU imposed sanctions against Havana, which obliged European countries, as part of a "common position", to limit government bilateral visits, reduce participation European states in cultural ties with Cuba, they offered to intensify contacts with the opposition leaders, to invite Cuban dissidents to events at their embassies in Cuba and in other countries, etc. The sanctions were partially lifted in 2005, and in 2008 they were finally lifted.

Panama

August 23, 2004 - Panamanian President Mireia Moscoso announced the recall of the Panamanian ambassador from Cuba in response to a warning issued on August 22 by the Cuban Foreign Ministry about the readiness to sever diplomatic relations with Panama if its authorities pardon the criminals who were preparing the assassination attempt on Fidel Castro. At the same time, the President of Panama noted that the recall of the Panamanian ambassador does not mean a break in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
August 25, 2004 - The Cuban Ambassador to Panama, Carlos Zamora, left for his homeland at the request of the Panamanian authorities. Before leaving, he made a statement to the press in which he noted that “Cuba considers it its duty to achieve an exemplary punishment for the terrorists” who were preparing the assassination attempt on Fidel Castro. In March 2004, Panama's Supreme Court sentenced six conspirators who were detained in Panama in 2000 to jail. The new President of Panama, Martin Torrijos, who took office on September 1, expressed the hope that the Panamo-Cuban conflict would be resolved on the basis of mutual “respect and common sense ".

Mexico

Bahamas

On October 3, 2011, an agreement was signed between Cuba and on the definition of the maritime border between the two states.

USSR / Russia

Fidel Castro with the President of Russia V.V. Putin, 2000.

From the very beginning of the revolution in Cuba, the attitude of the leadership of the CPSU towards the Island of Freedom was ambiguous, in a sense similar to the position regarding the SFRY. First, neither the Castro brothers nor their associates were formally Leninists. Their theoretical basis was limited to the legacy of Marx and Engels. Secondly, among other things, Cuba was fundamentally not included in military blocs. Highly appreciating freedom, Cuba since the Belgrade Conference (Yugoslavia, September 1-6, 1961) has been one of the most active participants in the Non-Aligned Movement. She joined the CMEA only in 1972.

January 21, 1964 - the USSR and Cuba signed a Long-Term Agreement on the supply of sugar to the USSR.

media

The only state broadcaster in Cuba and the only Cuban broadcaster in general is ICRT ( Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión- "Cuban Institute of Radio and Television"), created on May 24, 1962. Includes:

Radio stations
- Radio Progreso, launched in 1929, network partners - CMHA, CMIB, CMFC, CMMB, CMKB, CMLA, CMJB, CMAB, CMGB.
- Radio Reloj, launched 1947
- CMBF Radio Musical Nacional, launched 1948
- Radio Rebelde, launched in 1959
- Radio Havana Cuba, an international radio station, launched in 1961
- Radio Enciclopedia, launched 1962
- Radio Taíno, launched in 1985
- Provincial radio stations - Radio Ciudad de La Habana, Radio Metropolitana, Radio COCO, Radio Cadena Habana (all 3 in Havana), Radio Guamá, Radio Artemisa, etc.
TV channels
- Cubavisión (before nationalization in 1960 CMQ-TV, Canal 6), launched in 1962
- Tele Rebelde (formerly Canal 2), launched in 1982
- Canal Educativo, launched in 2001
- Canal Educativo 2, launched in 2004
- Multivisión, launched in 2008
- provincial TV channels
- Cubavisión Internacional

Previously, there were also radio stations CMQ and RHC-Cadena Azul (launched in 1939).

The culture

At the origins of Cuban national literature was Jose Maria Eredia (1803-1839), the author of love, philosophical and civil-patriotic poems. Its still popular in Cuba " Exiled Anthem"(1825), permeated with bitterness and grief about the homeland oppressed by tyrants, ends with the prediction of its inevitable liberation. The end of the 19th century was marked by the creative legacy of one of the founders of modernism in literature, a patriot, “ apostle"Cuban Revolution Jose Martí. After the First World War, against the background of the growth of patriotic sentiments in the 1920s and 1930s, “ second republican generation"Of Cuban poets and prose writers, combining a variety of literary movements. In the novel " Sacred spring"A. Carpentier - one of the famous prose writers of this generation, gives a broad picture of the revolutionary changes in the world over the course of tens of years of the twentieth century.

Independent Cuban painting appeared only in late XIX century. In the 1930s, artists who traveled to Europe became acquainted with contemporary artistic trends there and brought them to Cuba. Thus, Marcelo Pogolotti used Cubism to create images on themes related to the poverty of the Cuban people. The most famous Cuban artist, Wifredo Lam, painted in a surreal style. Mario Carreño was greatly influenced by the work of Mexican muralists. Jorge Arche is known for his portraits, which are similar in style to those of other Latin American artists of the 1930s.

In popular culture

Cuba in music

Santiago de Cuba

Guantanamera is a famous Cuban song, Cuba's unofficial anthem.
Muslim Magomayev - "Cuba, my love."
Flame (group) - "This is what we say."
Hasta Siempre, Comandante - Nathalie Cardon - Buena Vista Social Club - Panteon Rococo
Night snipers - Cuba.
Jah Division - Cubana.
Banned drummers - "Cuba is near."
Daniele Silvestri - "Cohiba".
Camila Cabello - "Havana"

Cuba in literature

Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea
Graham Greene. Our man in Havana

Cuba in the cinema

Godfather 2
Havana (directed by Sidney Pollack)
Havana i love you
I am Cuba (directed by Mikhail Kalatozov)
Ocean (2008, directed by Mikhail Kosyrev-Nesterov)
Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights
Zombie Slayer Alejandro Bruges.

Cuba in video games

Driver 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Soviet campaign begins in Cuba, Operation Red Dawn
The godfather ii
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Corsairs III

Religion

In Cuba, the church is separate from the state. The country's constitution guarantees the population freedom of religion. The most widespread religion is Catholic.

Cubans are pretty religious. Catholic churches exist throughout the country, with daily masses and ceremonial services held on national or local religious holidays. Members of the Cuban Communist Party are not prohibited from attending churches. There are also 96,000 members of the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses in the country.

With the arrival of black slaves on the island, various beliefs of African descent spread. Over time, the main currents formed from them, which exist and are still popular today. This is La Regla de Ocha-Ifa (Spanish. La Regla de Ocha-Ifá) or Santeria (Spanish. Santería cubana), Regla-Palo Monte (Spanish. Regla palo monte) and La Sociedad-Secreta-Abakua (Spanish: La Sociedad Secreta Abakuá), as well as other movements that have now disappeared or are on the verge of extinction, for example, La Regla-Iyessa (Spanish. La Regla Iyessá) and La Regla-Arara (Spanish. La Regla Arará). As a result of the historical process, a mixture of Catholic dogmas and African cults has also formed. For example, the Most Pure Virgin of the Merciful of Cobre is considered by the Catholics to be the patroness of Cuba. In Santeria, she is named Ochun.

V last years Protestant churches began to appear, especially in the provinces.

October 19, 2008 in Havana, the first in Cuba was consecrated Orthodox church- Cathedral of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.

See also Islam in Cuba

Sport

Sports in Cuba is available to everyone and this massiveness of it allows you to constantly replenish national teams in various sports that have brought little Caribbean island important world and Olympic awards. Cuba is home to world famous athletes. Sports include baseball, boxing, athletics and volleyball.

Cuba has won the most medals ever in baseball as of 18 August 2016

Military establishment

Guard at the mausoleum of Jose Marti

Main article: Armed Forces of Cuba

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba ( Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias - FAR) are the main armed formation of Cuba, providing its national defense.

According to the constitution, the president of the country is the supreme commander in chief and determines the structure of the armed forces.

The armed forces of Cuba include the following types of troops:

Ground troops
Air Force and Air Defense.

media

The daily newspaper of the Island of Liberty "Granma", bears the name of the yacht of the same name, on which a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro landed in Cuba to carry out a guerrilla struggle against the Batista regime. The newspaper is the official conductor and popularizer of the policies pursued by the Cuban Communist Party (CCP). Once a week for English language"Granma Internacional" is published. Also, the press of Cuba is represented by such publications devoted to the problems of economy, tourism, finance, culture, politics, as "Opciones", "Bohemia", "Juventud Rebelde", "Trabajadores".

