Cuba is the official name of the country. Official language of Cuba. How to organize an unforgettable vacation in Cuba

State in the West Indies.
Territory - 110.86 thousand square meters. km. The capital is Havana.
Population - 11.16 million people. (1999).
Official language- Spanish.
Religion - Catholicism.
The island of Cuba was discovered by Columbus in 1492 and already in 1511 it was colonized by the Spaniards. The indigenous Indian population was completely exterminated. After two wars of liberation (1868-1878 and 1895-1898), Cuba achieved independence from Spain. In 1956, a guerrilla war began on the island led by F. Castro against the dictatorial regime of Batista, which ended with the fall of the latter on January 1, 1959. In April 1961, F. Castro announced the socialist nature of the Cuban revolution.

State structure

Cuba is a unitary state. Administrative division: 14 provinces, which are divided into 169 municipalities.
The Constitution is in force, approved by a popular referendum on February 15, 1976 and entered into force on February 24, 1976. According to the form of government, Cuba is a socialist republic with a one-party system. In July 1992, the National Assembly amended the Constitution, updating about 2/3 of its articles. The new edition of the Basic Law, confirming the goal of building a socialist society, highlights national liberation ideals, principles of independence, sovereignty and identity as the ideological and political basis of the state and society. At the same time, the ruling Communist Party of Cuba maintains complete control over society. Political and ideological pluralism is not allowed, and some restrictions on freedom of speech, press, assembly, and civil rights remain.
The highest body of state power is the National Assembly of People's Power (elected by universal direct secret vote for 5 years), endowed with legislative powers. From among its deputies, it elects the State Council, which represents the Assembly during breaks between sessions, and also appoints members of the Council of Ministers of the highest executive and administrative body.
The State Council consists of a chairman, first deputy, 5 vice-chairmen, a secretary and 23 members. The State Council is a permanent body of the National Assembly of People's Power, representing it between sessions and implementing its decisions. The Council of State is accountable to the National Assembly of People's Power. The term of office of the Council of State expires upon completion of the elections of the new Assembly. The Chairman of the State Council is the head of state and government and heads the National Defense Council.
The Council of State has the right to convene extraordinary sessions of the National Assembly of People's Power; adopt decrees-laws between sessions of the National Assembly; provide a general and binding interpretation of existing laws; carry out legislative initiatives; replace, at the proposal of the chairman, members of the Council of Ministers during the period between sessions of the National Assembly; give general instructions to the courts through the Presidium of the Supreme People's Court; appoint and remove, at the proposal of the Chairman, diplomatic representatives of Cuba in other states; award and confer honorary titles; exercise the right of pardon; ratify and denounce international treaties; suspend orders of the Council of Ministers, decisions and orders of local assemblies of people's power that do not comply with the Constitution or laws.
The powers of the Chairman of the State Council and the Head of Government are as follows: to represent the state and government and direct their general policies; organize and manage activities, convene and chair meetings of the State Council and the Council of Ministers; control and direct the activities of ministries and other central government bodies; assume the leadership of any ministry or other central government body; propose members of the Council of Ministers for approval by the National Assembly; accept the resignation, propose to the National Assembly or the Council of State a replacement of any member of the Council of Ministers; exercise supreme command of the Revolutionary Armed Forces; sign decrees-laws and other acts of the State Council and give orders for their official publication.
The highest executive body of power is the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba (government), whose members are submitted to the National Assembly for approval by the Chairman of the Council of State. The Council of Ministers is responsible and periodically reports on its activities to the National Assembly; he has the right to adopt decrees and orders on the basis and in pursuance of existing laws and control their implementation.

Legal system

General characteristics

Cuba's legal system is part of the socialist legal family, preserving strong traditions of the Spanish heritage and certain features of Anglo-American law.
Before gaining independence, Cuba was a colony of Spain for almost four centuries and had predominantly Spanish law. During this period, a fairly complete legal system developed in Cuba, which remained with minor changes until the revolution of 1959. Spanish codes were put into effect (with minor changes) in Cuba by royal decrees. The Spanish Civil Code of 1888 was approved in this colony in 1889, the Spanish Civil Procedure Code of 1881 - in 1885. Cuba was a country with a dualistic system of private law. Along with the Civil Code, the Spanish Commercial, or Trade, Code of 1886 was in force there. The Code of Criminal Procedure of Spain of 1882 began to operate on the island in 1889.
The right of an independent Cuba began to take shape during the liberation war. Thus, on July 28, 1896, the National Liberation Army introduced the Military Procedural Law of the Cuban Republic, as well as a number of military criminal laws. After the declaration of independence, Spanish laws were not repealed and remained in force until they were replaced by new acts.
In the pre-socialist period, Cuba was one of the largest centers of legal thought in Latin America. The country had a relatively large class of well-trained and highly professional lawyers. One of them, Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirven (1865-1951), became famous as the author of the largest regional codification of private international law, known as the Bustamante Code (1925). The Social Security Code (CC) of Cuba, adopted in 1935, featured many innovative ideas.
A new period in the development of Cuban legal system began after the victory of the 1959 revolution and the proclamation of a course for socialist reforms in the country (1961). The new government headed by F. Castro began to create the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. The revolutionary authorities did not seek the immediate and complete abolition of the previous legal system. The law in force after the revolution was a complex interweaving of old and new regulations. Thus, the Social Security Code of 1935, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1882, the Military Procedure Code of 1896, etc. were used (with numerous amendments).
In the 1970s. After a long preparatory period, the codification of the branches of the new socialist law was carried out. In 1973, the General Part of the Criminal Code was adopted (Law of June 25, 1973), then a new edition of the remaining parts of the Social Security Code of 1935, and in 1979 - a new Criminal Code in its entirety. In 1974, laws on civil, administrative and labor procedure were adopted, and in 1977, a new Code of Criminal Procedure and the Law on Organization judicial system. Finally, in 1975, a revised Civil Code and the first Family Code in the country's history were adopted.
The result of the process of creating new legislation was the first Cuban Constitution, approved in a referendum in 1976. Reflecting the general tendency for socialist constitutions to expand the limits of constitutional regulation, the Basic Law covers with its provisions all the main aspects of the life of Cuban society. Its political basis was proclaimed by the Constitution as the power of the working people, based on a strong alliance of the working class with the peasantry and other strata of the working people of the city and countryside under the leadership of the working class and its vanguard - the Communist Party of Cuba.
In the 1980s The Labor Code (1984), the new Civil Code (1987), and the new edition of the Criminal Code (1987) were adopted. In 1982, the General Law on Housing came into force, establishing the procedure for its distribution, management of the housing stock, and ensuring its safety.
The socialist period of development of Cuban law is characterized by a combination of socialist legal principles, ideas and institutions borrowed from the USSR and other countries of the socialist camp, with a strong commitment to national legal traditions. The latter are based not only on the rich legal culture of the former metropolis - Spain, but also on their own, very interesting experience of the legal development of the pre-revolutionary period.
Among the main elements of the socialist legal system that remains in Cuba are the concept of “socialist legality”, the one-party political system of the Soviet type, the priority of state and public interests over private ones, the privileged position of public property and the leading role of the state in the economy, party leadership of the courts and the law enforcement system in in general.
The main sources of Cuban law are legislative and other normative acts, the hierarchy of which includes the Constitution, laws of the National Assembly, decrees-laws of the State Council, decrees and resolutions of the Council of Ministers, rules and instructions of the Supreme People's Court, and by-laws of central government bodies.

