CUBA

1
CUBA

• Geography
• History
• Climate
• Flora and Fauna
• Government
• Economy
• Population
• Education
• Society
• Arts

2
Geography

• Long skinny island, size of Louisiana
• 1250 km East to West
• 31-191 km North to South
• Forested mountains (25)
• Highest peak, Pico Turquino (1972 m)
• Biggest river, Rio Cauto
• Separate Island Isla de Pino in my time now
  Isla de la Juventud
  
• http//www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/caribbean/cu
  ba/cuba.htm

3
History - 1

• Native Americans since at least 2000 BC
• Guanahatabey in the West
• Siboney in the rest of the country
• 100,000 Taino Indians in Cuba when Columbus
  arrived in 1492
  
• Columbus named the country 'Juana'
• Columbus thought he had arrived in Asia
• Columbus did not realized that Cuba was an
  island
  
• Sebastian de Ocampo determined that Cuba was an
  island in 1508

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History - 2

• Spaniards ignored Cuba because it did not have
  any gold.
  
• Spaniards settled in the Dominican Republic
• A Spaniards based in Hispanola, Diego the
  Velazquez led troops over to Cuba to establish
  Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Bayamo, Camaguey,
  Santo Espirito, Trinidad and Habana in 1512
• Spaniards killed thousands of Indians
• Spaniards also brought diseases like small pox
  that the Indians had no resistance to.
  
• Indian population declined to 5000 by 1550

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History-3

• Indian labor was replaced by African slave labor
  for sugar cane development
  
• Economy mostly cattle ranching, leather until
  tobacco development in 1580.
  
• Spaniards established a monopoly on the buy and
  sell of tobacco
  
• Ships full of goods would leave for Spain every
  summer. Pirates noted and attacked these ships in
  Habana and Santiago de Cuba
  
• Led to the fortification of those harbors. Each
  got a fortified castle (Morro) at the entrance

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History-4

• Other European countries noticed all the trade in
  the Caribbean, British secure Jamaica in 1655,
  Haiti became French property in 1697
  
• Britain occupied Habana in 1762.
• In 1763 Cuba was returned to Spain in trade for
  Florida, Spain also got Louisiana
  
• Cuba was the major supplier of sugar to the US
  after 1783. By 1820, Cuba was the largest
  provider of sugar in the world

7
History 5

• By 1825 most South American countries had become
  independent, but the US preferred that Cuba
  remain under Spanish control
  
• In 1848, the US tried to buy Cuba for 100M
• In 1854, the bid was 120M
• By 1862, Britain started to enforce limitation in
  the trade of African slaves. Cuba turned to
  Chinese and Mexican Indians to provide the labor
  for the sugar industry.
• In 1868, eastern Cuba supported the abolition of
  slavery, but the west did not. A civil war
  evolved

8
History 6

• By 1890 Spain modified their practices and
  slavery faded away in Cuba.
  
• In the 1880's the US developed a lot of interest
  in Cuba, bought bankrupt sugar plantations and
  many Cuban planters wanted Cuba to be annexed to
  the US.
• US President Jefferson supported that
• Independent thinking started to evolve in Cuba.
  Jose Marti a poet, playwright, etc that had
  traveled through Mexico and the US advocated for
  independence for Cuba

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History - 7

• Marti recruited General Maximo Gomez and Antonio
  Maceo to lead the independence movement. They
  landed in eastern Cuba and Marti was killed
  immediately in 1895. Gomez and Maceo proceeded
  west and conquered most of the country.
• In 1897, the Spanish Prime Minister that was
  against independence for Cuba was assassinated in
  Spain. Spain tried to convince the Cubans to
  adopt Home Rule under the Spanish flag. This was
  rejected.

10
History - 8

• The US gets in the act in 1898, sends Maine to
  guard US interests in Habana. Ship exploded. US
  offers to buy Cuba for 300M. In April US
  declared war on Spain over Cuba. Major battle at
  San Juan Hill, 700 Spaniards versus 6000 US
  troops led by Teddy Roosevelt.
• Spaniards tried to leave Santiago. Boat caught on
  fire. Spain surrenders in July.
  
• US did not allow Cubans to attend the surrender
  ceremonies because they were black.