Cuban emigration

New Jersey

Basically, Cubans fled to the United States, as President John F. Kennedy announced that "any Cuban who sets foot on the coast of the United States is automatically entitled to political asylum in this country." Now, only 150 kilometers from Cuba, there are 1.5 million Cubans who have created "little Cuba" here.

In 1965, relatives of Cuban emigrants who had previously left Cuba were allowed to leave the port of Camarioka. In the two months that the port was open, more than 250,000 people left the country.

In 1980, Fidel Castro opened the port of Mariel for everyone who wanted to emigrate from Cuba.

On October 16, 2012, the 1976 Migration Act was amended and entered into force on January 14, 2013. If earlier a resident of Cuba required a special permit to leave, the so-called. an exit visa and for the registration of documents for a trip abroad, it was necessary to pay about $ 300), and such categories of citizens as doctors were "restricted to travel abroad" in principle, then from January 14, 2013 an adult Cuban for a trip abroad needs only a valid passport, an air ticket and (if necessary ) visa of the country of destination. Restrictions on leaving Cuba have been left only for famous athletes, "secret carriers", persons under investigation, as well as those whose profession is "vital for the state." According to press reports, the Cuban government hopes that the citizens who have left will subsequently return to their homeland, gaining new skills and bringing money to the country's economy.

In general, from 1959 to January 2013, about 2 million Cuban citizens emigrated from the country, 86% of emigrants live in the United States.

Cuba symbol - flower mariposa(Hedychium coronarium).
In Cuba, the activities of Masonic lodges have never been prohibited or persecuted. This is the only country in the socialist camp where Freemasonry has survived. In 2009, there were about 28,000 Cubans as members of the Cuban Grand Lodge.
In Havana, there is the state-owned rock club "Maxim Rock", which is the center of Cuba's informal movement. For a local band to receive a share of the proceeds from ticket sales for the concert, it must audition and obtain approval from a national rock agency. The rest of the money raised from the events goes to the budget. The lyrics of Cuban rock musicians should not raise questions from censors: for example, they are forbidden to criticize the authorities.

Notes (edit)

As a result of the Spanish-American War.
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Literature

Larin E.A. Cuba at the end of the 18th - first third of the 19th century / Otv. ed. Dr. East Sciences N. M. Lavrov. Institute world history Academy of Sciences of the USSR .. - M.: Nauka, 1989. - 272 p. - 1300 copies. - ISBN 5-02-008962-1.

The Republic of Cuba is an island state in the north of the Caribbean Sea. Cuba occupies the territory of the island of the same name as part of the Greater Antilles, the Island of Youth and many smaller islands.

The relief of Cuba is predominantly flat. Hills and mountains occupy about a third of the territory. The highest mountain range, the Sierra Maestra, stretches along the southeastern coast for 250 km. Its highest point is Turkino Peak (1974 m). About 2/3 of the entire area of Cuba is occupied by slightly hilly plains.

State

State structure

Socialist Republic. The head of state is the chairman of the State Council. The supreme body of state power and legislative body of the country is the unicameral National Assembly of People's Power. The highest executive and administrative body that is the government of the republic is the Council of Ministers.

Language

State language: Spanish

In resort areas, English, German, Italian are widely used.

Religion

The majority of believers are Catholics (47%), Protestants (4%) and adherents of the so-called "Santeria" - a syncretic cult based on African pagan beliefs, mixed with the cult of some Christian saints.

Currency

International name: CUP

Currency can be exchanged at bank exchange bureaus, as well as in most hotels. Hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards from the world's leading payment systems, except North American ones. No credit cards issued by any US bank will be accepted for payment, but cards and traveller's checks in other currencies are freely accepted. Traveler's checks in US dollars and pounds sterling are accepted without restrictions on one condition - if they are not issued by an American bank.

There are two types of pesos - "non-convertible" (for domestic use) and "convertible" (CUC or "convertible", used for settlements with tourists, pegged to the US dollar at a ratio of 1: 1.08). Often change is given by both.

All goods and services, including transportation and departure tax, must be paid in convertible pesos. The circulation of the American dollar in Cuba has been discontinued. When carrying out exchange transactions with US dollars, a commission fee is charged in the amount of 10% of the exchanged amount (when exchanging other currencies, the fee is not charged). All credit card transactions are taxed at 11.24%.

History of Cuba

The settlement of the island of Cuba happened quite late, about four thousand years ago. By the time the Europeans arrived, the Indians were still at the stage of the primitive communal system and did not seek to resist the small detachment of Christopher Columbus, who landed in October 1492 in one of the bays of the island. Colonized by Spain in the 16th century. The Spanish conquerors destroyed most of the indigenous population of the Indians and imported slaves from Africa to work on plantations (slavery persisted until 1886).

In 1902, Cuba was proclaimed an independent republic, but in fact it turned into a semi-colony of the United States, which more than once in 1906-1922 resorted to occupation.

In the mid-1950s, a struggle unfolded in Cuba against the regime of F. Batista. On January 1, 1959, Batista was forced to flee Cuba. The Cuban leadership, headed by F. Castro, gradually began to focus on the USSR, which provided economic assistance to Cuba.

The irreconcilable position of the Cuban leadership towards the United States in the conditions of " cold war"(in 1961 the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba, in 1962 Cuba was expelled from the Organization of American States) led to Cuba being drawn into the so-called Caribbean crisis (October 1962) caused by the deployment of Soviet missiles in Cuba.

In 1975, at the first congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, the country was proclaimed a socialist state with a one-party regime. Since the early 1990s, economic difficulties in Cuba have escalated sharply.

Cuba Map

Popular attractions

Cuba Tourism

Where to stay

There are many famous world hotel chains in Cuba, mostly Spanish. Almost all coastal hotels are located on the first line of the beach.

Most of the hotels are four stars. All are equipped with private bathroom with hairdryer, air conditioning, mini fridge, safe, cable TV and telephone. Along with this, there is a huge selection of two- and three-star hotels for vacationers. There are not so many high-level hotels - five-star and five-star Deluxe in the country. Before choosing a hotel, you need to take into account that the level of service here is low, lower than European or Asian.

Most of the hotels located in the beach resorts of Cuba are all-inclusive, that is, the room rate includes the possibility of eating in the hotel's bars and restaurants around the clock.

In resorts such as Varadero, Holguin, Cayo Largo and Cayo Coco, all hotels operate on an all-inclusive basis. There are no mandatory surcharges in such hotels. Meals for guests are provided, as a rule, in the form of a buffet. Almost all Cuban hotels are equipped with a swimming pool. Animation programs for adults and children are available only in the largest hotels in Cuba.

Cuban hotels are quite expensive, so it will be cheaper to stay here in the private sector, the so-called casa particular. These are rooms in a private house, which are equipped with a double bed, air conditioning, toilet, bathroom with shower and hot water.

Another option for living in Cuba is campismos (camping) - neat houses located, as a rule, by the sea. They cost a little less than the private sector.

Popular hotels

Excursions and attractions in Cuba

Cuba is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Caribbean. Its rich history and national traditions, magnificent colonial architecture and other cultural, historical and natural attractions, wonderful climate, warm sea and excellent beaches will make your trip to Cuba unforgettable.

The capital of Cuba, Havana, is a picturesque city located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart and main attraction of the city is its historical part"Old Havana" with many cultural and architectural monuments... Among the most interesting places the capital is worth highlighting Prado Boulevard, Cathedral, America's oldest stone fortress La Fuerza (Real Fuersa), Santa Clara Monastery, Cathedral of Saint Cristobal, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, National Capitol, City Hall, National Museum and the Palace of Fine Arts (National Museum of Art). No less interesting are the Ernest Hemingway House Museum, the Museum of the Revolution, the Museum of Roma, the Historical Museum of Guanabokoa, the Grand Theater of Havana and the magnificent Botanical Garden. Havana is also famous for its many festivals and holidays, among which the most impressive are the International Jazz Festival, the Latin American Film Festival and, of course, the national holiday - Revolution Day, which is held on a grand scale.

