Location & Defintion of

the Caribbean
Group 3 (Representing Spanish Heritage) : Cuba
 Assignment Outline

Create an understanding of Caribbean identity, society and culture by researching

how people live in the various Caribbean countries i.e., English, French, Spanish and
Dutch.

 Write about the location, history, geography, social, cultural, economic and political
lifestyle.

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CUBA
Location
A map of Cuba
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 Where is Cuba Located?

● “Cuba is situated just south of the Tropic of Cancer at the intersection of

the Atlantic Ocean (north and east), the Gulf of Mexico (west), and the
Caribbean Sea (south). Haiti, the nearest neighboring country, is 48 miles
(77 km) to the east, across the Windward Passage; Jamaica is 87 miles
(140 km) to the south; the Bahamas archipelago extends to within 50 miles
(80 km) of the northern coast; and the United States is about 90 miles (150
km) to the north across the Straits of Florida.”
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba

*reference map on slide 4

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 The Uniqueness of Cuba

● “Cuba is actually an archipelago that includes the main island of Cuba and
the Island of Youth (previously known as the Island of Pines). The Cuban
Archipelago contains over 4,000 islands and the Isle of Cuba has just over
100,000 sq km, making it the largest Caribbean island. Its location in the
Caribbean gives it a moderate tropical climate and its varying elevations
and exposure to a multitude of different wind currents…”
-Taken from : “A Geographic Perspective of Cuban Landscapes” by Jennifer Gebelein”

*reference map on slide 4

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 “Did you know that the United States
pays Cuba approximately $4,085 a year
to lease the 45 square miles that the
Guantánamo Bay Naval Station
occupies? Cuba, however, has not
accepted the payment since 1959”

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CUBA
Geography
Cuba
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 The Geography of Cuba

● “Topographically, three-fifths of Cuba displays flat or gently rolling fields

and wide, fertile valleys--ideal for sugar cane and tobacco that have been
the agricultural staples of the Cuban economy. The northern coast is low
and somewhat rocky; the southern coast more marshy. Most of what
remains, particularly at the southeastern end of the island, forms steep and
at times formidable mountains. Three mountain ranges dominate the Cuban
terrain, but by far the best known and most rugged is the eastern Sierra
Maestra, where peaks rise to almost 6,000 feet (1,829 m.) above sea level.
-Taken from : https://www.countryreports.org/country/Cuba/geography.htm

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 The Geography of Cuba

● “The topography of Cuba is also quite varied. For example, in the Santiago de Cuba province the
eastern Sierra Maestra Mountains contain the highest peak in Cuba: the Pico Real del Turquino
(in the Turquino National Park). At 1974 m high this park contains the pine forests of the species
endemic to this area called the Pinus maestrensis . In this same high region the cooler temperate
habitats provide a moist, shaded environment to species of ground dwelling ferns and epiphytes
are also very common. This is in contrast to the western end of the island in the Pinar del Rio
region, part of which is characterized by a flat landscape dotted with mogote-shaped hills which
can reach heights of 500 m (Domech and Glean 2001 )”
-Taken from : “A Geographic Perspective of Cuban Landscapes” by Jennifer Gebelein

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 The Geography of Cuba

● “Cuba’s landscape characterized by a great diversity of natural forms: mountainous areas,

plateaus, valleys, savannah and rolling hills. The mountain areas increase in height from west to
east, mountain ranges: Cordillera de Guaniguanico: is located in Pinar del Rio province.
comprised by the Sierra de los Organos Mountains on the west and the Sierra del Rosario
Mountains in the east The highest elevation is the Pan de Guajaibon 702 m, Guamuhaya
Group is located in the central region of the country, this range extends across the provinces of
Cienfuegos, Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara. This group formed by the Escambray and Sierra
Trinidad mountain range. Pico San Juan the highest elevation with 1,140 m above sea
level. Sierra Maestra is located in the eastern region of the island and here we can find the
highest point of the country: Pico Turquino with 1974 m over sea level.
-Taken from : http://www.cubanaturetravel.com/geography

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 The Geography of Cuba

● “The rest of land is flat and fertile. There are lots of cave including an exceptionally
beautiful karst phenomena such as Bellamar in the province of Matanzas. Due to the
shape of the island, most of the rivers are relatively short and the streams are quite
strong. The mountains were slashed by the rivers creating breathtaking waterfalls
such as the Salto del Caburní and the Abagama waterfall. The longest river with its
370 km is Rio Cauto (Granma province) however is not navigable. Many water
reservoirs and lakes can be found on the island which ones attract the migratory
birds.”
-Taken from : http://www.cubanaturetravel.com/geography