Civil and related
branches of law

Cuban private law has long developed as a colonial version of Spanish private law. In 1889, the Spanish Civil Code of 1888 was introduced in Cuba, which in turn was built on the system of the French Code of 1804 and reproduces a significant number of its provisions.
The 1889 Code consisted of an Introductory Chapter and four books containing 1976 articles, 13 transitional and 3 additional regulations. Book I ("Faces") is dedicated to individuals and family law (the position of legal entities was regulated not by the Civil Code, but by the Commercial Code of Cuba of 1886), book II ("Property and Possession") - various types property, ownership and other property rights, i.e. possession, use and common property, usufruct and easements, registration of property. Book III deals with questions about the acquisition of property, collateral, donation, inheritance, etc. Book IV covers the law of obligations.
Like all bourgeois civil codes of the first generation, the Code of 1889 was based on the principles of formal equality of citizens before the law, the “unlimited and sacred” rights of private property, the principle of “freedom” of contracts, the limited legal capacity of a married woman, and the powerless status of illegitimate children.
The introduction of the Spanish Civil and Commercial Codes in Cuba was accompanied by a number of additions and changes, primarily related to the activities of trading companies and partnerships. After the adoption of the democratic Constitution of 1940 in Cuba, changes were made to the Civil Code expanding the legal capacity of a married woman, granting some rights to illegitimate children and a number of others.
After the 1959 revolution, the Civil Code of 1889 remained in force, but its effect was limited by a number of new legislative acts. First of all, the principles of inviolability of private property and freedom of contract were limited.
Already in 1959, the state established control over all capitalist enterprises in the country, limiting (in the public interest) the action of private enterprise, as well as control over prices, currency circulation, and foreign trade. In 1959-1961 First, the enterprises and property of American citizens are nationalized, then sugar factories, factories, railroads and other industrial and commercial enterprises.
During the agrarian reform, part of the land was nationalized, part was transferred to peasants within a certain maximum. The plot received by the peasant was not the object of purchase and sale agreements, donation, lease, use, or mortgage. This land could only be transferred by inheritance, sold to the state or exchanged for another (with special permission from the competent authorities). State estates were created on the basis of nationalized latifundia.
In 1975, a revised Civil Code was adopted. He reproduced those parts of the old Code that were not changed by the laws on agrarian and urban reforms and on nationalization. Marriage and family relations were separated from the Civil Code into the Family Code, adopted in the same 1975. The latter is generally based on principles common to socialist countries; at the same time, it has some features related to the political, economic and social conditions of Cuba. In accordance with the Constitution, marriage is based on the absolute equality of rights and duties of spouses, who must take care of the preservation of the family and the harmonious upbringing of children through common efforts and so that these efforts do not interfere with either spouse in their social activities. A marriage is considered legal if it is registered. Judicial recognition of marriage is carried out in cases where the union between a woman and a man meets the requirements of unity and stability. Divorce is carried out by the court by mutual consent of the spouses or if the court determines that the marriage has lost its significance for the spouses, children, and in connection with this, for society.
In 1987, the National Assembly adopted a new Civil Code of Cuba, which, as it were, summed up the socialist transformations in the country's civil law. The main forms of ownership were socialist (state and cooperative) property, the ownership of small farmers in their land and other means and instruments of production, and the personal property of citizens.
The Constitution of 1976 declared that the economic system of socialism, based on popular socialist ownership of the means of production and the elimination of the exploitation of man by man, prevails in Cuba (Article 14); the state organizes, directs and controls economic life in the country in accordance with the Unified Social and Economic Development Plan (Article 16).
Until the end of the 1980s. in Cuba there was a centralized economy governed by command-administrative methods, in which any private economic initiative was excluded. Since the early 1990s. The government is carrying out reforms aimed at introducing market elements with the dominant positions of the public sector (legalizing dollar circulation in the domestic market, creating joint ventures, cooperating in the public sector of agriculture and opening agricultural markets, allowing many types of individual labor activity, reorganizing the economic management mechanism, attracting foreign investment ). The legal basis for these reforms was laid with the revision of many provisions of the 1976 Constitution in 1992. Since June 1995, the list of permitted types of small private entrepreneurial activity has been significantly expanded, now including more than 140 items. In accordance with the Law on Foreign Investment (1995), foreign investment is now allowed in almost all areas, “except education and health care,” and the creation of enterprises with 100% foreign participation is permitted.
Business regulation is based on the Spanish Commercial Code of 1885. Many provisions of this Code have been repealed or amended by laws issued since 1958. Intellectual property rights in Cuba are regulated by the Law of Inventors and Innovators of 1982 and Decree-Law 68/83. There is still no bankruptcy legislation on the island.
Labor and social legislation in Cuba arose at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1910, an 8-hour working day was introduced for government officials, hotel workers, restaurants and cafes. A minimum wage was also introduced for officials. Some attempts were also made to limit the exploitation of children (it was prohibited to hire teenagers under 14 years of age). In 1916, compensation for industrial accidents was established, and at the same time pension funds were introduced for elderly teachers, police and army personnel, court and other government employees, dock workers, railroad workers and urban transport workers.
The development of labor and social legislation began at a faster pace after the revolution of 1933. The Presidential Decree of September 19, 1933 established an 8-hour working day for all workers, and in October 1933 - a 48-hour working week. However, this did not apply to agricultural workers, domestic servants, taxi drivers, etc. The Decree of November 7, 1933 confirmed the right to unionize workers and employees of all professions, with the exception of government officials, the army and the police. It also regulated the right to strikes, which could not be carried out without first applying to arbitration (later other restrictions were introduced).
After the 1959 revolution and until the early 1990s. Cuba's labor law developed on purely socialist principles. In accordance with the Constitution, labor was proclaimed the right, duty and matter of honor of citizens. Cuban trade unions are nationalized and are under the complete control of the Communist Party. They are entrusted with the task of actively participating in educational activities. Strikes are prohibited by law and are not permitted in practice. The Ministry of Labor plays an important role in regulating labor relations. In 1984, the Cuban Labor Code was adopted, reflecting a typical approach to regulating labor relations in socialist countries. It provides employees with numerous rights, benefits and social guarantees. A 44-hour work week is fixed.
Since the early 1990s. Some adjustments are being made to labor law related to the introduction of elements of market relations in the country. In September 1993, individual labor activity was legalized.
During the socialist period, the public health care system developed greatly, becoming the best in all of Latin America (Health Law of 1983).

