The island of Cuba has seen many changes since being spotted by Christopher Columbus in 1492. It became known worldwide for its sugar industry but often had an unstable economy. In the 20th century Cuba was involved in several national and international conflicts, many of them concerning the country's ties to Communism. GeographyCuba lies just south of the Tropic of Cancer in the Caribbean Sea. Its western tip goes into the Gulf of Mexico between Florida and the Yucatán Peninsula. Along with Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico, Cuba is part of a group of islands known as the Greater Antilles. Cuba is made up of a long and narrow main island and about 2,000 smaller islands. The capital is Havana, on the northwestern coast of the main island. The Isle of Youth is the second largest island. The country's total area is about 43,000 square miles (111,400 square kilometers). Haiti, the nearest neighboring country, is 48 miles (77 kilometers) away across the Windward Passage; Jamaica is 87 miles (140 kilometers) to the south; and the United States is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) to the north across the Straits of Florida. The majority of Cuba is covered by limestone plains. Mountains and hills cover about a quarter of the island and are widely separated. The most rugged range is the Sierra Maestra, which rises steeply from the southeastern coast to 6,496 feet (1,980 meters) at Pico Turquino, the highest point on the island. Cuba is a warm country with an average annual temperature of about 77° F (25° C). Rainfall averages 54 inches (137 centimeters) a year, most of which falls during tropical storms. Cuba's rainy season is from May through October. Hurricanes sometimes hit Cuba in the summer and fall. People and cultureMany Cubans are of Spanish descent, as Cuba was a colony of Spain for a long time. Some Cubans can find their roots among later European settlers. Other people trace their heritage back to Africans brought into the country as slaves. Some Cubans have a mixed background. Spanish is the official language of Cuba. About three fourths of the people in Cuba live in urban areas. With more than 2 million residents, Havana is by far the largest city. Other big cities include Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Holguín, and Guantánamo. Most Cubans know how to read and write. Only about a third of the population, however, has the equivalent of a high school education. The University of Havana is the leading institution of higher learning. EconomyThe island's economy is mainly agricultural. Many products are grown on large plantations, with sugarcane being the most important to the economy. Other notable crops include tobacco, citrus fruits, rice, coffee, tomatoes, and bananas. Much of Cuba's industry is related to the crops grown on the island. Tobacco products and food products are the major manufactured items. Other industries make chemicals, transport equipment, and nonelectrical machinery. Nickel and chromite (a mixture of iron and chromium) are mined in Cuba. HistoryColumbus claimed Cuba for Spain in 1492, and the first permanent European settlement was established in 1511. The Taino and Ciboney Indians living in the area were soon killed by warfare and disease. As Cuba began to develop, the people living there wanted to break away from Spain's control. They wanted to create their own system of government, and they were tired of Spain putting heavy taxes on them. A struggle known as the Ten Years' War took place from 1868 to 1878. Though Cubans only made minor gains in the revolt, the conflict was a first step toward Cuba's separation from Spain. Following the Spanish-American War (1898), Spain was forced to give up Cuba. The Republic of Cuba was established in 1902. The United States sometimes stepped in to help keep the government stable. But by the late 1950s corruption and widespread poverty led many Cubans to look for a change of government. Soviet influenceWhen Fidel Castro took power from Fulgencio Batista in 1959, some Cubans hoped that he would put an end to the country's problems. He established a socialist state and made the Communist Party of Cuba the only legal party. Other Communist countries such as the Soviet Union became friendly with Cuba, giving loans and promising to buy Cuban products. Many Cubans did not like being under Communist influence, however, and fled the country. Some people who were unhappy wanted to take over the government. In 1961, a force of 1,500 people who disliked Castro went to the Bay of Pigs, southeast of Havana. This attempt to capture the island failed, and most were taken prisoner. Foreign relationsCuba's relationship with the United States became increasingly strained. One of the ways the United States expressed its unhappiness with Cuba was by not buying Cuban products and not selling the country American products. On October 22, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States had pictures of Soviet atomic-missile sites and bombers in Cuba. He asked the Soviet Union to withdraw these arms immediately or the United States would attack with nuclear force. The situation came to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. After a great deal of tension, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev ordered the missiles withdrawn. The first steps toward the United States and Cuba becoming friendlier were taken in 1977. Agreements were reached on fishing rights and water boundaries. Some of the bans on travel to Cuba were lifted. Cuban-Soviet relations worsened as a result of the changes that took place in the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. When the Soviet Union finally collapsed Castro could no longer depend on financial help from Russia, and the Cuban economy began to suffer. In 1996, Cuba shot down two U.S. airplanes near the island's airspace. The United States protested by putting more restrictions on the import and export of items between the two countries. U.S. President Bill Clinton made little secret of the fact that he wished to see Fidel Castro's government become more democratic and end four decades of one-party rule in Cuba. Visit from Pope John Paul IIThough the government of Cuba looks down upon religion, many Cubans are Roman Catholics. A historic visit to Cuba by Roman Catholic leader Pope John Paul II in 1998 brought some moderate changes to the country. The Cuban government ordered the release of 300 political prisoners. The United States responded by lifting some of the measures that were hurting Cuba's economy, while stressing that the rest would remain until the Cuban government showed its commitment to democratic reform. Elian GonzalezIn 1999, a U.S. fisherman found a young Cuban boy named Elian Gonzalez off the coast of Florida. He was one of only a few survivors from an overcrowded boat that was trying to reach Florida. His mother died on the journey to freedom, but his father lived in Cuba. The United States and Cuban governments tried to decide where the boy should live. Elian became a symbol of Cuban-American relations. In the end, it was decided that he should return to his father in Cuba, though this decision angered many people. Population (2000 estimate), 11,148,000. |