Cuba

The Caribbean

By:
Emily Madera
&
Steven Zamora
Beginning of Cuba
The history of Cuba began with the arrival of Christopher
Columbus in 1492 and the subsequent invasion of the island by
the Spaniards. Aboriginal groups (the Guanahatabey, Ciboney,
and Tano) inhabited the island but were soon eliminated or died
as a result of diseases or the shock of conquest. The impact of
indigenous groups on subsequent Cuban society was limited, and
Spanish culture, institutions, language, and religion prevailed.

Colonial society developed slowly after Spain colonized the

island in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; pastoral pursuits
and agriculture served as the basis of the economy. For the first
three centuries after the conquest, the island remained a neglected
stopping point for the Spanish fleet, which visited the New World
and returned to Spain with the mineral wealth of continental On 28th October 1492, Admiral Christopher Columbus
arrived on the island of Cuba, which he named "Juana" in
America. honor of Prince Juan, firstborn son of the Spanish monarchs
19th century
1868- The first war of Cuban independence, also known as the
Ten Years' War, begins.
1886 - slavery is abolished in Cuba
1886- Fed up with high taxes, restricted trade, and the lack of
native Cubans in government, Cubans under revolutionary
leader Maj. Gen. Calixto Garcia fight for independence from
Spain in the Ten Years War. They fail to win independence in
the long, bloody war.
In the Treaty of Zanjn, Spain promised Cubans more
representation in government and reforms, but failed to deliver.
1898 - US defeats Spain, which gives up all claims to Cuba
and cedes it to the US
1898 - The Spanish-American War begins shortly after the
sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor. In a short
war, the U.S. defeats Spain, which cedes control of Cuba to the
U.S. The U.S. military begins its occupation of the island.
20th century
1902 - Cuba becomes independent with Tomas
Estrada Palma as its president. The Platt Amendment
keeps the island under US protection and gives the US
the right to intervene in Cuban affairs.
1906-09 - Estrada resigns and the US occupies Cuba
following a rebellion led by Jose Miguel Gomez.
1909 - Jose Miguel Gomez becomes president
following elections supervised by the US, but is soon
tarred by corruption.
1925 - Socialist Party founded, forming the basis of
the Communist Party.
1952 - Batista seized power again and presides over
an oppressive and corrupt regime.
1959 - Castro leads a 9,000-strong guerrilla army into
Havana, forcing Batista to fee. Castro becomes prime
minister, his brother, Raul, becomes his deputy and
Guevara becomes third in command.
20th Century
1961 - Castro proclaims Cuba a communist state and
begins to ally it with the USSR (Soviet Union)
1965 - Cuba's sole political party renamed the Cuban
Communist Party.
1976 - Cuban Communist Party approves a new
socialist constitution. Castro becomes elected
president.
1980 - Around 125,000 Cubans, many of them
released convicts, flee to the US.
1994 - Cuba signs an agreement with the US
according to which the US agrees to admit 20,000
Cubans a year in return for Cuba halting the exodus
of refugees.
1998 - The US eases restrictions on the sending of
money to relatives by Cuban Americans.
21st Century
2000- US House of Representatives approves the sale 2011-November - Cuba passes law allowing
of food and medicines to Cuba. individuals to buy and sell private property for
2002- Russia's last military base in Cuba, at Lourdes, first time in 50 years.
closes down.
2004- President Castro announces ban on
transactions in US dollars, and imposes 10% tax on
dollar-peso conversions.
2008- Raul Castro takes over as president, days after
Fidel announces his retirement.
2008- Bans on private ownership of mobile phones
and computers lifted.
2008- June - Plans are announced to abandon salary
equality. The move is seen as a radical departure
from the orthodox Marxist economic principles
observed since the 1959 revolution.
21st Century- Change in Cuba
2011-November - Cuba passes law allowing
individuals to buy and sell private property for first 2015-July - Cuba and US reopen embassies and
time in 50 years. exchange charges d'affaires.
2013-February - The National Assembly re-elects
Raul Castro as president. He says he will stand down
at the end of his second term in 2018, by which time
he will be 86.
2014-December - In a surprise development, US
President Barack Obama and Cuba's President Raul
Castro announce moves to normalise diplomatic
relations between the two countries, severed for more
than 50 years.
2015-January - U.S and Cuba agree to meet again.
The discussions focus on restoring diplomatic
relations.
 Natural Resources
Cuba is one of the world's largest
producers of nickel. Among its other
mining resources are large deposits of
iron ore and copper. Although
petroleum has been produced since
1916, more than 90 percent of Cuba's
petroleum demand was supplied by the
Soviet Union until 1990. As of 2014, the
top export item in Cuba's economy is
1962 raw sugar, making up 25% of Cubas
export to the world.