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 The Geography of Cuba

● “Cuba’s approximately 3,570 miles (5,745 km) of irregular, picturesque coastline are
characterized by many bays, sandy beaches, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, and
rugged cliffs. There are also some spectacular caverns in the interior, notably the 16-
mile- (26-km-) long Cave of Santo Tomás in the Sierra Quemado of western Cuba.
The main island is surrounded by a submerged platform covering an additional
30,000 square miles (78,000 square km).”
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba

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Sierra Maestra, Cuba

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 Pico Real del Turquino, Cuba

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 The Geography of Cuba

● “The topography of Cuba is also quite varied. For example, in the Santiago de Cuba province the
eastern Sierra Maestra Mountains contain the highest peak in Cuba: the Pico Real del Turquino
(in the Turquino National Park). At 1974 m high this park contains the pine forests of the species
endemic to this area called the Pinus maestrensis . In this same high region the cooler temperate
habitats provide a moist, shaded environment to species of ground dwelling ferns and epiphytes
are also very common. This is in contrast to the western end of the island in the Pinar del Rio
region, part of which is characterized by a flat landscape dotted with mogote-shaped hills which
can reach heights of 500 m (Domech and Glean 2001 )”
-Taken from : “A Geographic Perspective of Cuban Landscapes” by Jennifer Gebelein

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CUBA
A brief History of Cuba
 The History of Cuba

● The first European to reach Cuba was Christopher Columbus in 1492. At that time the indigenous people lived by
farming. They grew cassava, maize, and yams. They also smoked tobacco. In 1511 Diego Velasquez conquered
the island of Cuba and he founded several settlements including Havana. The natives were devastated by
European diseases, to which they had no resistance. From 1526 the Spanish imported African slaves into Cuba.
● By the late 18th century Cuba was prospering by growing and exporting sugar. The plantations were worked by
huge numbers of slaves. However, in the 19th century, there was an increasing movement for independence.
● The struggle for Cuban independence began in 1868 when a landowner named Carlos Manuel de Cespedes freed
his slaves. So began the Ten Years War. It ended in failure in 1878. Then in 1886 slavery in Cuba was abolished.
-Taken from : https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-cuba/

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 The History of Cuba

● The Second War of Independence began in 1895. In 1898 the USA went to war with Spain. US forces invaded
Cuba and Spain surrendered shortly afterward. The peace treaty made Spain relinquish all claims to Cuba.
However, after the war, Cuba was occupied by US forces for nearly 4 years. They left in 1902 and Cuba became
nominally independent but in reality, it was dominated by the USA.
-Taken from : https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-cuba/

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 The History of Modern Cuba

● In the early 20th century most people in Cuba remained very poor despite efforts to modernize the country. In
1924 Gerardo Machado was elected president of Cuba. The constitution barred him from more than one term but
when his term ended in 1928 Machado held onto power. However, Machado was overthrown in 1933. After a
period of unrest, Cuba gained a new and democratic constitution and elections were held.
● In 1952 Fulgencio Batista staged a coup in Cuba and became its dictator. At that time compared to other Latin
American countries Cuba was prosperous and its people had a relatively high standard of living. Literacy rates
were high and health care was relatively good. Education in Cuba was of a high standard. Cuba was known for its
writers.
● Then in 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution in Cuba. However, Castro did not bring freedom to Cuba. Instead, he
made himself dictator. Castro introduced a repressive Communist regime. Independent labor unions were made
illegal and all political dissent was crushed. n However the lesson of history is that Socialism does not work. The
Cuban economy stagnated during the 1960s and 1970s.
-Taken from : https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-cuba/

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 The History of Modern Cuba

● Meanwhile, Cuba became a satellite of the Soviet Union. Many people fled from Communism. Many Cubans
escaped to the USA. Many more died trying. (Many people drowned trying to cross the sea).
● Meanwhile relations with the USA deteriorated and in 1961 1,400 Cuban emigres, trained by the CIA were sent to
invade Cuba. They landed at the Bay of Pigs but the invasion ended in total failure. In 1962 the USA imposed a
blockade on Cuba.
● Furthermore, Cuba was economically dependent on the USSR. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991 the
situation in Communist Cuba became desperate. Living conditions for ordinary people in Cuba became even
worse. They suffered shortages of food. So Castro was forced to allow some free enterprise. He also opened up
Cuba to tourism.
● Then in 2008, Fidel Castro resigned. Meanwhile, in 1998 the Pope visited Cuba for the first time.
● Today Cuba is still a dictatorship. However, the end of an era came in 2014 when the USA and Cuba normalized
relations. In 2020 the population of Cuba was 11 million.
-Taken from : https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-cuba/