The second largest city in the country, Santiago de Cuba is famous for its magnificent fortress San Pedro de la Roca (Castillo del Morro), which is included in the list World heritage UNESCO. On the territory of the fortress there is an interesting Museum of the History of Piracy. Santiago de Cuba is located in a cozy bay surrounded by high picturesque mountains. And in its vicinity there is a beautiful National park Gran Piedra, on the territory of which the tourist center of the same name is located, and the original National nature Park Baconao (declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO). Bakanao is famous all over the world for the Prehistoric Valley, the Meadow of Sculptures and the Lagoon. Not far from Santiago de Cuba, in the small village of El Cobre, on a picturesque green hill, there is the snow-white Abode of the Most Pure Virgin of the Merciful. In the city itself, the magnificent Cathedral, the House of Diego Velazquez, the Cespedes Park, the Ethnographic and Historical Museums are of particular interest.

While vacationing in Cuba, you should definitely visit the magnificent karst caves of Bellamar and Saturn in the tourist area of Mantanas, the cities of Trinidad and Camaguey with magnificent colonial architecture and the Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial in Santa Clara. No less interesting are the magnificent garden in Soroa (Pinar del Rio province) with a unique collection of orchids and one of the main temples of Cuba - the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the city of Cienfuegos.

Beach lovers and water entertainment you will certainly be interested in the picturesque island of Juventud (Pinos) with its unique natural landscapes, magnificent beaches and cozy coves. It is also considered to be one of the best diving sites in the world. Popular and resort town Varadero, which is a fashionable recreation area with luxury hotels, excellent diving centers and picturesque surroundings, and its beach is recognized by UNESCO as one of the cleanest in the world. Also famous are the resorts of Elgea with its mineral springs, Holguín with the magnificent Nipe Bay and the picturesque island of Guam (the most south island Mariana Archipelago).

Among the main natural attractions of Cuba are beautiful valley Viñales, surrounded by the picturesque Sierra de los Organos mountains, the Zapata Natural Reserve with unique flora and fauna, the Topes de Collantes Park in the Sierra del Escambray and the Salto del Caburni waterfall located on its territory (one of the largest in the country) and the Alexander Humboldt National Park.

Tips

Tipping in most cases is up to 10% of the cost of the service. Porter and maid at the hotel - up to 1 USD. Tipping is better to give personally in hand, as usually tips are given to the general cashier.

Visa

Opening hours of institutions

Banks are open on weekdays from 8.30 am to 12 pm and from 1.30 pm to 3 pm on Saturday - from 8.30 am to 10.30 am.

Shops are open from 9:00 to 18:00 (some until 20:00) on weekdays, on Saturdays from 9:00 to 15:00 (some until 18:00). Supermarkets and shops in resort areas are usually open from 10 am to 8 pm. Most small shops have separate opening hours. Nearly all shops close for siesta around noon.

Souvenirs

As souvenirs from Cuba, you can bring black coral and jewelry made from it, products from the shell of a turtle (especially bracelets and hairpins). Don't forget to buy a bottle or two of this unique Cuban rum and real Cuban cigars. A good gift from Cuba would also be a tumbadora or bongo - percussion musical instruments used in African melodies. Another gift is the guayabera, a shirt worn in the tropics by officials.

The medicine

There is a high likelihood of hepatitis, malaria and sunburn. It is recommended to drink bottled water and use sunscreen. It is better to take essential medicines with you.

Safety

In Cuba, there are dangerous reptiles - caimans and boas, sea urchins, some species of tropical fish and jellyfish, as well as sand fleas, mosquitoes and anopheles mosquito can cause a lot of trouble.

Emergency telephones

National Police: 82-0116
Fire brigade: 81-1115
Ambulance: 24-2811

Photo and video shooting

Take pictures military equipment, military personnel and industrial enterprises Absolutely forbidden.

Photos of Cuba

Questions and opinions about Cuba

Question answer

The first thing a tourist is interested in is where Cuba is located on the world map, are the tours expensive and what are the prices for hotels. A little expensive, of course, but only due to the fact that Cuba is too far from us, and otherwise the prices on the island itself are not so high, but the beaches and rest compensate for everything

Cuba libre, or Liberty Island. White sand of sunny beaches, endless ocean spaces, vibrant nature, unique architecture, rum and cigars - all this and a little more will tell Good THERE about Cuba.

General information about Cuba

Where is Cuba

The free Republic of Cuba is located not far from the shores of the northern and South American continents, separated from them by the waters of the Florida Strait. The state occupies the islands of Cuba, Juventud and about 1600 smaller islands with a total area of 110,860 km².

The southern coast of the country's main island faces the Caribbean Sea, while the northwestern and northeastern beaches are washed by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cuba on world map

Population

According to the Population Division under the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the population of the republic in 2017 is 11.4 million people.

Currency

National currency - Cuban peso CUP, CUC. At the rate of 1 peso = 1 US dollar.

Useful phone numbers

Telephone country code: 53;
Telephone code for Havana: 7;
Call from Cuba: 119 - your country code - area code - phone number.
Call to Cuba: 8 - international call code - Cuba code - area code - phone number.
Embassy of the Russian Federation: (+53 7) 204-10-85;
Consulate of the Russian Federation: (+53 2) 268 61 46.

Emergency services (Havana):

Police: 116;
Honey. help: 40-50-93;
Firefighters: 78-85-41.

On the territory of the country:

Nat. police: 82-01-16;
Firefighters: 81-11-15;
Honey. help: 24-28-11.

Payment and exchange in Cuba

In tourist areas, convertible pesos are in circulation. Due to the warm relationship between the island communist state and the Empire of Good, which is jealous from the other end of the Florida Strait, it is better not to fly with the ever-green presidents on vacation. When exchanging American dollars, you can be charged a commission of 10 to 20%. Therefore, experienced tourists recommend coming here with Euros. Interestingly, the non-convertible Cuban peso (CUP) is almost impossible for a tourist to find.

If it is more convenient for you to use Visa / MasterCard, please note that:

Visa is accepted in more places than Mastercard;
When visiting small shops or cafes, it is better to have cash with you, as there may not be a payment terminal;
Card transactions are taxed at 11.24%.

Tourist memo

Your stay in Cuba should be as colorful as possible, you may need to add color to your daily wardrobe. You have every chance of becoming a Cuban cigar fan after visiting their homeland, but smoking in public is prohibited.

If you encounter a cow on your way to the beach or during your excursion, be extremely careful. This animal is sacred to Cubans, and the death of a cow in your presence can lead you to unpleasant conversations with representatives of the local police.

It is also important for a tourist to know that it is forbidden to photograph government agencies, military equipment, soldiers, policemen. In addition, before taking a photo of a Cuban, you should definitely ask him for permission.

What are they like, the Cuban people

Cuba is a multinational and multicultural country, where the blood and traditions of the peoples of Africa, Spain, Italy, Britain, Germany, Cuban and American Indian tribes, immigrants from China, France, as well as Jews resettled during the First and Second World Wars have mixed.

Local, friendly people. Do not rush to refuse an offer to play dominoes or share a meal. Do not be surprised if someone asks for a drink at a cafe at your expense. And if the hotel or hostel staff ask you to leave personal hygiene products (razors, shaving foam, etc.), remember that this is due to the high cost and inaccessibility of the latter for poor citizens.

Security on Cuban soil

The people in the communist republic are benevolent but poor. Better not to show cash and expensive accessories. Watch your belongings so as not to become a victim of petty scammers and pickpockets. Walking in poor areas at night is not recommended due to the high probability of being attacked.

Climate in Cuba, when is the best time to go

The most favorable time for rest is from November to April.

Windsurfing enthusiasts will love the summer when the biggest waves rise during the rainy season. The reign of hurricanes between October and November can darken the rest, but in fact, you can plan a vacation in Cuba at any time of the year.

Thanks to the small area, you can get around Cuba in a few weeks of rest. So that you don't miss anything important, our site has prepared for you a list of cities and resorts that you must visit.

Capital Havana Is a city of opposites. Here, modern skyscrapers stand side by side with colonial pre-revolutionary mansions in which ordinary people live. The city is full of architectural monuments and interesting places. Havana dazzles with white beaches, treats with exquisite cuisine and lures with the sounds of salsa. El Floridita bar, one of Ernest Hemingway's favorite places, is worth a special attention. If you're not curious about the bar, visit the writer's house and then head to the Roma Museum. For those who are not tired of daytime excursions, it is important to know that closer to night the city turns into one big disco filled with unbridled energy. It's time to visit the Tropicana cabaret show, which has been famous all over the world since 1939.

Santa clara

Santa clara a memorable place for the Cuban revolution, where the commander Che Guevara derailed the armored train of the dictator Batista. The wreckage of that very train remains at the crash site to this day, they are the pride and attraction for the inhabitants of the country. In addition, a mausoleum named after Ernesto Che Guevara has been erected here, and if you are an American citizen, then you may not be allowed into it.

