20 little-known facts about Cuba
Friday, 6th February 2009
Everyone knows the things that make Cuba a top-notch tourist destination - the white sand beaches, the beautiful colonial architecture, the rich cultural history…
Perhaps less known however, are the intricacies of its unique history and identity. The following facts may inspire you to learn more about this fascinating country:
1. The Cubans refer to their island as ‘El Cocodrilo’ - viewed from above Cuba is said to resemble a crocodile.
2. In Spanish it is known as la República de Cuba.
3. Cuba comprises the Island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth and some adjacent small islands.
4. The population of Cuba totals more than eleven million.
5. Cuba is the most populated country in the whole of the Caribbean.
6. When Christopher Columbus first happened upon Cuba in 1492 he thought he had landed in China.
7. The British captured it for one year in the 1800’s, but lost it back to Spain the next year.
8. The US tried to invade Cuba multiple times from Florida. In 1848, they gave up and offered Spain $100 million dollars for Cuba, but the offer was rejected.
9. Ernest Hemingway wrote “The Old Man and the Sea” and “For whom the Bell Tolls” whilst living in Cuba.
10. Cuba is only 90 miles away from America.
11. The main island of Cuba consists of rolling plains. It has a range of mountains at its southeast end, called the Sierra Maestra. The highest point in Sierra Maestra is the Pico Real del Turquino , which stands at around 2005 metres.
12. Cuba actually boasts one of the best health care systems in the world. The average life expectancy is comparable with that of the UK and one of its most prominent exports is that of medical technology.
13. Cuba also has a thriving health tourism business.
14. Cuba is the birth place of Bacardi Rum, although Bacardi moved to Puerto Rico after Castro’s takeover.
15. The average temperature is 21 degrees Celsius in January and 27 degrees Celsius in July.
16. Cuba has a mixed population, 51% of which is made up of ‘mulattos’ (a term commonly used for people with one white parent and one black parent or who have both black and white ancestry).
17. The birth rate of Cuba is one of the lowest in all of the Western Hemisphere.
18. Cuba boasts some of the best dive sites in the world.
19. Baseball and dominos are national obsessions in Cuba!
20. It is home to 9 World Heritage sites:
Cultural
-Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba
-Historic Centre of Camagüey
-Old Havana and its Fortifications
-San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba
-Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios
-Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos
-Viñales Valley
Natural
-Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
-Desembarco del Granma National Park
Tags: facts, central america, course, language, cuba, spanish
Posted by Laura Lippert 2009-02 under Destinations for you,
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Posted by Millie on 05/11 at 12:44 AM
Vre helpful w/ my spanish project 8( thx 4 ur hlp!