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CUBA
Social Life in Cuba
 Social Life in Cuba

● In general, Cuba is a country short of everything, though its people exhibit extraordinary resilience and
inventiveness in the face of hardship. So skilled are they, for example, at keeping automobiles from the 1950s in
good running and cosmetic condition that Cuba has become a destination of choice for vintage-car collectors from
the United States and Europe. Still, the constant food shortages, electricity blackouts, and telephone breakdowns
affect people in different ways. Most problems and opportunities are relative and constantly changing, except for
the staples of life in Cuba—the inescapable control of the government, the Saturday-night movies on one of the
two local television channels, the Monday-night telenovelas (soap operas) imported from Brazil, Mexico,
Venezuela, or Colombia, and the unavoidable preoccupations of work, home, and family. Socialist ideologies
notwithstanding, lifestyles are not equal for everyone, and how one perceives Cuba varies considerably depending
on one’s individual situation.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/Cultural-life

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 Social Life in Cuba

● Groups with access to hard currency—mainly U.S. dollars—enjoy a level of comfort not markedly different from
that of middle-class residents elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean. From two-fifths to half of Cubans
have access to dollars. This is a varied group indeed, comprising recipients of foreign remittances from their
families, workers in service industries who receive gratuities, tourist enterprises catering to foreigners, members
of the armed services, workers in some industries who are paid partly in dollars, and even those working in the
sex trade. There is also a group, locally called mayimbes (bosses), who appear to enjoy a good life without the
benefit of obvious employment. These people form the faithful local clientele at the upscale paladares, the family-
style restaurants officially licensed since 1994; they also frequent elegant state-run restaurants and the
international dining rooms, expensive boutiques, and disco clubs of some first-class hotels, as well as the Caracol
and Cubalse “dollar stores” scattered throughout Havana and other resort towns
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/Cultural-life

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 Social Life in Cuba

● Dollars also enable ordinary Cubans to ameliorate, however slightly, the monotonous routine of their lives. They
can supplement the inadequate supplies of their ration books—not only in quality but also in quantity and variety
—from purchases in the mercados agropecuarios (general food markets) and creative private sources (including
the black market).
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/Cultural-life

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 An Insight into the Cuban Populace

● Diverse ethnic groups have been settling in Cuba since the time of European contact—including Spaniards and
Africans and smaller groups of Chinese, Jews, and Yucatecan Indians (from the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico)—
who have created a heterogeneous society by superimposing their cultural and social characteristics on those of
earlier settlers.

● About one-fourth of Cubans are of mixed ethnic lineage and are identified as mulattoes or mestizos, and some
two-thirds are descendants of white Europeans, mainly from Spain. Whites have been the dominant ethnic group
for centuries, monopolizing the direction of the economy as well as access to education and other government
services. Although mulattoes have become increasingly prominent since the mid-20th century, some mulattoes
and blacks (of African heritage) still face racial discrimination.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/Cultural-life

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CUBA
A brief insight into Cuban culture
 Culture in Cuba

Cuba has a rich culture which is largely an amalgamation of African and Spanish influences. The most prominent
aspects are by far its music and art.

Cuban music is known the world over for its lively and exciting pulsating rhythms driving many to their feet. It
encompasses a great deal of percussion – which is a direct reference to the country’s African heritage – and several
types of string instruments including the guitar. Cuban music has also been the basis for other genres including salsa,
jazz, and the tango.

Cuban art displays a clear blend between African and European styles, evolving through many phases from Vanguardian
to more modernist and contemporary pallets. Art was heavily involved in the political situation from the 1960’s
onwards with many used as propaganda pieces advocating for the revolution.
-Taken from : https://www.iexplore.com/articles/travel-guides/caribbean/cuba/history-and-culture

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 Language in Cuba

• Spanish is the principal language of Cuba. Although there are no local dialects, the island’s diverse ethnic groups
have influenced speech patterns. Africans, in particular, have greatly enriched the vocabulary and contributed the
soft, somewhat nasal accent and rhythmic intonation that distinguish contemporary Cuban speech. Some words
are of native Indian origin, and a few of these—such as hamaca (“hammock”)—have passed into other languages.
Many practitioners of the Santería religion also speak Lucumí, a “secret” Yoruboid language of the Niger-Congo
family.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/

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CUBA
Politics in Cuba
 Constitutional Framework of Cuba

• Cuba is a unitary socialist republic. The government is totalitarian, exercising direct control or influence over
most facets of Cuban life. From 1959 to 2008, Fidel Castro was the chief of state and head of government. He also
served as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and commander in chief of the armed forces. In February
2008 he formally relinquished power to his brother, Raúl Castro, who stepped down from the presidency in April
2018 and retired as first secretary three years later. The country had been governed under the constitution of 1976,
which superseded revolutionary legislation that was enacted after the constitution of 1940 had been suspended.
The 1976 constitution was slightly amended in 1992 and 2002 and then more significantly altered in 2019.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/