Santiago de Cuba

Home of street culture - Santiago de Cuba... Music on the streets of the town sounds on every corner. This place is rightfully considered the cradle of Cuban melodies and rum, because Don Facundo Bacardi was born here.

Trinidad

If you are interested in seeing the island as it was in the 18th century, then the city Trinidad- the best place for this. The authentic setting of this place is amazing. Cobblestone roads, colonial-style houses, sugar plantations, and slave houses that are still echoes of bygone times.

Matanzas

Matanzas the capital of the province of the same name is known for a large number of bridges, for which it was nicknamed "Cuban Venice". Interesting to visit is the province of Pinar del Rio, where you can visit tobacco plantations and admire the views of the Viñales Valley, which received the title of "Cultural Landscape of Humanity" in 1999.

Cuban resorts

Varadero

Varadero- the oldest of the resorts, a popular and truly heavenly place with turquoise ocean waters and white beaches. The resort can be called a classic holiday in Russian, everything is always included here. 24-hour bars, buffet in a restaurant with cuisines from all over the world.

Holguin

Holguin- a resort of elite business VIP class. The hotels are mostly five-star. They visit this place for the sake of luxury, tranquility and sophistication.

Guardavalaka

Guardavalaka, one of the best diving resorts, famous for its coral reef. Esmeralda is a place of emerald beaches. For fans of original parties, it will be interesting to be at the cave disco of Cayo Coco Island.

Juventud

Juventud, known as the Island of Youth (located 100 km from the island of Cuba) is interesting for its nature reserves. It is said that RL Stevenson described the image of "Treasure Island" precisely from the landscapes of Juventud.

Cayo Largo

Speaking of pirates, it's hard not to mention La Yana - this is an ancient tree located on the island Cayo Largo... According to legend, it served as a reference point for the pirates of the Caribbean when they buried their stolen gold.

These are just a few of the places that you can visit during your stay in this country. Even if you come to Cuba several times a year for several years, this country will always find something to surprise and entice you.

Entertainment and recreation on Liberty Island

The very thing for which thousands of tourists come to rest every year is diving... The underwater world is interesting not only for its beautiful coral reefs, but also for the many shipwrecks off the coast. Windsurfing enthusiasts can catch the waves off the sandy shores, those who do not want (or cannot swim) dive into the ocean in a submarine.

The main monuments of Cuban architecture are concentrated in several of the most famous cities among tourists. In the Cuban capital, Havana, you can see many cathedrals, including the Cathedral of St. Christopher. And it is better for you not to brag that you have been to Cuba without visiting the Armory, Cathedral and Old squares of the capital of the state.

Memorial to Che Guevara in Santa Clara, cigar factory " Francisco Donatien»In Pinar del Rio, Mantanas rock carvings caves. Juventud Island Prison Presidio Modelo", Which is a copy of the former place of detention of F. Castro, prison" Joliet"(State of Illinois). Natural landscapes and National parks more than make up for a small number of architectural landmarks, many natural areas Cuba is under the protection of UNESCO.

Coming to rest from July 15 to August 15, be sure to visit the carnivals that take place in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, as these are unforgettable colorful events full of dance music and colorful outfits. And those who like to smoke will be interested in knowing about the international Cuban cigar festival taking place at the end of February.

And where are we without shopping, because you need to buy something like that, truly Cuban - cigars, rum and coffee. Black corals and products from them are popular among tourists. V shopping centers Havana or Casa del Habano chain stores will not deceive you and will sell goods of the proper quality.

National Cuban cuisine

Creole cuisine prevails in Cuba. The main national dishes are made from pork and chicken. Meat is prepared in many different ways. Among the dishes nat. cuisine - "Creole ajiaco" - one of the main. It is prepared from pork and vegetables with the addition of a good portion of spices. Also you should try:

lobster with lemon;
crocodile meat;
turtle meat and eggs.

Fresh fruit cuts are often served with each meal. Delicious and strong coffee is brewed. The main national drink is rum, which is included in almost all local cocktails.

Most restaurants are concentrated in resort and tourist areas; it is recommended to visit them with cash. The cost of a meal for one person in a good establishment ranges from 30 to 40 pesos, simpler establishments will cost no more than 15 pesos, and in the eatery you will leave a maximum of 5 Cuban coins. Tipping is 10% of the check amount and it is better to give it to the waiters. And if you decide to eat at a bar, you are unlikely to succeed. You have to drink in colorful Cuban bars, and from food you will get the most nuts, well, or chips.

Cuban hotels

The most common hotels in Cuba are 4-star hotels, although for those who do not really plan to stay within four walls, there is a sufficient number of 2 and 3-star hotels. But for lovers of luxury there is not much to choose from, there are literally only a few 5-star hotels. Most of the hotels on the island of freedom represent well-known world chains that operate on the "all inclusive" system. Check-in at a hotel in Cuba takes place at 15:00, check-out is registered at 12:00. Sly Cubans leave themselves three hours to clean the room before the arrival of the next guests, so you can safely file a complaint if you find unwanted traces of previous guests.

How to get to Cuba

For a convenient and comfortable flight to Cuba, Ok THERE recommends using the services of Aeroflot, which organizes regular, direct flights from Moscow to Havana. If the residents of Russia will fly non-stop, then the citizens of the CIS countries are advised to fly through Moscow, or through Europe by appropriate flights.

A direct flight from Moscow lasts about 12 hours, a flight with transfers through Europe from 16 to 20 hours. Ticket prices start at 55,000 rubles per adult. It can be cheaper through registration of a voucher. So with accommodation in a three-star hotel for 7 days and nights, the cost of the voucher is on average 60,000 rubles.

Pros and cons of vacationing on a Cuban island

No matter how heavenly Cuba seems to you, Okay THERE recommends paying attention to negative sides rest in this beautiful country:

the sun is much more intense and brighter than the residents of the CIS countries and Russia are accustomed to, in order to avoid sunburn, stock up on sunscreen;
an evening beach holiday can be spoiled by small insects, protective sprays and creams must be carried with you;
do not drink raw water, and ask for alcoholic drinks chilled without ice, since there are many bacteria harmful to the unaccustomed tourist in Cuban water;
beware of marine life: moray eels, sea snakes and hedgehogs and "Portuguese ships";
remember about the poverty of the population, which can provoke in some individuals the desire to rob you, if you openly demonstrate your valuables and cash.

All these are just warnings, because it is better to prepare in advance so that your vacation is not overshadowed by anything, and you can enjoy positive sides trips:

feel the atmosphere of freedom;
enjoy the white beaches;
soak up the cultural spirit of Cuba by attending festivals and carnivals;
admire the beauty of Cuban nature;
taste cigars and rum in their homeland;
plunge into the depths of the ocean to explore its treasures;
meet and chat with new people.

The video will complement our article

Video - Interesting Facts about Cuba

In Cuba, everyone will find something interesting for themselves. Expand your boundaries, the world is not in our apartments and telephones. Travel, feel, learn new things. Good THERE wishes you a pleasant stay on Liberty Island.

Physical and geographical characteristics

Geographical position

Relief of cuba

Relief

The relief of Cuba is predominantly flat. Hills and mountains occupy about a third of the territory. The highest mountain range, the Sierra Maestra, stretches along the southeastern coast for 250 km. Its highest point is Turkino Peak (1972 m). The picturesque low mountains located in the west of the island are intricately dissected and poorly populated.

Minerals

Cuba occupies one of the leading places in the world in nickel mining (2nd in the world in terms of reserves and 3rd in production), has significant reserves of chromium, manganese, iron and copper ores, asbestos, rock salt, phosphorites. Oil and gas fields have been discovered in the west of the country.

Climate

Cuba's climate is tropical, trade wind. The average annual temperature is 25.5 ° C. The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is 22.5 ° C and the hottest month (August) is 27.8 ° C. The temperature of surface waters off the coast is 22-24 ° C in winter and 28-30 ° C in summer. The average annual amount of precipitation, which usually falls in the form of rainstorms, is 1400 mm, but dry years also often occur.

Cuba has two distinct climatic seasons: rainy (May-October) and dry (November-April). The rainy season accounts for 3/4 of the total annual precipitation.