Criminal law and procedure

Until 1938, the Spanish Criminal Code of 1870 was in force in Cuba. It was based on the division of all crimes into serious, or actual crimes, and less serious, or offenses. This division remains in Cuban criminal law to this day.
The first Penal Code of independent Cuba was adopted in 1935 and finally put into effect in 1938, along with sentencing regulations prepared by the Ministry of Justice. This Code, called the “Code of Social Protection,” reflected the ideas of the sociological school of law, which declared the task of criminal policy not to punish the criminal, but to protect society from criminal acts. The term “punishment” itself is replaced by the term “sanction”. A “dangerous condition,” identified by specific symptoms, was the criterion for the application of legal liability, or “sanction.” A distinction was made between criminal liability and security measures applied for harmful acts.
The 1935 Code consisted of four books and 594 articles, as well as a number of additional and transitional provisions. Books one and two were, respectively, the General and Special parts of the Criminal Code. The third book dealt with violations of public order and other violations that are not crimes, but entail sanctions; methods of prevention, ensuring the safety of the “individual and society”: forced detention in hospitals, agricultural colonies, correctional institutions, etc.
After the victory of the 1959 revolution, criminal legislation was subject to constant changes, although the 1935 Code remained in force for a long time. The general trend was a constant tightening of criminal repression, especially in relation to “counter-revolutionary” actions. The first acts allowed the application of laws adopted after the crime to defenders of the overthrown regime. Adopted in July 1959, the Law on Increasing Liability for Political Crimes set out in a new edition Chapters I, III, IV of the Social Security Code relating to crimes “against the integrity and security of the state and crimes against state power.” Punishments included the death penalty and imprisonment for up to 30 years. In 1960, a number of serious official crimes provided for in Chapters V and VI of Part VIII of Book II of the Social Security Code (appropriation of property, forgery for the purpose of theft) were classified as counter-revolutionary. In 1961, liability for terrorist activities was strengthened.
In 1973, the General Part of the Criminal Code was adopted (Law of June 25, 1973), and in 1979, the entire new Criminal Code was adopted. The 1979 Criminal Code provided for the death penalty as an alternative punishment for a wide range of crimes. In the 1980s. There was a tendency towards some softening of Cuban criminal policy. When the Criminal Code was revised in December 1987, the death penalty was abolished for “crimes against collective security”, certain types of “crimes against peace and international law”, as well as for robbery using violence or the threat of violence. In addition, a number of political crimes were completely decriminalized, sanctions for many ordinary crimes were reduced, and the range of alternative punishments to imprisonment was increased. However, the death penalty was retained as an alternative punishment in 23 articles, 19 of which included crimes against state security. For another 19 crimes it was provided for by the 1979 Military Crimes Law.
The Cuban Criminal Code enshrines the class nature of criminal legislation, the priority of protecting state interests over personal interests, and the corresponding interpretation of the concept of crime. At the same time, unlike other socialist criminal codes, it reflects the concept of a “dangerous state” (pre-delict danger), and along with punishments, security measures are provided.
The Special Part of the Cuban Criminal Code still retains many elements of crimes typical of socialist criminal law (use of a position in a state-owned enterprise for personal gain, profiteering, illegal departure from the country). In 1993, possession of foreign currency was decriminalized.
The main sources of criminal procedural law are the Constitution and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1977 (replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1882). The Basic Law (Article 58) enshrines a number of important procedural guarantees, in particular, it is established that every accused has the right to defense; it is prohibited to use force or coercion of any kind against persons in order to force them to give evidence; Any testimony obtained in violation of this rule is considered invalid, and those guilty of this are subject to punishment as provided by law.
The Cuban criminal process is built on the principles of socialist legality, publicity, openness, and equality of citizens before the law and the court. However, while the principles of the Cuban Code of Criminal Procedure are common, it has a number of important differences from the legislation of other socialist countries, which is due to the preservation of a number of previous legal traditions on the island.
Among the features of the Cuban Code of Criminal Procedure is the presence of rules defining the procedural procedure for assigning security measures. According to Article 404 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the competence of municipal people's courts includes consideration of signs of pre-delict danger and the appointment of security measures in all cases where this is established by substantive criminal law. In accordance with Article 405 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, proceedings to consider the sign of pre-delict danger begin at the written request of the prosecutor, which sets out the facts and data necessary to identify the person against whom the security measure is directed, and also proposes a specific measure. In the case of mental illness, drug addiction and dipsomania (binge drinking), such a petition can be submitted by the guardian or legal representative of the person to whom the security measure should be applied, and in their absence, a relative under whose guardianship the said person is. The final question of security measures is decided by the court (Article 417).
The Code of Criminal Procedure (but not the Constitution) of Cuba provides for such an institution as an appeal through habeas corpus (an appeal to a court against the legality of detention). This institution was borrowed from the Anglo-Saxon legal system and had no application in the criminal procedural legislation of the USSR and other socialist states, since in them supervision over the legality of detention and arrest was carried out exclusively by the prosecutor's office. According to the Cuban Code of Criminal Procedure, a person can be held in custody for no more than 7 days before a court decision.
If the Soviet criminal procedural legislation knew only cassation, then the Cuban law provides for both cassation and appeal.
In municipal courts, criminal cases are tried by panels of one professional judge and two lay judges. More serious criminal cases in provincial courts are heard by panels of 3 professional judges and 2 lay judges.
A special, complicated procedure has been established for imposing death sentences. Cases of crimes punishable by death that fall under the jurisdiction of civil courts are first heard in the provincial people's court. Cases in which death sentences are imposed are automatically sent to the Supreme People's Court for review. If this court approves the verdict, the Minister of Justice examines the case and makes recommendations to the Council of State. The Council of State has the right to decide whether to execute or pardon a convicted person; pardon has the form of replacing the death penalty with imprisonment for a term of not more than 30 years.
According to international observers, legal procedural guarantees and principles of justice are often not respected in practice, especially in relation to political prisoners.

Judicial system. Control authorities

The foundations of the judicial system are enshrined in Chapter X of the Cuban Constitution, “Courts and the Prosecutor's Office.” The function of administering justice belongs to the people and is carried out on their behalf by the Supreme People's Court and other courts established by law (Article 121). The courts constitute a system of state bodies, functionally independent from any other bodies and subordinate only to the National Assembly of People's Power and the State Council (Article 122). Judges, when performing their functions, are independent and subject only to the law.
In accordance with Article 124 of the Constitution, the Supreme People's Court is the highest court, and its decisions are final. Through its Presidium, it exercises legislative initiative and powers in accordance with the regulations, makes decisions and issues rules binding on all people's courts, and, based on their experience, issues mandatory instructions to establish uniform judicial practice in the interpretation and application of the law.
The provisions of Article 124 of the Constitution are reproduced in paragraph “b” of Article 21 of the Law “On the Organization of the Judicial System”. The Plenum of the Supreme People's Court of the Republic may send judges of this court to provincial and municipal people's courts to check the sentences passed, obtain data on the state of crime, as well as various aspects of the activities of the said courts, collect information on the correct and uniform application of the law and in connection with the publication relevant instructions. The Plenum exercises control and supervision over the judicial activities of all courts through the Governing Council.
The second link of the Cuban legal system consists of provincial courts, which consider at first instance certain categories of criminal, civil and other cases, as well as complaints against decisions of municipal courts that make up the lower link. Municipal courts hear the bulk of all criminal, civil and other cases at first instance. A separate vertical is formed by military tribunals, for which the highest authority is the military chamber of the Supreme People's Court.
The Supreme People's Court and provincial courts have chambers (salas) for criminal, civil, administrative, labor and state security matters (the Supreme People's Court is also a military chamber).
All courts make decisions collectively. Professional judges and people's assessors have equal rights and responsibilities.
The courts report on their activities to the Assembly, which elected them, at least once a year. The right to recall judges belongs to the body that elected them. Article 66 of the Cuban Constitution establishes that all courts are elected and periodically renewed. The Law on the Organization of the Judicial System of 1977 regulates in detail the procedure for selecting judges and assessors, and also indicates the requirements that persons elected to the position of judges and assessors must meet. According to Article 66 of this Law, a judge must be fit to practice law; have a diploma issued or certified by a university or an authorized official institution; be a Cuban citizen by birth or naturalization; actively participate in revolutionary activities; have high moral qualities and enjoy a worthy reputation.
Cuba still has comrades' courts that hear cases of minor offenses and some types of civil disputes.
Prosecution of criminal cases (felonies only, not misdemeanors) and general supervision are carried out by the prosecutor's office. In accordance with the Constitution (Article 130), the main task of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Republic is to monitor compliance with socialist legality by state bodies, economic and social institutions and citizens. The prosecutor's office also initiates requests for the application of security measures, approves search orders, verifies the legality of detention, monitors the execution of punishments, and represents the public interest in non-criminal types of proceedings.
The Attorney General's Office is a single body subordinate exclusively to the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State. The Attorney General receives instructions directly from the Council of State and reports on his activities to the National Assembly of People's Power at least once a year. He directs the activities of the prosecutor's office throughout the national territory. Prosecutor's offices are organized vertically, report only to the Prosecutor General's Office and are independent from local authorities.
The Attorney General and his deputies are elected and may be recalled by the National Assembly of People's Power. The Prosecutor General is an ex-officio member of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Court.

Literature

Krasheninnikova N.A. History of the state and law of Cuba. M., 1966.
Azieri M. Introduction to Cuban Socialist Law // Review of Socialist Law. Vol. 6. 1980. P.153-163.
Berman H.J. Impressions of Cuban Law // American Journal of Comparative Law. Vol. 28. 1980. P. 475-486.
Lisborne J. Cuba // International Encyclopedia of Comparative Law. Vol. 1. 1977. P.C95-102.