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 Constitutional Framework of Cuba

• Under the constitution, legislative authority rests with the National Assembly of People’s Power, whose more than
600 members serve five-year terms. The number of seats in the assembly has grown steadily, corresponding to the
population of the provinces and municipalities. The National Assembly in its brief, twice-yearly sessions appoints
the Council of State, which is headed by the president. The Council of State remains in session throughout the
year and issues laws in the form of decrees. Elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power from among its
representatives, the president is limited to two consecutive five-year terms of office and must be under age 60
when elected to the first term. The president appoints a Council of Ministers (cabinet) and a prime minister to
preside over it. The Council of Ministers constitutes the government of the republic and carries on the daily
administration of the country.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/

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 Local Government in Cuba

• Cuba is divided into 15 provincias, one municipio especial (“special municipality”; Juventud Island), and, within
the 15 provinces, 168 municipios (“municipalities”). Delegates to municipal assemblies are elected to terms of
five years by universal suffrage. They, in turn, elect provincial governors upon the proposal of the president to
serve five-year terms. Provincial governors preside over provincial councils made up of a deputy governor, the
presidents and vice presidents of the municipal assemblies, and the municipal mayors. The national government
and the Communist Party heavily influence municipal and provincial affairs. Local governments lack independent
funding and have little capacity to implement proposals autonomously. In most cases their areas of responsibility
overlap those of the national ministries.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/

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CUBA
Cuban Economy
 Brief History of Cuban Economy

• Cuba has a centrally planned economy with increasing opportunities for private business and foreign investment,
both of which were recognized in the amended constitution of 2019. The Cuban government has had rigidly
controlled wages and prices and enforced quota systems since the 1960s, but in 2008, after power changed hands
from longtime leader Fidel Castro to his brother Raúl, some of those restrictions were lifted. The main economic
institutions are the Central Planning Board, headed by the economics minister; the ministries and national
organizations that control the economic sectors and basic activities; the various state and mixed enterprises; and
the provincial delegations that direct the work of the factories and related services. The government’s control of
several key sectors of the economy—including transportation, construction, agriculture, and retail sales—was
significantly reduced in August 2011 as a continuation of the economic reforms initiated by Raúl Castro. This
opening of the economy to market factors was accompanied by encouragement for the creation of small
businesses.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/

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 Cuban Economy

• The Cuban economy has depended heavily on the sugarcane crop since the 18th century. Vast areas have been
leveled, irrigated, and planted in sugarcane, and yields per acre have increased with the application of fertilizers.
Sugar output, except in years of drought or sugarcane blight, increased after the introduction of mechanized
harvesters in the early 1970s but plunged after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Many of the island’s
sugar mills closed, and sugar production continued to decline in the early 2000s.
• Apart from sugarcane, the chief crops are rice (the main source of calories in the traditional diet), citrus fruits
(which are also an important export), potatoes, plantains and bananas, cassava (manioc), tomatoes, and corn
(maize). Fruit trees include such citrus varieties as lemon, orange, and grapefruit; some species of the genus
Annona, including the guanábana (soursop) and anón (sweetsop); and avocados and papayas. Tobacco,
traditionally the country’s second most important export crop, is grown mainly in the Pinar del Río area in the
west and also in the centre of the main island. Coffee grows mainly in the east, where Guantánamo city is known
as the “coffee capital” of Cuba. Other products include cacao and beans. Cuba imports large amounts of rice and
other foodstuffs, oilseeds, and cotton.

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 Trade in Cuba

● Sugar historically has been the country’s main export. In the early 21st century, Cuba also benefited from a joint
venture with Venezuela, which shipped petroleum to Cuba for refining and reexport. In the process, refined fuels
vied with sugar to be Cuba’s top export. Nickel and other minerals, pharmaceutical products, tobacco (notably
cigars), and beverages along with food and food products (including fish and citrus fruits) are also important
exports. Among the most important imports are mineral fuels and lubricants, foods, machinery and transport
equipment, and chemicals. Cuba’s main trading partners include Venezuela, China, Spain, Canada, Mexico,
Brazil, and the Netherlands.
-Taken from : https://www.britannica.com/place/Cuba/

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 “You have reached the
end of this presentation”

Any questions?
“Feel free to contact any of the following group members for clarification”

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 Ending Credits

● All content organized in this presentation is the product of a

collaborative group effort from the following members; Kamron
King, Daniel Singh and Daysia Francis

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