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History - 9

• US unable to take over Cuba, because Senator
  Teller had added a provision to the bill
  authorizing the war, that Cuba must be governed
  by self-determination.
• So Cuba was placed under US military
  occupation. Generals Brooke and Wood were the
  first governors of Cuba. Wood had an assembly
  draft a constitution in 1900
• US Senator Platt, attached a rider to the 1901
  Army bill giving the US the right to intervene
  militarily in Cuba any time the US deemed it
  prudent

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History - 10

• US secures Guantanamo Bay Base in 1903
• Cuba obtains independence in 1902
• Tomas Estrada Palma first president
• People insurrection in 1906 and the US
  intervened. US governor until 1909.
  
• Agreement to have alternate Presidents from
  Liberals and Conservatives
  
• First Liberal President, Jose Miguel Gomez lasted
  until 1912 when the US intervened again. And
  again in 1917
  
• Gerardo Machado, Liberal, President during the
  Depression. Toppled in 1933 by Batista
  

13
History 11

• Fulgencio Batista, Army Sergeant to play a
  significant role for the next 25 years
  
• Platt amendment cancelled in 1934 by President
  Franklin Roosevelt
  
• Batista ruled until 1944. Weak Presidents Grau
  and Prio succeed him
  
• Batista staged a military coup (backed by US) in
  1952
  
• In 1953, Castro attacked the Moncada Cuartel
  (Barrack) in Santiago de Cuba.
  
• In 1955 and 1958 Batista is re-elected in
  rigged elections
  

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History 12

• In 1956, Castro arrives in Granma boat from
  Mexico. Moves into the Sierra Maestra mountains
  
• In 1958, Castro forces attacked several
  government outpost and on December 31, 1958
  Batista leaves for Dominican Republic
  
• Castros forces take control on Jan 1, 1959.
• Socialist Revolution agrarian reform- give land
  to those that work the land, abolish racial
  discrimination, educational reform- increase
  literacy rate throughout the country to nearly
  100

15
History 13

• In 1959, Castro meets with VP Richard Nixon in
  Washington
  
• In 1960, many industries (oil refineries,
  electrical plants, mining operations, sugar
  mills, etc) are nationalized professionals and
  investors leave Cuba
• In 1961, Bay of Pigs failed invasion
• In 1962, Missile crisis, Cuba expelled from OAS,
  US embargo
  
• Late 1960s, involvement in Africa
• In the 1970, involvement in Ethiopia

16
Climate

• Temperatures between 22 and 27 C
• Relative Humidity 75 to 85
• Breezes always blowing, sea-to-land or
  land-to-sea
  
• Hurricanes are common

17
Flora and Fauna

• Typical tropical flora and fauna
• Hot zone (lower elevation) sugar cane, mangoes,
  avocados, palm trees, lemon, oranges, grapefruit,
  nisperos, guanabana, etc
  
• Temperate zone- coffee, mahogany
• Swap area- large reptiles

18
Government

• Discussed extensively in the History section
• Predominantly dictatorships
• Weak democratic system
• Strong US influence for better or for worse

19
Economy

• Sugar
• Cattle
• Tourism
• Mining
• Tobacco
• Fishing
• Biotechnology

20
Population

• 11M citizens, 2.1 M in Habana
• Officially, 66 white, 12 Black and 22 mulato
• Others observe that about 50 of the population
  is of mixed race
  
• Small group of chinese

21
Education

• 94.5 Literacy rate
• Education to 9th grade is compulsory
• Education at all levels is free
• 47 institutions of higher learning, several of
  them offer doctorates
  

22
Society and Religion

• Prior to the Castro Revolution, there were at
  least five classes The Very well off that hardly
  ever worked, Well off and Middle class that
  worked quite hard to maintain their position, the
  common labor that would extra ordinary hours and
  the beggars.
• After the revolution, the Very well off were the
  executives in the government the Well off,
  Middle class and labor merged.
  
• Before the Revolution 85 of the population were
  nominal Catholics, 10 of which attended church,
  currently 5attend church. Workers more likely to
  be Protestants or Baptists

23
Arts

• Many accomplished Cuban musicians perform
  throughout the world
  
• Cubans tend to be excellent dancers
• Several accomplished writers. Jose Marti the most
  famous poet. Several novel writers.
  
• Some films have been produced in Cuba but usually
  under a foreign director

24
Sources of Information

• Cuba, a Lonely Planet travel survival kit, David
  Stanley, 1st ed, 1997, Lonely Planet
  Publications, Australia
  
• Insight Guide Cuba, Danny Aeberhard, Editor, APA
  Publications GmbH Co, Verlag KG, Singapore,1999