Religions 1916 Language

The largest organized religion in The official language spoken in Cuba
Cuba is the Roman Catholic is Spanish and it is the first language of
Church. Afro-Cuban religions, a about 90 percent of the entire
mix of native African religions and population. Other languages spoken in
Roman Catholicism, are widely the country include Haitian Creole,
practiced in Cuba. Officially, Cuba Lucimi, Galician, and Corsican. Spanish
has been an atheist state for most of is Cubas official language but the
the Castro era. present administration has not put in
place a one language rule.
Cuban Traditions
The most important holiday since the revolutionary period
is the 26th of July since it commemorates the attack on the
Moncada barracks. For this special occasion, Cubans
gather to hear Fidel Castro speak at the Plaza de la
Revolucion in Havana.
Before Castro came to power, the most popular holiday
celebrated by Cubans was 20 May, the day of
independence.
A characteristic of Cuban culture that people recognize is
the fact that they have many cultural festivals. The biggest
and most-attended is held every December: the Festival
Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano
(International Festival of the New Latin American
Cinema).
Holiday Traditions
Christmas-
Christmas traditions in Cuba revolve around gathering large numbers of
family members to celebrate. These include extended families to have as
large a group as possible to celebrate the holiday. Food is an important
part of the Christmas tradition in Cuba. The Christmas pig must be
fresh. It is traditionally caught and killed within two days of Christmas;
multiple pigs are provided for large gatherings. The entire pig is then
roasted to provide food for the entire family. Desserts passed on from
previous generations within the family are also a tradition for Cuban
Christmas celebrations. The Cuban Christmas tradition in Cuba does not
include the exchange of gifts or any mention of Santa Claus.
New Year-
New Year's traditions in Cuba involve a theme of doing away with the
bad times from the previous year and looking forward to the good times
of the new year. Symbolic of this, a doll is burned on New Year's Eve to
represent the discarding of the bad times of the past year. Instead of
burning a doll, some Cubans will throw water over their shoulder.
Cubans celebrate New Year's with large firework displays in celebration
of the good times to come.
Traditional Cuban Food
Cuban foods are foods that are not typically written down in recipes, instead
the tradition is for families to pass down recipes orally from generation to
generation. Garlic, cumin and oregano are common spices used in Cuban
cooking. Using fruit juices as marinades is traditional in Cuban cuisine as
well. One of the more common methods of cooking in Cuban tradition is
baking.

Cubans are very fond of sweets, and a cake is a special treat normally
reserved for birthdays. Ice cream is also a special treat, the national ice cream
manufacturer "Copelia" is known for its delicious ice cream, and Cubans
believe it is the best in the world. A "salad" of ice cream costs a Cuban 5
pesos, or twenty-three cents (U.S.)

Normal daily diet in Cuba is rather simple. Rice and beans are a staple,
supplemented by fried plantains, tubers, and vegetables. Cucumbers are a
cheap and abundant vegetable complement. While beef once was eaten by all
segments of the population, pork and chicken have overtaken it as a more
economical alternative. Pork is made into a low-quality ham called jamon
vikinwhich cost about $2 (U.S.) per pound in Havana in
 Plantains
Plantain is not Cubas native plant, although it is
used in many traditional dishes. The fruit originated
in India and landed in the Caribbean via the Spanish
settlers. The plantains are cheap, versatile, and
highly nutritious. Theyve become a major crop in
this region, as well as throughout Latin and South
America. Theyre larger and firmer than their banana
relative, and theyre not sweet: With their bland,
starchy, somewhat potato-like flavor, plantains take
well to many cooking methods. In Cuba, plantains
are often sliced and deep-fried to make chips, or pan
fried to make tostones, a crisp smashed plantain
appetizer or side dish thats delicious plain. Tostones
is Cubas national dish.
 Challenge Option: Banned books in Cuba
Animal farm by George Orwell
Orwells description of the brutalities of communism was
banned in the Stalinist USSR, its status as a banned book has
lasted a while. It is still banned in Cuba for its criticism of
corruption and, more bizarrely by UAE schools for its
depiction of a talking pig which was deemed as contrary to
Muslim values

The Black Book of Communism, various authors

The Black Book draws up a list of charges against
Communism, most noticeably its staggering death toll, but also
the prison camps present in every Communist country, the
massive deportation of racial minorities, and the loss of human
liberty and dignity under the control of a totalitarian state
 Cuba is one of two countries were the sale of
Coca-Cola is prohibited
Fun Facts
Cuba has two different currencies: One is used
by tourists, and the other is used by residents.

Cuba is the most populated country in the

Caribbean, with more than 11 million
residents.
More Fun facts...
Until 2011, there was an import ban on cars in
Cuba. That meant that the majority of the cars
on the road were classic cards from the 50's.
The only cars that Cuban citizens can own
legally are cars created and bought before
1959. After this year, the Cuban government
seized all of the cars, and owns them all to this
day. Most of the pre-1959 cars in the country
are from the United States.
Any Questions?
Thank you!