Cuba is prone to tropical cyclones, which originate in the summer-autumn period (June - mid-November) east of the Lesser Antilles and in the west of the Caribbean Sea, then moving towards Florida. Typhoons are accompanied by heavy downpours and strong winds that can cause great damage to the economy and the population of the island. Rivers in Cuba are short, not full of water. Forests, covering about 10% of the territory, have survived only in mountainous and swampy areas. The fauna of the land is relatively poor. At the same time, the waters surrounding Cuba contain valuable commercial fish, molluscs, lobsters, shrimps and sponges.

Administrative division

Cuba is a federation. The National Territory is divided for political and administrative purposes into 14 provinces and the special municipality of Juventud Island.

Juventud Island (Spanish. Isla de la juventud)
Pinar del Rio (Spanish. Pinar del rio)
Havana (Spanish. La habana)
The city of Havana (Spanish. Ciudad de La Habana)
Matanzas (Spanish. Matanzas)

Cienfuegos (Spanish. Cienfuegos)
Villa Clara (Spanish. Villa Clara)
Sancti Spiritus (Spanish. Sancti spiritus)
Ciego de Avila (Spanish. Ciego de Avila)
Camaguey (Spanish. Camagüey)

Las Tunas (Spanish. Las tunas)
Granma (Spanish. Granma)
Holguin (Spanish. Holguin)
Santiago de Cuba (Spanish. Santiago de cuba)
Guantanamo (Spanish. Guantanamo)

Transport

Cuba Railways Scheme

There is a railway on the island of Cuba (Cuban Railway isp. Ferrocarriles de cuba), a network of highways. There are sea and air links with other countries. Cubana de Aviación, the leading airline in Cuba, has offices in 32 countries.

Connection

After Castro came to power, the development of telecommunications on the island was extremely difficult. Cuba, however, was helped a lot by the Soviet Union, which provided some resources, for example, communication channels.

In 2003, there were 2 Internet providers operating on the island. National domain Raul Castro abolished the rules for using mobile phones in the country, national telecom operator - ETECSA - from April 14, 2008 began to provide communication services for ordinary citizens. In Cuba, the GSM 900 standard is currently in force, and in some areas of Havana and the resort of Varadero - GSM 850.

Population

Story

The first of the Europeans to find themselves here was Columbus, who landed in the east of the archipelago in October. In Diego, Velazquez de Cuellar subdued the indigenous population of the islands, built Fort Baracoa and became the first Spanish governor of Cuba. By the year, seven settlements were founded. In Cuellar, he moved his headquarters to Santiago de Cuba, which became the first capital of Cuba. Colonization took place in a struggle with the indigenous population of the island - the Taino Indians, who constituted 75% of the population.

The first uprising for gaining independence was suppressed in the city.

The Ten Years War of Independence of Cuba began in the city; the rebels were supported by the United States. Military action culminated in 1872-73, but then the rebels fought only in the eastern provinces, Camaguey and Oriente. In a peace agreement was signed, eliminating the most unpleasant legislation for the inhabitants of the island.

A detachment of Cuban patriots led by José Martí landed in Cuba. This event became the starting point of a new war with the Spaniards, during which the Cubans gained control over almost the entire territory of the island, excluding large cities (see Cuba's War of Independence).

In the city of the USA, they started a war with Spain, which they won. Cuba becomes dependent on the United States. The constitution stipulated the right of the United States to send troops into the country. This item was canceled in g.

In the city, as a result of a coup organized by the revolutionaries led by Sergeant Fulgencio Batista, the dictator Gerardo Machado y Morales was overthrown and a democratic regime established.

On March 10, Fulgencio Batista carried out a coup d'etat and established a personal dictatorship.

On July 26, a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro attempted to seize the Moncada barracks. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the participants in the assault ended up in prisons, but this event became the starting point of the Cuban revolution. In the city, the revolutionaries were amnestied. On December 2, a new group of revolutionaries disembarked from the yacht Granma in the east of the island and began military action against the Batista government.

On January 1, dictator Batista fled Cuba. At that time, the rebel forces occupied the city of Santa Clara in the center of the island and controlled large tracts of terrain in the east, although the capital was not in immediate danger, and significant military forces remained at Batista's disposal. In the conditions of the power vacuum resulting from Batista's flight, on January 8, the rebel column entered Havana, where it was greeted with popular jubilation.

As a result of the victory of the revolution, power in Cuba was given to the government of the "left" orientation, headed by Fidel Castro, who then leaned on the path of building socialism and is in power to this day. The ruling and only authorized party in the country is the Cuban Communist Party. The government of Fidel Castro carried out an agrarian reform, the nationalization of industrial assets, launched widespread social transformations, which alienated many groups of the population, and the process resulted in a massive emigration of disaffected, mainly to the United States, where a large diaspora of opponents of Castro and his policies was created.

In April, Cuban emigrants, with the active support of the United States, landed an armed assault on the southern coast of the island with the aim of organizing a massive uprising against the policies of the new government in the future, but the intervention was quickly suppressed, and the expected social explosion did not occur. Subsequently, the émigré organizations have repeatedly organized terrorist attacks and small-scale landings in Cuba, but without much results.

From the early 1960s to the early 1990s, Cuba was an ally of the USSR, which provided significant financial, economic and political support, actively supported Marxist rebels and Marxist regimes in Latin America (Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Peru , Brazil, Argentina, Chile), Africa (Ethiopia, Angola) and Asia, and also pursued a policy of providing humanitarian assistance to various countries of the world. In the late 1980s, more than 70,000 Cubans were abroad on military and humanitarian missions.

Executive power belongs to the chairman of the State Council (head of state) and the chairman of the Council of Ministers (head of government).

The ruler of Cuba since 1959, Fidel Castro, announced his resignation from the post of chairman of the State Council and commander-in-chief of the Cuban troops. Castro's address to the people was published on Tuesday February 19, 2008 by the Granma newspaper. “To my dear fellow citizens, who gave me the immeasurable honor of electing me a member of Parliament, in which the most important decisions for the fate of the revolution will be adopted, I inform in the appeal of Fidel Castro, published on the website of the newspaper.

Economy

Advantages: the tourism industry attracts foreign investors. Export of sugar and nickel. Elite cigars. The banking sector is strengthening.

Weaknesses: lack of access to important markets and investments due to the US embargo. Acute foreign exchange deficit. Fluctuations in world prices for sugar and nickel. Complicated trade restrictions and lack of legal regulations discourage investment. Bad infrastructure. Lack of fuel, fertilizers and spare parts. 2001 hurricane damage

There are different points of view regarding the level of development of Cuba before the revolution. According to a number of sources, in terms of GNP per capita, Cuba was ahead of Spain and Japan at that time. Robin Blackburn also wrote that Cuba was one of the richest countries in the underdeveloped category. Professor Maurice Halperin, who worked in Cuba immediately after the revolution, objected to the application of the term "underdeveloped" to pre-revolutionary Cuba, which, in his words, evoked false associations with truly backward countries, and suggested calling it "moderately developed." On the other hand, the Groningen Growth and Development Center, having carried out their own retrospective calculations using a special method, received data stating that Cuba in the city was inferior to these countries and a number of Latin American ones.

A source	Robin blackburn	Humberto (Bert) Corzo	NationMaster	Angus maddison
Units	U.S. dollars	USD PPP	U.S. dollars	Geary-Khamis dollars
Year	1953-1954	1958	1960	1960	1953	1960
Cuba	360	356	4399	1900	2363	2052
Spain	250	180	396	396	2528	3150
Mexico		284	353	353	2439	3025
Chile		360	551	551	4112	4392
Costa Rica		230	381	381	2353	2605
Japan	254		471	471	2474	3289
USA			2881	2793	10613	11328

According to statistics, in 1951, there were 122 thousand cars in Cuba for 5.5 million of the population, that is, 1 car for 41 people. At the same time, according to the authors of the Area Handbook for Cuba, “all this, as a fact, does not matter, since there were de facto two Cubes, in one the elite lived beautifully and comfortably, and in the other the most necessary things for life were not available ".

In 1960, a massive nationalization of the private sector was carried out. Cuba currently has one of the most nationalized economies in the world. In the second half of the 60s. the government is trying to move away from central planning in favor of sectoral planning and is shifting to experimentation with moral incentives and widespread use of free forced labor. Falling production levels and avoiding forced labor forced a return to Soviet-style central planning. In the 1970s - 80s. with the help of the countries of the socialist bloc in Cuba, the basis of the industry is being created.

