History And Geography

History

The Amerindians were the natives of Cuba and existed on the island until the Europeans arrived. A Spanish expedition lead by Christopher Columbus set shore on the island in the year 1492.

The Spanish expedition established its rule on the island and it soon became a fast expanding colony over the next few centuries. The Spanish discovered that sugar and coffee could be grown on Cuban soil effortlessly and initiated the import of African slaves to work on coffee and sugar plantations. The city of Havana was established as the launching point for the yearly treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru.

The Spanish rule was ruthless and exploitative and occasional rebellion protests were harshly suppressed. The Americans intervened during the Spanish American War in 1898 and the Spanish reign in Cuba ended. The consequent Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902 after a three-year transition period.

Fidel Castro successfully led a rebel army to victory in 1959, and established his iron rule over the island. He has held the regime together since then. Cuba's Communist Revolution, with Russian support, was exported throughout Latin America and Africa over three decades from the 1960s to the 1990s. Cuba has managed to recover gradually from the severe economic recession during the last fifteen years after the Soviets withdrew their subsidies worth $4 billion to $6 billion annually. Cuba reflects its hardships as the result of the US embargo in place since 1961. Illicit migration to America using homemade rafts, alien smugglers, air flights, or via the southwest border has become a continuing dilemma. Close to 2,500 Cubans attempted to cross the Straits of Florida in 2003, 60% of whom were apprehended by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Geography

Cuba is the largest of the Greater Antilles islands and is long and narrow, stretching approximately 1,260 kilometers east to west in length and 193 kilometers to 32 kilometers in width. No point on the island is more than 80 kilometers from the sea. The Cuban Archipelago comprises of the Island of Youth (Isla de la Juventud) and several coastal islets and cays covering a total land area of 110,861 square kilometers.

Cuba is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east, the Caribbean Sea to the south and the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico on the west. Cuba is located 144 kilometers south of the continent of United States and is separated from it by the Straits of Florida. Cuba is 140 kilometers from the Bahamas, 210 kilometers from Cancun and 146 kilometers from Jamaica. Cuba's shoreline is calculated at 5,500 kilometers and has more than 280 natural beaches.

Cuba is made up of a limestone platform related to the limestone areas of the Yucatan, Florida, and the Bahamas. The Central American Antillean System and the main mountain system of the West Indies cross the Sierra Maestra in southeastern Cuba. Inland Cuba is relatively low, but the gradient increases from west to east. The Guanahacabibes Peninsula is an area of eroded limestone along the western most coast.

Hills and mountains in Cuba resemble isolated haystacks and are surrounded by valleys rich in vegetation. One such valley is the Viņales Valley, consisting of steep dome shaped hills of 300 to 400 meters in height, honey combed with caves. Central Cuba has numerous mountain ranges including the Pico San Juan, the highest peak in the area at 1160 meters above sea level. Pico Turquino in the Sierra Maestra is the highest peak in Cuba at 1974 meters above sea level.

In addition to a large number of mountain ranges, the island also has numerous unusual erosive areas and picturesque valleys. The Yumuri Valley in northern Cuba is rich in tropical scenery and includes the caves of Bellamar, renowned for its crystalline formations. The Yumuri River cuts through the valley. The topography of the provinces near Havana and Matanzas is relatively flat and of low elevation. The Cienaga de Zapata to the south of Matanzas consists of marshy lowlands where crocodiles are commercially raised.

The Cauto River that drains the southeastern mountains is the longest river in Cuba and has a length of about 240 kilometers. Cuba's soil is mostly deep, fertile and bright red due to the action of rainfall on limestone deposits.