Cuba is a unique country. No matter how sophisticated a tourist is, this island will always remain a dream. The amazing history of this country, its location, fauna, culture - everything here is fascinating, everything is exciting.

People come here with children; adventure lovers are looking for extreme sports here; people stop here in couples and one at a time with the goal of seclusion, living away from civilization, in harmony with nature.

But, of course, today’s youth are most attracted to Cuba. Free, noisy, cheerful, it is simply created for those who cannot imagine their life without wild parties, dancing, and all kinds of entertainment.

Moreover, the myth that living costs in Cuba are higher than in other countries is slowly dissipating Caribbean. By having dinner at an inexpensive restaurant and renting a not-so-expensive room, you can easily get by 50 $ per day. But you will have enough impressions to last a lifetime.

Climate and weather

The tropical, trade wind climate of the island of Cuba provides fairly high temperatures throughout the year. Average annual temperature here is approximately +25.5 °C. The coldest month is January (+22.5 °C), the hottest - August (27.8 °C). The water off the coast remains warm almost all year round: from +22 °C – in winter and from +28 °C - in summer. The average annual precipitation is also quite high - about 1500 mm. Mostly it's rain. However, very dry years are not so rare in Cuba.

In general, the climatic seasons on the island are quite clearly defined: May-September is the rainy season, October-April is dry. The autumn-summer period is characterized by heavy rainfall, often with strong winds.

Humidity is very high all year round.

Nature

Cuba is rich in man-made attractions, which millions of people dream of touching. different countries peace. However, natural ensembles that amaze with their beauty are no less valuable: heavenly beaches tens of kilometers long, fabulous uninhabited islands with palm groves and mangroves, karst caves and low picturesque mountains.

The relief of Cuba is flat, but the bizarre shapes of the highest Sierra Maestra mountain range, stretching along southeast coast for hundreds of kilometers, they impress even seasoned travelers.

Cuba has a rich fauna and flora. Some plant species you will not find anywhere else in the world. And the variety of exotic species of butterflies and birds is simply amazing!

Attractions

Some of the cities and regions that you need to visit when traveling around Cuba include:

• Havana;
• Santiago de Cuba;
• Holguin.

In the capital alone there are about 1000 buildings of architectural value! Among the most famous are the cathedral square and Cathedral of St. Christopher(XVII century), building of the former governor's palace Cubes, fortresses La Cabaña and La Fuerza(XVI century). Is extremely popular among tourists cathedral immaculate conception , and also Ernest Hemingway House Museum. Of course, Cuba's nightlife is also concentrated here in the capital.

Getting into Santiago de Cuba- the second largest city in Cuba - tourists usually head to the picturesque city Cespedes Park. This is perhaps one of the main attractions of the city. Besides, Santiago de Cuba, formerly the capital, can be considered the center cultural life islands: numerous museums, theaters, cathedrals attract those who want not only to enjoy the beauty of Cuba, but also to learn more about its history.

The most popular resort on the island is Varadero(province of Matanzas). The beaches here are among the top three in the world, and their surroundings - perfect place for the leisure of tourists with a wide variety of tastes and hobbies. There is also a dolphinarium here - an integral attribute of any resort - where anyone can not only admire the local inhabitants, but also swim with them.

Second in importance resort region —Holguin. This is where the most beautiful in Cuba is located Playa Esmeralda beach. The riches of the region also include six waterfalls and a rich fauna. In addition, Holguin is often called the city of public gardens. Walking here is not only pleasant, but also interesting: the city is very diverse in terms of architecture.

Nutrition

The gastronomic preferences of Cubans are quite diverse. The cuisine of this country mixes the traditions of Spain, Africa, and the Caribbean islands. Here they treat meat with respect and cannot do without vegetables and fruits. A separate culinary topic - bananas. Cubans have dozens of options for preparing it and hundreds of options for dishes that include banana. They are fried, baked, used as an ingredient in sauce, and served as dessert.

By the way, desserts in Cuba are distinguished by their sweetness. Popular here mousses, puddings, ice cream. Many amazing dishes are made from tropical fruits and sugar cane. syrups.

With special honor local residents enjoys coffee. It is drunk very strong and sweet throughout the day. Among the alcoholic drinks, the favorite among Cubans is rum. Table wine is usually served here for lunch and dinner.

The best food in Cuba is in restaurants located in private homes. They are called paladares. Lunch at such a restaurant will cost you approximately 7 $ , which is two times less than in a state restaurant. You can also get a bite to eat in the city by buying pizza or a sandwich from street vendors.

In Cuban restaurants, it is customary to tip based on 10% from the order cost. It is better to give the money personally to the waiter.

Accommodation

Most hotels located in Cuban resorts have five-star status. The beaches adjacent to such hotels are, as a rule, very well equipped with everything necessary for relaxation. Meals are most often organized according to the buffet principle, less often - according to the menu. The cost of an all-inclusive room in such a hotel will be close to 100 $ . For comparison: the same room in a middle-class state hotel will cost approximately 35 $ , and in private - in 15-25 $ .

Almost all hotels in Cuba have a car rental department.

Entertainment and relaxation

Of course, when it comes to entertainment in Cuba, the first thing you want to talk about is the island’s nightlife. In terms of the number of clubs, bars, and discos, Liberty Island ranks first in Caribbean. Music and dance lovers come here simply to immerse themselves in this environment. Particularly rich nightlife in the capital. Havana is ready to satisfy any requests. Cabarets, jazz clubs, Latin American shows - the nightlife of the Cuban capital is varied in rhythm. By the way, anyone can learn Afro-Cuban dances: dance lessons are organized right at the hotels.

Clubs and restaurants are not the only way of leisure for Cubans and guests of the island. Diving, fishing and hunting are extremely popular here. There is also something for speleology lovers to do here: the huge karst caves captivate both professionals and simply curious tourists.

Throughout the year, Cuba hosts many holiday events and festivals. The Fire Festival and Carnival in Santiago de Cuba (take place in the summer) are particularly spectacular. In August, the island hosts a Cuban music festival.

Purchases

It is better to buy food in Cuba in supermarkets or stores. In stores INTUR tiendas you can buy clothes, food, medicines, souvenirs for foreign currency. By the way, about souvenirs. You'll probably want to buy a bottle or two Cuban rum and cigars. You can also choose rum in the store (a bottle costs from 5 $ ), but to buy good cigars, it’s better to contact Real Fabrica de Tabaco Partagas. On the ground floor of the factory there is a store that sells all types of cigars.

Surely in the first days of your stay in Cuba you will want to buy a T-shirt with the image of the symbol of all revolutions - Che Guevara. Although it would be better if you follow the example of the locals and buy Guyabera shirt, in which you can easily endure any heat.

Not only rum and cigars, but also other exclusively “ Cuban» accessories: straw hats, wicker shoes, hammock. Audio CDs purchased in Havana with recordings of spirited local music will help prolong the festive mood (there is no other way in Cuba!).

When going shopping, do not forget that Cubans sacredly honor traditions: a four-hour rest in the afternoon is a must. However, it’s not just a matter of tradition: the scorching sun simply does not allow full-fledged work.

And one more important note. Icon $ on the price tag means nothing more than the word “ price" But the real cost of the goods is most often indicated in pesos.

When buying products made from crocodile skin, ask the seller for an export license, otherwise the souvenir may be seized at customs.

Transport

The main airport in Cuba is International airport name Jose Marti, located 18 km from Havana. As for municipal transport, then, alas, its condition is deplorable. There are very few city buses, and they often break down. There is no schedule as such at all. If you plan to move around the city, rent a bicycle: this type of transport is common here.

