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Cuba
North AmericaCaribbean
110 Thousand km²
Quick Facts
Capital
Havana
Area
109,884 km²
Language
Spanish
Currency
Cuban Peso (CUP)
Calling Code
+53
Drives On
Right
Internet
.cu
Timezone
CST (UTC-5 / UTC-4)
Script
Latin
Government
One-party Socialist Republic
Independence
1902
Map tiles by CARTO. Data by OpenStreetMap.
Cuba is a place where the 20th century came in, made itself comfortable, and never entirely left. Havana's crumbling colonial mansions, the 1950s Chevrolets and Buicks still cruising the Malecon, the rum, the cigars, the salsa - it all creates an atmosphere so thick you could bottle it. The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba sits just 150 km from Florida, yet for decades it was more isolated from the United States than nearly anywhere on Earth.
The island punches absurdly above its weight in almost every field. In baseball, Cuba has dominated international competition for decades. In music, son cubano gave birth to salsa, and the Buena Vista Social Club became one of the best-selling world music albums ever. Cuban ballet is world-class. The healthcare system, whatever you think of the politics, produces more doctors per capita than almost any country. And the literacy rate is 99.8%. All of this from an island of 11 million people living under a trade embargo since 1962. Cuba doesn't do things the easy way, but it does them with extraordinary style.
Largest Cities in Cuba
1
Havana
Capital and cultural heart, a UNESCO-listed colonial city of crumbling grandeur, classic cars, and the famous Malecon sea wall
2,100,000
2
Santiago de Cuba
Cuba's second city and cradle of the revolution, the hottest, most Caribbean city on the island with the strongest Afro-Cuban culture
510,000
3
Camaguey
Colonial city of labyrinthine streets designed to confuse pirates, with a UNESCO-listed historic center
325,000
4
Holguin
City of parks in eastern Cuba, gateway to some of the island's most beautiful beaches
300,000
5
Santa Clara
City where Che Guevara won the decisive battle of the revolution, home to his mausoleum and monument
240,000
6
Trinidad
Perfectly preserved colonial town frozen in the 1850s, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of cobblestoned streets and pastel houses
80,000
Famous People from Cuba
Jose Marti
LiteratureNational hero, poet, and revolutionary who inspired Cuban independence, author of Versos Sencillos and the lyrics to Guantanamera
Fidel Castro
PoliticsRevolutionary leader who overthrew Batista in 1959 and led Cuba for nearly 50 years, one of the most polarizing figures of the 20th century
Alicia Alonso
ArtOne of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century who founded the Cuban National Ballet and performed into her seventies
Jose Raul Capablanca
SportWorld Chess Champion from 1921 to 1927, considered one of the greatest natural chess talents in history
Celia Cruz
MusicQueen of Salsa whose career spanned six decades, her cry of Azucar! became the signature of Latin music worldwide
Teofilo Stevenson
SportThree-time Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medalist who famously refused millions to turn professional
Compay Segundo
MusicLegendary musician of the Buena Vista Social Club who brought Cuban son music to a global audience at age 89
Nicolas Guillen
LiteratureCuba's national poet who blended Afro-Cuban rhythms with Spanish verse, creating a distinctly Caribbean literary voice
Traditional Cuisine of Cuba
Ropa Vieja
Cuba's national dish - shredded beef slow-cooked in a tomato sauce with peppers and onions, the name means old clothes
Cuban Sandwich
Pressed sandwich of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on Cuban bread, born in Tampa's Cuban community
Moros y Cristianos
Black beans and white rice cooked together, a staple at every Cuban table whose name references Moors and Christians
Lechon Asado
Whole roast pig marinated in mojo sauce of sour orange and garlic, the centerpiece of every Cuban celebration
Tostones
Twice-fried green plantain discs, smashed flat and fried until crispy, served as a side with virtually everything
Yuca con Mojo
Boiled cassava drenched in a garlicky sour orange sauce, a simple side dish that defines Cuban comfort food
Vaca Frita
Crispy shredded beef pan-fried with onions until caramelized, the perfect contrast of crunchy and tender
Mojito
Cuba's gift to cocktail culture - white rum, lime, sugar, mint, and soda water, famously associated with Hemingway's Havana
Nature & Landmarks in Cuba
Vinales Valley
LandmarkUNESCO-listed valley of dramatic limestone mogotes rising from tobacco fields, the most beautiful landscape in western Cuba
Varadero Beach
CoastTwenty kilometers of white sand peninsula jutting into turquoise Caribbean waters, one of the most famous beaches in the Americas
Sierra Maestra
MountainCuba's highest mountain range reaching 1,974 meters at Pico Turquino, where Castro's guerrillas launched the revolution
Cienaga de Zapata
National ParkLargest wetland in the Caribbean, home to Cuban crocodiles, flamingos, and the bee hummingbird - the world's smallest bird
Jardines de la Reina
IslandPristine archipelago of 250 coral cays off southern Cuba, one of the best-preserved marine ecosystems in the Caribbean
Alejandro de Humboldt
National ParkUNESCO World Heritage Site of mountains and rainforest in eastern Cuba, one of the most biologically diverse tropical island sites on Earth
Bay of Pigs
CoastBeyond its Cold War fame, a spectacular snorkeling and diving destination with pristine coral reefs and cenotes
Baracoa
LandmarkCuba's oldest city surrounded by rainforest-covered mountains, where Columbus reportedly first landed in 1492
Sports in Cuba
Baseball
Cuba's national passion, dominating international amateur competition for decades with 25 Baseball World Cup titles
Boxing
Olympic boxing powerhouse with 37 gold medals, more than any other country, led by legends like Stevenson and Savon
Athletics
World-class sprinters and jumpers, including multiple Olympic champions in high jump and sprint events
Volleyball
Women's team won three consecutive Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000), one of volleyball's great dynasties
Did You Know?
1
Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in the world at 99.8%, achieved through a massive 1961 literacy campaign
2
There are an estimated 60,000 classic American cars from the 1940s and 1950s still running on Cuban roads
3
Cuba trains more doctors per capita than almost any country and sends thousands of medical professionals to work abroad
4
The bee hummingbird, found only in Cuba, is the smallest bird in the world at just 5 centimeters long
5
Havana's El Floridita bar claims to be the birthplace of the daiquiri, and La Bodeguita del Medio claims the mojito
6
Cuba has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than any other Caribbean nation
7
Cuban cigars are hand-rolled by trained torcedores who undergo years of apprenticeship to perfect the craft
8
The Cuban national baseball league has been running since 1878, making it one of the oldest professional leagues outside the US
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Test Your Knowledge of Cuba
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