Exports nickel, sugar, tobacco, seafood, medical products, citrus fruits, coffee. The main export partners are the Netherlands, Canada, China. In November 2004, during a visit to Cuba by Chinese President Hu Jintao, an agreement was reached that China would invest $ 500 million in Cuba's nickel industry. In January 2008, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and the head of the state oil company Cuba, who have visited Cuba, import petroleum products, food products, industrial equipment, and chemical products. The main import partners are Venezuela, China, Spain.

Cuba's banking system consists of the Central Bank, 8 commercial banks, 13 non-bank financial institutions, 13 representative offices of foreign banks and 4 representative offices of foreign financial institutions. There are 2 types of currency in Cuba. Cuban citizens receive black and white Cuban pesos, foreigners receive colored (convertible) pesos when exchanging currency. Western media reported on the currency manipulation of the top Cuban leadership and the family of F. Castro.

Since 1962, a rationing system has been operating in Cuba, products are issued according to the same standards for the whole country. According to Cuban experts, at present, the population receives from 40 to 54 percent of the minimum required calories from food distributed by rationing. Milk is given free by the state to children under 6 years old or purchased by the population on the market. During all the post-revolutionary years, there was a black market in Cuba. A number of goods, the distribution of which by cards is carried out irregularly or intended only for beneficiaries, are still purchased on the black market.

In 2008, Cubans were allowed to buy cell phones, computers and DVD players, as well as 19- and 24-inch TVs, electric pressure cookers and e-bicycles, car alarms and microwaves (but only with convertible currency).

According to the BBC broadcaster, there is an increase in prostitution and corruption in Cuba. The average monthly salary in Cuba is $ 12, but there are many government benefits. For example, workers are given free clothing. There is a system of free medical care and free higher and secondary education.

Foreign policy

Russia

Participation in international organizations

Immediately after the revolution, about 3 thousand doctors left the country. However, this deficiency was made up by the organization of the medical education system. Currently, the Cuban health care system is considered one of the best in the world and has extensive primary health care and scientific development programs. Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate in Latin America. All types of medical care are free of charge.

Education

Cuba has a traditionally high educational level of the population. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there has been a system of state free 9-grade elementary education for children from 6 to 14 years old (the ninth grade was optional, the rest are compulsory). In 1932, elementary schools (state and church) were attended by 90% of school-age children. In 1951, 22% of the adult population was illiterate, which was lower than in Spain and pre-war Italy. In 1961, a massive campaign to eradicate illiteracy began. As a result, in 1980 the number of illiterates was only 2%, and in 1990 Cuba became a country of complete literacy. A publicly available average and graduate School... During the 60s. the number of students doubled (from 717 to 1.5 million) with a population growth of 1-2% per year. In total, counting all stages of education, the number of people covered by them has tripled.

Currently, there is a compulsory 9-grade education in Cuba (the secondary is 12-grade education). There are 50 higher education centers. Education for all levels is free.

The main educational institution of the country is the University of Havana, located in different parts of the capital. Until 1999, Russian was taught there as the main foreign language (faculty of the Pais brothers). The work of this faculty was supervised by the CMO of Moscow State University. After 1999, English became that language. Other universities in Cuba: Agrarian University of Havana.

The science

Art

Cuba in music

Muslim Magomaev . Cuba my love
Guantanamera - song

Cuba in literature

Religion

In Cuba, the church is separate from the state, and the Cuban Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to the population. The most widespread religion is Catholic.

Despite the peculiarities of socialism as a socio-political system that has dominated the country for many decades, Cubans are quite religious. Even members of the Cuban Communist Party are not prohibited from attending churches. Catholic churches exist throughout the country. Even after the victory of the revolution, masses are held daily and solemn services are held on national or local religious holidays.

With the arrival of black slaves on the island, various beliefs of African descent have spread. Over time, three main currents were formed from them, which exist and are still popular. This is Regla de Ocha (Spanish. Regla de ocha) or Santeria (Spanish. Santeria), Las Reglas de Palo (Spanish. Las Reglas de Palo) and La Sociedad-Secreta-Abaqua (Spanish. La Sociedad Secreta Abacua). As a result of the historical process, a mixture of Catholic dogmas and African cults has also formed. For example, the Most Pure Virgin of the Merciful of Cobre is considered by the Catholics to be the patroness of Cuba. In Santeria, she bears the name Ochun.

In recent years, Protestant churches have begun to emerge, especially in the provinces.

Sport

Military establishment

Guard at the mausoleum of Jose Marti

The Cuban Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias - FAR) is the main armed formation of Cuba, providing its national defense.

media

The daily newspaper of the Island of Liberty "Granma", bears the name of the yacht of the same name, on which a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro landed in Cuba to carry out a guerrilla struggle against the Batista regime. The newspaper is the official conductor and popularizer of the policies pursued by the Cuban Communist Party (CCP). Granma Internacional is published once a week in English. Also, the press of Cuba is represented by such publications devoted to the problems of economy, tourism, finance, culture, politics, as "Opciones", "Bohemia", "Juventud Rebelde", "Trabajadores".

Notes (edit)

As a result of the Spanish-American War.
http://www.echo.msk.ru/news/425116.html
http://som.csudh.edu/cis/lpress/devnat/nations/cuba/cuba3.htm
Raul Castro: Between Deng Xiaoping and Gorbachev
Robin Blackburn. The economies oh the Cuban revolution // Fidel Castro's Personal Revolution in Cuba: 1953-1973. Edited with an Introduction by James Nelson Goodsell, The Christian Science monitor. Consulting Editor Lewis hanke, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. New York, 1975, p. 134
Semidevelopment, Intermediate stage of development - Maurice Halperin. The Rise and Decline of Fidel Castro. An Essay in Contemporary History by Maurice Halperin. University of California Press. Berkley / Los Angeles / London., 1972, p. 25

As one of last strongholds communism on the planet, the country is of constant interest. While the rest of the world lives at the fast pace of the digital age, Cuba is slowly moving its own way, with only a minority having access to the Internet. Dinosaurs of the automotive world, repaired and tinted American cars of the 1940s and 1950s, crawl awkwardly along the dimly lit city streets. In rural areas, cars are replaced by ox-carts, omnibuses, Chinese bicycles and pedicabs. The dwellings are furnished with furniture antiques inherited from their ancestors, illuminated with energy-saving light bulbs.

Cuba is inseparable from international politics of the second half of the 20th century. At the age of six, children become young pioneers - builders of communism. Across the country, giant posters carry incantations from the country's leadership like "Socialismo about Muerte" ("Socialism or death") and "Viva la Revolution" ("Long live the revolution"). Portraits of Che Guevara, the revolutionary martyr of the 1960s, can be found everywhere on the walls of shops, institutions and residential buildings.

Under the conditions of tough communist rule, the country has always burst at the seams. Its economic condition is directly dependent on the global environment, and the situation is further exacerbated by the American trade embargo and the damage caused by hurricanes. Many families continue to live in cramped conditions in dilapidated housing, the monthly income of many Cubans in terms of less than 25 US dollars.

The obvious weakness of the Cuban economy and the deprivation of the Cuban people cannot be overlooked. In addition, the island lacks real freedom of speech, press and movement outside the country, although under Raul Castro, some indulgences have taken place. However, there is no such glaring poverty that catches the eye, say, in Bangladesh, India, Latin America. Housing is provided by the state, and hardly anywhere in Cuba you will see homeless people sleeping on the streets, and although Cubans do not get all the necessary food according to coupon books, nobody really goes hungry. All residents of the country have the right to free health care and education. Life expectancy increased from 57 years in 1958 to 77.7 years in 2011. This is the 57th indicator in the world. The infant mortality rate in Cuba is lower than in the United States and the European Union.

Decay, poverty and limitation only underline the unyielding spirit of the Cuban people. These people are characterized by remarkable resilience, patience and love of life, which, it seems, cannot be undermined by any economic hardships. Cubans are extremely friendly and hospitable and always eagerly invite visitors to the island in their modest homes. Overflowing with energy schoolchildren - all in the same uniform - are everywhere: scampering through the streets, playing backyard baseball - stickball, riding homemade skateboards, flying kites.

Cuba today

Modern Cuba is slowly but surely beginning to make concessions to certain capitalist goods, which seemed completely unthinkable under Fidel. Moreover, here they are no longer so aggressively disposed towards their eternal enemy - the United States. Several years ago, in order to somehow strengthen the shaky state economy, Cuba tried to develop tourism, which seriously changed its appearance.