Communication between cities is also poorly established. Buses and minibuses almost always crowded and bad traffic. Tickets for these must be purchased in advance.

In general, a tourist in Cuba cannot do without a car. And, fortunately, there are no particular problems with this. All that is required to rent a car is a driver’s license and at least a year of driving experience. True, this service is quite expensive - 60 $ per day. But believe me, the best way to see Cuba simply does not exist.

As for the quality of roads, here too, as you may have guessed, there are problems. The traffic rules are standard, but there are practically no signs and markings. Service stations are also, in general, rare. Therefore, when renting a car, do not be lazy to check if everything is in order with the car. Including check whether the tank is full.

The only plus is that “tourist” cars (they have special colored license plates) enjoy benefits, and the police simply do not pay attention to minor violations.

Connection

Today Cuba is served by a single telecom operator - the company ETECSA. The current standard is GSM 900, in some areas - GSM 850. You can buy a phone card at any hotel or store.

Calling from a pay phone abroad is cheaper than calling from a hotel room (approximately 5 $ per minute of conversation with Moscow). And not every hotel has a telephone with international access.

Today there are 2 Internet providers on the island.

Safety

As for the safety of your stay on the island, threats of various kinds can await you everywhere, despite the fact that Cuba is quite safe country. First tip: don't walk around Old Havana after 10 pm. If only because at this time the city lights are turned off. It is better to store documents in your room, in a special safe (if there is one, of course).

Smoking in public places is strictly prohibited. It is not recommended to give alms to the poor: this is punishable by law.

Beware of the Cuban sun: you can get burned even in cloudy weather. Use protective equipment and be sure to cover your head. Be careful when swimming: you can easily get hurt in the sea sea ​​urchin or sharp coral. Jellyfish can be extremely dangerous.

Business climate

The country's two main sources of income are sugar production and tourism. The tourism industry is developing rapidly, attracting more and more foreign investors. In addition, Cuba is a global leader in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

IN at the moment Cuba is in the spotlight of the world business community. Liberty Island amazes with its prospects, but at the same time, it is one of the most closed countries in the world. A huge advantage is the absence of taxes for foreign entrepreneurs. Among the disadvantages are poor infrastructure and the possibility of opening a business exclusively in partnership with a state-owned enterprise. It is not yet possible to register your company in Cuba.

Real estate

One of the most pressing problems in Cuba is housing. Most housing stock has been in need of reconstruction and overhaul for a long time. As for buying a home on the island, such an operation is generally impossible for an ordinary foreigner. Even if you have millions of dollars in your pocket, you will not be able to buy housing here. Of course, there is an unofficial real estate market, but, of course, such a purchase has no guarantees. Although the prices are quite reasonable: an apartment in an old panel house can cost from 15 000 $ . And in the provinces it is several times less.

• Cubans are generally very cheerful, talkative, sociable and hospitable. But they are very proud. They will, of course, try to speak to you in English, but if you say at least a few phrases in bad Spanish, the Cuban will definitely love you.
• You should also know some of the Cuban traditions if you are planning to visit Liberty Island. In order not to offend a good-natured Cuban, you should never refuse an offer for a drink or dinner. It is advisable to accompany requests with special appeals: "mi amor", "mi corazon"- when talking to a woman, "amigo", "viejo"- when talking to a man.
• Photograph industrial buildings and military equipment prohibited in Cuba, but Cubans themselves, as a rule, willingly pose for the camera. Of course, before you capture the colorful appearance of an island resident, you need to ask permission.

Visa information

Tourists from Russia do not require a visa to Cuba if the period of visiting the country does not exceed 30 days. In order to cross the state border, you need to present a passport valid for the duration of your stay in Cuba, 2 copies of a migration card (one of which must be kept until departure from the country), as well as return tickets. Must have cash at the rate of $50 per day for 1 person. This does not apply to tourists who used the services of travel agencies.

However, you can take care of a visa in advance by contacting the consular department of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Moscow. Among the documents submitted to the visa department must be a foreign passport (its validity must not expire earlier than 6 months from the date of arrival in the country), copies of round-trip tickets, confirmation of a hotel room reservation (a travel agency voucher or an invitation from a specific person), as well as a photo in size 3x4 cm. The consular fee will be $30, and the visa will be valid for one month.

For more specific information on obtaining a visa to the Republic of Cuba, please contact: 119017, Moscow, st. Bolshaya Ordynka, 66.

The first thing a tourist is interested in is where Cuba is located on the world map, are travel packages expensive and what are the hotel prices? It’s a little expensive, of course, but only because Cuba is too far from us, and otherwise on the island itself the prices are not so high, but the beaches and recreation compensate for everything

"Cuba libre", or Island of Freedom. White sand sunny beaches, endless ocean expanses, vibrant nature, unique architecture, rum and cigars - all this and a little more will tell you Well THERE about Cuba.

General information about Cuba

Where is Cuba

The free Republic of Cuba is located near the shores of the North and South American continents, separated from them by the waters of the Strait of Florida. The state occupies the islands of Cuba, Juventud and about 1,600 smaller islands total area 110,860 km².

The southern coast of the country's main island faces the waters Caribbean Sea, and the northwestern and northeastern beaches are washed by the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cuba on the world map

Population

According to data from the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the population of the republic in 2017 is 11.4 million people.

Currency

The national currency is the Cuban peso CUP, CUC. At the rate of 1 peso = 1 US dollar.

Useful phone numbers

• Country dialing code: 53;
• Havana telephone code: 7;
• Call from Cuba: 119 – your country code – area code – phone number.
• Call to Cuba: 8 – international call code – Cuba code – area code – phone number.
• Embassy of the Russian Federation: (+53 7) 204-10-85;
• Consulate of the Russian Federation: (+53 2) 268 61 46.

Emergency services (Havana):

• Police: 116;
• Honey. help: 40-50-93;
• Firefighters: 78-85-41.

On the territory of the country:

• National police: 82-01-16;
• Firefighters: 81-11-15;
• Honey. help: 24-28-11.

Payment and exchange in Cuba

In areas intended for tourists, convertible pesos are in circulation. Because of the warm relations between the island communist state and the Empire of Good, which is jealous from the other end of the Florida Strait, it is better not to fly with the evergreen presidents on vacation. When exchanging American dollars, you may be charged a commission of 10 to 20%. Therefore already seasoned tourists It is recommended to come here with Euro. Interestingly, it is almost impossible for a tourist to come across a non-convertible Cuban peso (CUP).

If it is more convenient for you to use Visa/MasterCard cards, please note that:

• Visa is accepted in more establishments than Mastercard;
• When visiting small shops or cafes, it is better to have cash with you, as there may not be a payment terminal;
• Card transactions are subject to a tax of 11.24%.

Tourist reminder

Your stay in Cuba should be as colorful as possible, and you may need to add some color to your everyday wardrobe. You have every chance to become a fan of Cuban cigars after visiting their homeland, but smoking in public places is prohibited.

If you encounter a cow on your way to the beach or during an excursion, be extremely careful. This animal is sacred to Cubans, and the death of a cow in your presence can lead to unpleasant conversations with the local police.

It is also important for a tourist to know what to photograph government agencies, military equipment, soldiers, police are prohibited. In addition, before taking a photograph of a Cuban, you should definitely ask his permission.

What are the Cuban people like?

Cuba is a multinational and multicultural country, where the blood and traditions of the peoples of Africa, Spain, Italy, Britain, Germany, Cuban and American Indian tribes, immigrants from China, France, as well as Jews resettled during the First and Second World Wars, are mixed.

Local, friendly people. Do not rush to refuse an offer to play dominoes or share a meal. Don’t be surprised if they ask you to drink in a cafe at your expense. And if hotel or hostel employees ask you to leave personal hygiene products (razors, shaving foam, etc.), remember that this is due to the high cost and inaccessibility of the latter for poor citizens.

Security on Cuban soil

The people in the communist republic are friendly, but poor. It is better not to show cash and expensive accessories. Keep an eye on your belongings to avoid becoming a victim of petty scammers and pickpockets. It is not recommended to walk in poor areas at night due to the high likelihood of being attacked.

Climate in Cuba, when is the best time to go?

The most favorable time for relaxation is from November to April.

Windsurfers will love it in the summer, when the rainy season brings the biggest waves. The dominance of hurricanes between October and November can overshadow your vacation, but in fact you can plan a vacation in Cuba at any time of the year.

Thanks to small area You can travel around Cuba in a few weeks of vacation. So that you don’t miss anything important, our website has prepared for you a list of cities and resorts that you must visit.

Capital Havana is a city of opposites. Here, modern skyscrapers stand next to colonial pre-revolutionary mansions in which ordinary people live. The city is full architectural monuments, And interesting places. Havana dazzles with white beaches, treats you to exquisite cuisine and entices you with the sounds of salsa. The El Floridita bar, one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite places, is especially worth a look. If you're not interested in a bar, visit the writer's house museum and then head to the Roma Museum. For those who are not tired of daytime excursions, it is important to know that closer to night the city turns into one big disco filled with unbridled energy. It's time to visit the Tropicana cabaret show, which has been famous throughout the world since 1939.

Santa Clara

Santa Clara A memorable place for the Cuban revolution, where Comandante Che Guevara derailed the armored train of the dictator Batista. The wreckage of that same train remains at the crash site to this day, they are a pride and attraction for the residents of the country. In addition, a mausoleum named after Ernesto Che Guevara was erected here, and if you are an American citizen, you may not be allowed into it.

Santiago de Cuba

The birthplace of street culture – Santiago de Cuba. Music on the streets of the town sounds on every corner. This place is rightfully considered the cradle of Cuban melodies and rum, because Don Facundo Bacardi was born here.

Trinidad

If you are interested in seeing the island as it was in the 18th century, then the city Trinidad– the best place for this. The authentic ambience of this place is amazing. Cobblestone roads, colonial-style houses, sugar plantations and slave cabins that remain reminiscent of times gone by.

Matanzas

Matanzas the capital of the province of the same name is known large quantity bridges, for which it was nicknamed “Cuban Venice”. The province of Pinar del Rio is an interesting place to visit, where you can visit tobacco plantations and admire the views of the Viñales Valley, which received the title of “Cultural Landscape of Humanity” in 1999.

Cuban resorts

Varadero

Varadero- the oldest of the resorts, a popular and truly heavenly place with turquoise ocean waters and snow-white beaches. The resort can be called a classic holiday in Russian style, everything is always included here. 24-hour bars, buffet in a restaurant with cuisines from all over the world.

Holguin

Holguin– elite business VIP class resort. The hotels are mostly five star. People visit this place for luxury, tranquility and sophistication.

Guardavalaka

Guardavalaka, one of best resorts for diving, famous for its coral reef. Esmeralda is a place of emerald beaches. For lovers of original parties, it will be interesting to find yourself in a cave disco on the island of Cayo Coco.

Juventud

Juventud, known as the Island of Youth (located 100 km from the island of Cuba) is interesting for its nature reserves. They say that R. L. Stevenson described the image of “Treasure Island” precisely from the landscapes of Juventud.

Cayo Largo

Speaking about pirates, it’s hard not to mention La Yana - this is an ancient tree located on the island Cayo Largo. According to legend, it served as a landmark for pirates of the Caribbean when they buried their stolen gold.

This is just a small part of the places you can visit during your stay in this country. Even if you come to Cuba several times a year for several years, this country will always find something to surprise and entice you.

Entertainment and relaxation on Liberty Island

The very thing for which thousands of tourists come on vacation every year is diving. The underwater world is interesting not only for its beautiful coral reefs, but also for the many shipwrecks off the coast. Windsurfers can catch waves off the sandy shores, while those who don’t want to (or don’t know how to swim) dive into the ocean’s embrace in a submarine.

The main monuments of Cuban architecture are concentrated in several of the most famous cities among tourists. In the capital of Cuba, Havana, you can see many cathedrals, including the Cathedral of St. Christopher. And it is better for you not to brag that you have been to Cuba without visiting the Armory, Cathedral and Old Squares of the capital of the state.

Che Guevara Memorial in Santa Clara, cigar factory " Francisco Donatien» in Pinar del Rio, caves with rock paintings of Mantanas. There is a prison on the island of Juventud Presidio Modelo", which is a copy former place imprisonment of F. Castro, prison " Joliet"(Illinois). Natural landscapes and national parks more than make up for the small number of architectural attractions; many natural areas of Cuba are under the protection of UNESCO.

When you come on vacation from July 15 to August 15, be sure to visit the carnivals that take place in Havana and Santiago de Cuba, as these are unforgettable colorful events full of music, dances and colorful costumes. And smokers will be interested to know about the international festival of Cuban cigars taking place at the end of February.

Where would we be without shopping?, because you need to buy something truly Cuban - cigars, rum and coffee. Black corals and products made from them are popular among tourists. IN shopping centers Havana or Casa del Habano chain stores will not deceive you and will sell goods of proper quality.

National Cuban cuisine

Creole cuisine predominates in Cuba. Basic national dishes prepared from pork and chicken. The meat is prepared in a variety of ways different ways. Among the national dishes cuisines – “Creole ajiaco” is one of the main ones. It is prepared from pork and vegetables with the addition of a good portion of spices. Also you should try:

• lobsters with lemon;
• crocodile meat;
• turtle meat and eggs.

Fresh fruit slices are often served with each dish. They brew delicious and strong coffee. The main national drink is rum, which is included in almost all local cocktails.

Restaurants are mainly concentrated in resort and tourist areas; it is recommended to visit them with cash. The cost of a meal for one person in a good establishment is from 30 to 40 pesos, simpler establishments will cost no more than 15 pesos, and in an eatery you will leave a maximum of 5 Cuban coins. The tip is 10% of the check amount and it is better to give it to the waiters. And if you decide to eat at a bar, you are unlikely to succeed. In colorful Cuban bars you need to drink, and from food you will get the most nuts, or chips.

Cuban hotels

The most common hotels in Cuba are 4-star hotels, although for those who do not particularly plan to stay within four walls, there are a sufficient number of 2 and 3-star hotels. But for lovers of luxury, there is not much to choose from; there are literally only a few 5-star hotels. Most of the hotels on Liberty Island represent well-known global chains that operate on an “all inclusive” system. Check-in at a hotel in Cuba is at 15:00, check-out is at 12:00. Cunning Cubans leave themselves three hours to clean the room before the next guests arrive, so you can safely make a claim if you find unwanted traces of previous guests.

How to get to Cuba

For a convenient and comfortable flight to Cuba, Good THERE recommends using the services of Aeroflot, which organizes regular, direct flights Moscow-Havana. If residents of Russia fly non-stop, then citizens of the CIS countries are recommended to fly through Moscow, or through Europe on appropriate flights.

A direct flight from Moscow lasts about 12 hours, a flight with transfers through Europe from 16 to 20 hours. Ticket prices start from 55,000 rubles per adult. It can be cheaper by purchasing a voucher. So, with accommodation in a three-star hotel for 7 days and nights, the cost of a trip on average is from 60,000 rubles.

Pros and cons of holidays on the Cuban island

No matter how heavenly a place Cuba may seem to you, Okay THERE recommends paying attention to negative aspects holidays in this beautiful country:

• the sun is much more intense and brighter than residents of the CIS countries and Russia are used to; to avoid sunburn, stock up on sunscreen;
• evening beach holiday small insects can spoil it; it is necessary to have protective sprays and creams with you;
• do not drink raw water, and ask for chilled alcoholic drinks without ice, since Cuban water contains a lot of bacteria that are harmful to an unaccustomed tourist;
• beware of marine life: moray eels, sea snakes and urchins and “Portuguese man-of-war”;
• Remember the poverty of the population, which may provoke the desire of some individuals to rob you if you openly display your valuables and cash.