The number of those wishing to visit the poor but proud island of socialism is only growing every year, which, of course, affects the state transformations. Gradually, the country acquires the notorious "elements of sweet life", contrasting with picturesque ruins, preserved from the time of the revolution. For example, the ban on the import of foreign cars into the country was recently lifted, thanks to which quite modern taxis can now be seen at the Havana airport. The coast of Cuba in recent years has been actively built up with fashionable hotel complexes and spa hotels. And although the level of service in most of these establishments still gives off a "Soviet flavor", the rest here can be called quite civilized and comfortable.

Paradise Island

For many arriving on the island for the first time, Cuba is striking in its dissimilarity from the rest of the Caribbean. The best Cuban poet, Nicholas Guillen, compared the island to a "long green alligator." What is long is for sure - the distance from the "nose" to the "tail" is 1250 km. Cuba, comparable in area to England, is divided into 14 provinces and has about 450 islands and islets called "kayos", which means "reefs" and "springs".

Given the size, it will take at least a month to get to know the entire country. Most begin their acquaintance with the capital, Havana, and then travel to the famous tobacco plantations to the west, after which they visit the sugarcane valleys and the most beautiful colonial cities in the central part of the island. The easternmost region, called Oriente, is known for its high mountains and the second largest and first musical city.

Many resort hotels have sprung up along the truly Caribbean beaches, mainly on the northern coast. While many organized tourists still flock to the sea, each region of the island has its own charming cities, prompting people to venture inland.

Cuba's white-sand beaches are delightful, with the long stretches of Varadero coastline to the north being best known. Other beach tourism centers include Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda and the islands of Coco and Largo. Sailing enthusiasts pay tribute to the countless natural harbors, anglers hunt marlin off the coast, and divers explore coral reefs and wrecks.

Most tourists prefer a full-service vacation, but Cuba's variety of attractions also attracts a large number of independent travelers who find a lot of interesting things for themselves, in addition to the sea and beaches. At the eastern end of the island rises its highest mountain range, the Sierra Maestro (up to 1974 m), the birthplace of many uprisings; in the west, in the province of Pinar del Rio, lies the green Viña forest valley with huge mogotes, made of limestone by steep hills up to 400 m high; in the central part of the island are the lush Sierra del Escambray mountains and the old sugar cane plantations of the De los Ingenios Valley.

But there are still big and small cities. Havana combines fine Spanish colonial architecture with a vibrant street life and a range of cultural events and attractions; Trinidad - a shining gem of the colonial era - attracts with beautiful residences, churches and other structures on the winding cobbled streets; - a colorful cocktail that has absorbed elements of Spanish, French and African cultures.

Climate

Cuba belongs to the tropical trade wind zone. As for the seasons, in this part of the Caribbean, only two weather seasons can be distinguished: dry (from October to April) and rainy, accompanied by rather strong hurricanes (from May to September).

Cold is a concept that no Cuban is familiar with. Even in January, the temperature on the island rarely drops below +22 ° C. The apotheosis of the heat occurs in August, when the thermometer freezes at around +28 ° C in the shade. An additional bonus to ocean winds and tropical stuffiness is high air humidity, which often darkens the first days of the trip. But you shouldn't worry about a specific occasion: it usually takes no more than a couple of days to get used to local climatic realities.

Main tourist destinations

What Cuba really enjoys is the lazy beach vacation: in fact, the entire coastline of the main island is a continuous beach from the Bounty ad with white starch sand and azure shallow waters. If your plans are not only regal reclining on a sun lounger and getting a chocolate tan, try to stay longer in the main city of Cuba - Havana. First, you still do not deprive yourself of the pleasant beach relaxation, because the city has grabbed itself a 20-kilometer piece of the sea coast, equipping it in accordance with the tastes of tourists. And secondly, you can fully enjoy the old architecture for which the Cuban capital is famous.

It is worth stopping by to plunge into the typical Caribbean flavor, gain impressions from exploring the historical part of the city (after all, it was from here that the Spanish colonization of the island began) and dance to the incendiary melodies of street musicians. The cradle of the Cuban revolution, Santa Clara, is mainly visited by those who never cease to be agitated by the romanticized image of the ex-commander Che Guevara. For your information, the remains of the Argentine rebel still rest in the local mausoleum. The cigar capital of Cuba, Pinar del Rio, is ready to offer its guests not only excursions to tobacco plantations, but also walks along the most picturesque valleys surrounding the city. You can rewind time and return to the colonial era in Trinidad. Some of the local mansions built by the "sugar kings" are even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Of all the islands of the Cuban archipelago, Cayo Largo, Cayo Caco and Cayo Guillermo are recognized as the most tourist oriented. The first piece of land is notable for its coral reef and iguanas roaming freely along the coast. There is practically no local population in Cayo Largo, but hotels and bars with visiting staff, as well as clean municipal beaches are in abundance. To escape the blues and relieve stress is best on Cayo Coco. The main feature of the island is a cave disco organized for tourists on Tuesdays. From Cayo Coco, you can climb along a sandy dam to the neighboring island - Cayo Guillermo, whose main attraction is the pink flamingos living here. It's a paradox, but Cubans themselves are not allowed here, unless they work in one of the island hotels, so only overseas guests can enjoy the fantastic sunsets and all the benefits of the all inclusive system in Cayo Guillermo.

Attractions and entertainment in Cuba

The main historical sights of Cuba are concentrated in Havana and several other large cities. In the capital, first of all, it is worth paying attention to the Old Havana area with its Cathedral of Saint Christopher, Prado Boulevard and Colon Cemetery, dotted with pretentious marble monuments. Contemplation of the Havana Capitol (a recognizable copy of the Washington one) will also give a pleasant experience. It is also interesting to wander around the old town squares, bordered by old colonial-style mansions. Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de San Francisco - all these cobbled spots are included in the mandatory minimum tourist program.

The tiny town of Remedios is worth visiting for the Carnival Museum, the Alejandro García Couturla Music Museum and the Church of John the Baptist. People go to Pinar del Rio to see the Guash Palace, go to a performance at the Milanes Theater and watch the production of real Cuban cigars at the Francisco Donatien tobacco factory. In Matanzas, must-see areas are Vihia Square, San Severino Castle and Montserrat Chapel.

Cuba is not Cuba without mentioning the old Hemingway. Here the writer is loved, honored, without missing out on the opportunity to earn a little on his fame. If you, too, are not indifferent to the work of antiquity Ham, take a look at the Finca Vihia estate in the vicinity of San Francisco de Paula (Havana district), to which the genius gave 20 years of his life.

For ecotourists in a country with 14 national parks and more than two dozen biosphere reserves, almost endless possibilities. The most famous and most visited protected natural areas are the parks of Bacanao, Desembarco del Granma, Sierra del Rosario and Topes de Collantes.

It is difficult to ignore the Cuban resorts, the most important of which is Holguín. Resting here, though expensive, is fun and prestigious. In addition, the resort has the most beautiful beach in the country - Playa Esmeralda. Cheaper and less pretentious Varadero has made a reputation for itself in the active nightlife... The regulars of this piece of paradise are party fans, sex tourists and just lovers of all-inclusive vacations. Well, travelers who do not belong to any of the listed categories can be advised to look into Varadero for an excursion to Jose Smith's sugar factory, where the production of the rum legend, the Havana Club, was first launched.

All sights of Cuba

Divers in Cuba live at ease without exaggeration. If you wish, you can go in search of underwater adventures directly from the beaches of Havana, Varadero and Santiago de Cuba. The transparency of the sea water is high almost everywhere, and the bottom is replete with coral thickets and interesting finds. But it is better, of course, to choose less crowded places, tested by experts. These include the islands of Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Juventud and Jardines del Rey. You can also chase exotic fish near the coral reef in the province of Cienfuegos.

There is no shortage of experienced instructors on Liberty Island, but most of them speak only Spanish and a little less often English. Russian-speaking diving gurus can be found only in Varadero and in Jardines del Rey. It is also possible to take training in primary diving skills in Cuba, but it is unlikely that you will be able to acquire a certificate of a more advanced level (PADI).

It is not necessary to bring diving equipment with you. Almost all Cuban diving centers have their own material and technical base: sometimes thoroughly shabby, but quite working. On average, dive rates range from 30 (daylight) to 40 (night) CUC.

Holidays to celebrate with Cubans

On Liberty Island, communist holidays are still in trend. May Day and Cuban Revolution Day (January 2) are still celebrated here with great pomp. On July 26, a wave of parades and demonstrations in honor of National Uprising Day swept across the country. On October 10, all Cuban patriots do not go to work, but gather at the Carlos Manuel Cespedes monument to lay flowers and express their deep gratitude to the “Father of the Motherland”.

Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the local inhabitants are zealous Catholics, Christmas in Cuba is celebrated quietly, modestly and without traditional gifts. But on New Year's Eve, an unimaginable festive chaos reigns in large cities, accompanied by intoxicating parties and concerts.

Features of the national mentality

The indigenous population of Cuba lives mostly poor, but carefree and fun. All these tales about dancing in the middle of the street, the amazing talkativeness of local, prehistoric Cadillacs and Buicks, carefully inherited, as well as generously scattered compliments towards white-skinned Europeans have a very real basis. The average Cuban behaves like a typical careless dreamer who dreams of one day getting rich all his life, but at the same time will not agree to leave his usual comfort zone for any treasures. But such a way of life also has its own sacred meaning: to strain in a country where universal leveling operates and revolutions break out from time to time is dear to itself. Although to scold the Cubans in front of their regime is a kind of bad manners. Despite the fact that local residents have a meager salary, receive food on coupons and pay exorbitant prices for white sugar, which they themselves produce, outwardly they look quite happy with this existence.

As for the attitude towards tourists, then, of course, for most Cubans they are just fat wallets, from which, if possible, you need to shake out the maximum. On Liberty Island, if not all, then very many are engaged in divorce for money: from the state, which put into circulation a special tourist currency, to petty fraudsters who deliberately provoke an accident in order to disrupt material compensation from a naive traveler. Recently, such an unprecedented phenomenon as the financial stratification of society has begun to be observed in the country: Cubans who are involved in the tourism sector and have the opportunity to receive tips in addition to their main income have turned into a real elite.

Religion

Catholicism in Cuba is closely intertwined with Afro-Cuban religions, in particular with such as Santeria. Tourists have the opportunity to experience many aspects of these religious practices. In the early 1960s, the government deprived catholic church Much of its power and influence, but masses continue to be held in churches throughout the island, and since the Pope’s visit to Cuba in 1998, Catholic services and rituals have become more widespread.

Language

The entire population of Cuba speaks Spanish. Recently, in connection with the development of the tourism industry among the islanders, all kinds of courses for studying foreign languages, mainly European, have begun to gain popularity. In particular, the overwhelming majority of the staff of elite hotels and taxi drivers speak English well. But since the mass mastery of Shakespeare's language is still far from here, it is better to get a paper or electronic Russian-Spanish phrasebook before the trip.

Food in Cuba

In Cuban cuisine, Spanish, Creole and African motives... The favorite side dish here is rice, which is often mixed with black beans or beans. It is most often served with pork or chicken, since beef in Cuba is a pleasure available only to a select few. It is worth trying the Creole ajiaco, which is a meat stew with vegetables and spices. By the way, it is better to look for the most peppery and spicy dishes in the vicinity of Santiago de Cuba.

In some establishments you can also taste exotic meat (crocodiles, turtles). Quite popular types of dishes include juevos habaneros (a local type of omelet with a spicy sauce), chicharrones (crispy pork skin chips), pulp meatloaf and unchanging lobsters that are inaccessible to the common Cuban, but are in great demand among the tourist fraternity. For dessert, it is worth taking maduros (fried bananas), caramel cream dulce de leche (analogue of domestic boiled condensed milk) and churros cookies, which are fried right on the street. In addition, there is an abundance of fruits in Cuba, so they can be found not only in the form of desserts, but also as a side dish for meat dishes.

As for drinks, it is worth appreciating Cuban rum and, of course, the legendary daiquiri - the favorite cocktail of John F. Kennedy and Papa Ham. Tourists drink guarapo cane juice more out of curiosity than for pleasure. But the local beer enjoys a good reputation. The strongest coffee is brewed in Cuba, generously flavored with sugar, and sometimes splashing a couple of drops of rum into a cup.

Most hotels that offer breakfast or Three meals a day, the cuisine is more Europeanized. Usually the morning starts with a buffet with all that it implies. If you are looking for a typical Cuban tavern, welcome to the public dining rooms in private houses (paladares), which have recently been actively replaced by classic restaurants.

Money

In theory, the country's currency is the Cuban peso. In fact, there are two types of money in circulation: for the indigenous population, this is the same Cuban peso (CUP), and for tourists - a convertible peso or cook (CUC). 1 cookie is 57.43 rubles, exactly 1 US dollar or 1.18 euros (for 2017).

It is most profitable to exchange euros (no commission) or Canadian dollars at local banks. The worst thing to do is to convert the American currency, since the commission for its exchange can go up to 20% of the amount. Money can be exchanged at the airport, hotels and banks. The latter are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, with establishments closing for a traditional siesta from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm.

The resort areas of the island accept credit cards... Not so long ago, the ban on "plastic" of American banks was lifted in Cuba, but disruptions in payment transactions with Mastercard still occur. Protection from such awkward situations will be a stock of cash, which will be gladly accepted in any institution.

Tipping is customary on Liberty Island. In restaurants, this can be the traditional 10% of the bill. There will be enough little things in the bars (in cookies). Porters, maids and street musicians are given no more than 1 cookie.

Note: before leaving, try to empty all the cookies in the shops, or have time to exchange them at the Havana airport. Otherwise, you run the risk of returning home with a pile of useless bills - convertible pesos do not change anywhere else.

Trip budget

Compared to the rest of Latin America and other developing countries, Cuba can be an unpleasant surprise for its high cost, but staying on the island will cost you no more than a vacation on other islands in the Caribbean.

Road

Air tickets can become the main expense item, especially for residents of Europe and Asia. Cheaper to travel in the off-season, mid-December to mid-April, and pay full complex service.

Residence

Car rent

You can rent a car in Cuba in any big city, but keep in mind that gasoline is expensive here: about 1.20-1.40 CUC / l. To rent a car, you must be 21 years old and have at least one year of driving experience. To conclude a lease, a passport and an international driver's license will be enough.

The rental price is from 45 to 150 cookies per day without mileage limitation. Usually the tourist pays the rent, as well as a mandatory deposit of 150-300 CUC (cash is available). The insurance will need to be bought on the spot, even if you paid for the rental in advance before arriving in the country. If you take the car in one place and want to return it in another, you will have to pay the cost of the return journey. In the event of damage to the vehicle, you must pay the first few hundred dollars required for repairs unless you can prove that the damage was not your fault. Before picking up the vehicle, inspect it for dents and scratches.

Useful information: even sitting behind the wheel of a rented car, you will hardly be able to disguise yourself as a real amigo on Cuban roads. Cars in the country are identified by the color of their license plates: yellow ones belong to private owners, blue ones belong to government agencies, and red ones are given to tourists.

The official language of Cuba. Cuba - Republic of Cuba

Etymology

Geography

Geographical position

Minerals

Climate

Administrative division

Transport

Population

Population aging

Story

State structure

Legal system

Economy

Reform 2010

Private business

Foreign policy

Venezuela

The EU

Panama

Mexico

Bahamas

USSR / Russia

media

The culture

In popular culture

Religion

Sport

Military establishment

media

Cuban emigration

see also

Notes (edit)

Literature

State

State structure

Language

Religion

Currency

History of Cuba

Cuba Map

Popular attractions

Cuba Tourism

Where to stay

Popular hotels

Excursions and attractions in Cuba

Tips

Visa

Opening hours of institutions

Souvenirs

The medicine

Safety

Emergency telephones

Photo and video shooting

Photos of Cuba

Questions and opinions about Cuba

General information about Cuba

Where is Cuba

Population

Currency

Useful phone numbers

Emergency services (Havana):

On the territory of the country:

Payment and exchange in Cuba

If it is more convenient for you to use Visa / MasterCard, please note that:

Tourist memo

What are they like, the Cuban people

Security on Cuban soil

Climate in Cuba, when is the best time to go

Santa clara

Santiago de Cuba

Trinidad

Matanzas

Cuban resorts

Varadero

Holguin

Guardavalaka

Juventud

Cayo Largo

Entertainment and recreation on Liberty Island