All these are just warnings, because it is better to prepare in advance so that your vacation is not overshadowed by anything and you can enjoy positive aspects trips:

• feel the atmosphere of freedom;
• enjoy the snow-white beaches;
• absorb the cultural spirit of Cuba by visiting festivals and carnivals;
• admire the beauty of Cuban nature;
• try cigars and rum in their homeland;
• dive into the depths of the ocean to explore its treasures;
• meet and communicate with new people.

The video will complement our article

Video – Interesting facts about Cuba

There is something interesting for everyone in Cuba. Expand your borders, the world is not in our apartments and phones. Travel, feel, learn new things. Fine THERE wishes you have a nice holiday on Liberty Island.

Cuba is a large island in the Caribbean Sea and has the same name. island state. Cuba is famous all over the world beautiful beaches the northern coast, magnificent ancient cities, incomparable and fiery Latin American music and, finally, hand-rolled cigars. This contrast makes the country unique and interesting for tourists to visit.

Where is Cuba located on the world map

The official name of the state is the Republic of Cuba, the unofficial name is Liberty Island. The capital of Cuba is Havana. In the western hemisphere, it is the only state with a socialist form of government.

Cuba is located on the island of Juventud (the seventh largest in the world) between North and South America. All the islands and coral reefs that are located on the map around Cuba belong to the country. There are about 1,500 of them. They all belong to the group of the Greater Antilles.

On the map the country is shown as a narrow strip of land that stretches from west to east and its length is 1250 km. Externally, the island looks like a crocodile, with its head facing the Atlantic and its tail heading towards the Gulf of Mexico.

Cuba is an island, so it is washed from all sides:

• the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast;
• Gulf of Mexico in the northwest;
• Caribbean Sea in the south.

The total area of ​​the state is 114,524 square kilometers. Sierra Maestro Mountains located on the southeastern part of the state map and are the highest point of the state (Turkino Peak - 1973 meters).

Distance from Cuba to Moscow – 9580 km, to – 215 km, to Jamaica – 150 km, to the USA – 185 km, to Haiti – 78 km.

All about Cuba

Cuba is an island state, so the characteristics of nature and weather largely depend on the ocean and sea that wash the country.

Relief

The landscape of Cuba is mostly flat. Mountains and small hills occupy about a third of the island's entire territory. The state has three main mountain systems:

• in the west - the Cordillera de Guaniguanico;
• in the center - Escambray;
• in the east - Sierra Maestro.

In Cuba it is very many small and large caves. The most big cave– Santo Tomas, it contains many so-called underground galleries, 25 km long. And there are also hills with steep slopes and flat tops. Areas that are slightly hilly have been developed and settled. The banks are often swampy, low, and even in some places overgrown with mangroves. Sandy beaches are not uncommon in Cuba and, as a rule, they stretch for several kilometers. For example, in the most famous resort of Varadero (Hicacos Peninsula), there is such a sandy beach.

Climate

In Cuba it is magnificent: warm and soft, which is due to geographical location countries. The American state of Florida is separated from Cuba by a small Straits of Florida. Its width is only 150 km. Warm water currents pass through this strait, which are classified as the Gulf Stream.

Thanks to such warm currents, the water temperature on the beaches in winter does not fall below 22 degrees, in summer – 28–30 degrees. In general, the climate in the country is trade wind-tropical and indicates that there is a clear division into dry and rainy seasons. The rainy season in Cuba lasts from May to October, and the dry and sunny weather is November-April, respectively.

By sea, Cuba is separated from the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) by a short distance. But also around the Republic of Cuba there are such magnificent places as Jamaica, Bahamas And . Cuba is separated from these states by small straits ranging from 80 to 170 km wide.

Population

The country's population is 11.5 million people. Most of the population is descendants of immigrants from Spain, the rest are mestizos, mulattoes, blacks, but also live on the island large number Chinese. The indigenous people were completely exterminated during the development and colonization of the island by the Spaniards.

The Spaniards needed more labor, so slaves began to be imported to the island from Africa. More than 1 million slaves were imported over 350 years. For the same reason, the Chinese (120,000 people) were also brought from Asia between 1854 and 1875. Indian slaves were also brought to work on the plantations, but their numbers were small. A constant flow of migrants was represented by European countries (France, England, Germany, Spain).

Very big wave migration began during and after World War II. The main settlers of that time were Jews. Thus, the Cuban nation has absorbed the characteristics of many peoples of the world.

The majority of believers are:

• 47% are Catholics;
• 4% are Protestants.

The rest are the so-called Santeria. This is a belief based on the cult of African pagans, which is mixed with the Christian cult. The church is not subordinate to the state; the constitution states that every citizen has the right to freedom of religion.

What language is spoken in Cuba? Of course, the official language is Spanish. However, the staff in many hotels speaks fluent German, English, and Italian.

State structure

According to the 1992 Constitution, Cuba is socialist republic , in which the Communist Party occupies the main place. The first secretary of the party is the president of the country.

Parliament consists of 609 deputies elected for a term of 5 years. The executive branch is the Council of Ministers and the State Council.

The country is divided into 15 provinces, which in turn are divided into municipalities (168) and the separate municipality of Juventud.

A brief excursion into history

Island discovered by Columbus in 1492, then it was inhabited by Indians. The island was captured in the 16th century by the Spaniards, who exterminated most of the indigenous population and brought slaves from different continents. Slavery continued on the island until 1887.

As a result of the difficult and long confrontation (1868–1878) of the Cuban people against the colonial yoke, the independence of the island of Cuba was proclaimed. But in fact, the country was under the yoke of the United States. The withdrawal of American troops took place in 1901, but even after that the American government more than once resorted to an armed seizure of power in Cuba. In 1934 dictator batista established a pro-American regime in the country.

Under the command of Fidel Castro in 1959 the dictator was overthrown. The USSR provided special economic assistance in the formation of statehood. During this period, the United States imposed an embargo. During the Cold War (the Cuban Missile Crisis), the Soviet Union stationed nuclear warheads in Cuba. In 1975, Cuba was proclaimed an independent socialist state, and Castro became the leader of the country. And he still pursues a policy of blockade of Cuba, thereby causing economic damage to the island.

A long period of Spanish colonization and attempts to take possession of the island by the British and Americans failed to turn Cuba into an overseas country. That's why Cubans proudly mark the island on the map and call it Liberty Island.

Cuba(Spanish Cuba), official name - Republic of Cuba (Spanish República de Cuba), unofficial since 1959 - Liberty Island) is an island state in the northern Caribbean Sea. The country occupies the territory of the island of Cuba as part of the Greater Antilles, Isla Juventud and many smaller islands. From North America Cuba is separated by the Strait of Florida to the north and the Yucatan Strait to the west.

The capital and largest city is Havana.

Geographical location

Cuba is located at the junction of North, Central and South America, on the island of Cuba (the largest in the West Indies), the island of Juventud, as well as on the adjacent about 1,600 small islands and coral reefs belonging to the Greater Antilles group. The coastline is characterized by deep bays and many convenient bays. The island is framed by reefs and other coral formations.

The territory of Cuba is 111 thousand km². The island, which stretches 1,250 km from west to east, is often compared to a lizard, whose body faces the Atlantic and whose tail is located at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. In the south, Cuba is washed by the Caribbean Sea, in the northwest by the Gulf of Mexico, and in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. The distance from Cuba to the United States at the narrowest point of the Strait of Florida is 180 km, to the island of Haiti through the Windward Strait is 77 km, to the island of Jamaica through the Strait of Colon is 140 km, to Mexico through the Yucatan Strait is 210 km.

Relief

The relief of Cuba is predominantly flat. Hills and mountains occupy about a third of the territory. Tallest mountain range The Sierra Maestra stretches along the southeastern coast for 250 km. Its highest point is Turkino Peak (1972 m). The picturesque low mountains located in the west of the island are intricately dissected and sparsely populated.

In Cuba, karst is widespread, and therefore many caves, including large ones, are known. Thus, in the west, the Santo Tomas cave has an extensive network of underground galleries with a total length of 25 km. Often there are so-called “mogotes” - forms of tropical karst, which are hills with almost vertical slopes and flat tops. Approximately 2/3 of the entire area of ​​Cuba is occupied by slightly hilly plains. They are the most populated and developed. The banks are generally low, sometimes swampy, and in many cases overgrown with mangroves. Often found sandy beaches, which stretch for many kilometers (for example, on the Hicacos Peninsula, where the famous resort of Varadero is located).

Minerals

Cuba occupies one of the leading places in the world in nickel mining (2nd place in the world in reserves and 3rd in production), has significant reserves of chromium, manganese, iron and copper ores, asbestos, rock salt, and phosphorites. Oil and gas fields have been discovered in the west of the country.

Climate

The climate of Cuba is tropical, trade wind. The average annual temperature is 25.5 °C. Average temperature the coldest month (January) is 22.5 °C and the hottest (August) is 27.8 °C. The temperature of surface waters off the coast in winter is 22-24 °C, in summer - 28-30 °C. The average annual precipitation, usually in the form of showers, is 1400 mm, but dry years often occur.

Cuba has clearly defined two climatic seasons: rainy (May-October) and dry (November-April). The rainy season accounts for 3/4 of the total annual precipitation.

A feature of Cuba's climate is its typical high humidity throughout the year. The combination of high humidity and high temperature has a generally unfavorable effect on people's lives. However, on the coast, the wind from the sea moderates the heat, brings freshness, and in the evenings, coolness. In any place, the winds are characterized by a certain constancy, so you can often see trees whose trunks have a corresponding slope.

Cuba is subject to tropical cyclones that originate in the summer-autumn period (June - mid-November) east of the Lesser Antilles and in the west of the Caribbean Sea, then moving towards Florida. Typhoons are accompanied by heavy rainfall and strong winds that can cause great damage to the economy and population of the island. The rivers in Cuba are short and shallow. Forests, covering about 10% of the territory, are preserved only in mountainous and swampy areas. The fauna of the land is relatively poor. At the same time, in the waters surrounding Cuba there are valuable commercial fish, shellfish, lobsters, shrimp, and sponges.

Administrative division

Cuba is a unitary state. The national territory for political and administrative purposes is divided into 14 provinces and the special municipality of Isla Juventud.

• Juventud Island (Spanish: Isla de la Juventud)
• Pinar del Rio (Spanish: Pinar del Rio)
• Havana (Spanish: La Habana)
• City of Havana (Spanish: Ciudad de La Habana)
• Matanzas (Spanish: Matanzas) Cienfuegos (Spanish: Cienfuegos)
• Villa Clara (Spanish: Villa Clara)
• Sancti Spiritus (Spanish: Sancti Spiritus)
• Ciego de Avila (Spanish: Ciego de Avila)
• Camagüey (Spanish: Camagüey) Las Tunas (Spanish: Las Tunas)
• Granma (Spanish Granma)
• Holguin (Spanish: Holguin)
• Santiago de Cuba (Spanish: Santiago de Cuba)
• Guantanamo (Spanish: Guantanamo)

The island of Cuba has a railway (Cuban Railway in Spanish: Ferrocarriles de Cuba) and a network of roads. Sea and air communications have been established with other countries. Cuba's leading airline, Cubana de Aviación, has offices in 32 countries.

Connection

After Castro came to power, the development of telecommunications on the island turned out to be extremely difficult. Cuba, however, received a lot of help from the Soviet Union, which provided some resources, such as communication channels.

In 2003, there were 2 Internet providers on the island. Nationaldomain.cu.

Today, Cuba has the only mobile operator - ETECSA under the Cubacel brand. An interesting fact is that until 2008, the use of mobile communication services for ordinary residents of the country was prohibited. Mobile communication services were only allowed to be used foreign citizens and the highest officials of the country. After Raul Castro abolished the terms of use mobile phones in the country, the national telecom operator - ETECSA - began providing communication services for ordinary citizens on April 14, 2008. In Cuba, the GSM 900 standard is currently in use, and in some areas of Havana and the resort of Varadero - GSM 850.

Population

Cubans are a people of mixed origin. By the time the Spaniards arrived here, Cuba was inhabited by tribes of Sibones, Arawak Indians, Guanahanabeys and Indians who migrated from Haiti. But as a result of Spanish colonization, the Indians were mostly exterminated.

Since the Spanish colonists needed a lot of labor, primarily for work on plantations, they began to import slaves from central Africa (mainly Yoruba, Ashanti, Ewe, Congo). Over 350 years, the Spaniards imported more than 1 million African slaves, their descendants making up 40% of the population. For the same reason, more than 125,000 Chinese were imported from Asia between 1853 and 1874. To this day, “China Town” has been preserved in Havana. In addition, Indian slaves were imported, but in small quantities, from Yucatan, Central and South America. During the same period, 850,000 immigrants arrived from Spain, mainly Galicians, Castilians, Navarreans, and Catalans, although it should be noted that not all of them remained to live in Cuba. They are collectively called Gallego (Galicians). From the end of the 18th century. a large influx of French from Haiti and Louisiana also arrived here. There was also a fairly intense flow of immigrants from Germany, Italy and Britain. At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans settled in Cuba and created their own colonies on the island. Pinos (present Isle of Juventud). There were very strong waves of immigration to Cuba during and after the First and Second World Wars, primarily Jews moving here.

Data on the racial composition of Cuba is contradictory. According to official data, the population of Cuba consists of whites - 65.1%, mulattoes - 24.8%, blacks - 10.1% (according to the 2002 census). According to the Institute of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami, 68% of Cubans are black or mulatto. Minority rights group International says 51% of the population is mulatto.

In 1953, the proportion of the white population was 84%, but then decreased, mainly as a result of emigration after the revolution.

Story

The first European to arrive here was Columbus, who landed in the east of the archipelago in October 1492. In 1511, Diego Velazquez de Cuellar subjugated the indigenous population of the islands, built Fort Baracoa and became the first Spanish governor of Cuba. By 1514, seven settlements had been founded. In 1515, Cuellar moved his headquarters to Santiago de Cuba, which became the first capital of Cuba. Colonization took place in the context of a struggle with the indigenous population of the island - the Taino Indians, who made up 75% of the population.
In 1823, the first uprising for independence was suppressed.
In 1868, the Ten Years' War for Cuban Independence began; The rebels were supported by the US. Military action has reached highest point in 1872-1873, but then the rebels fought only in the eastern provinces, Camagüey and Oriente. In 1878, a peace agreement was signed that eliminated the most unpleasant legislative acts for the inhabitants of the island.
In 1895, a detachment of Cuban patriots under the leadership of Jose Marti landed in Cuba. This event became the starting point of a new war with the Spaniards, during which the Cubans achieved control over almost the entire territory of the island, excluding major cities(See Cuban War of Independence).
In 1898, the United States went to war with Spain, which it won. Cuba becomes dependent on the United States. The Constitution stipulated the right of the United States to send troops into the country. This clause was repealed in 1934.
In 1933, as a result of a coup organized by revolutionaries led by Sergeant Fulgencio Batista, dictator Gerardo Machado y Morales was overthrown and a democratic regime was established.
On March 10, 1952, Fulgencio Batista carried out a coup d'etat and established a personal dictatorship.
On July 26, 1953, a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro attempted to seize the Moncada barracks. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the participants in the assault ended up in prison, but this event became the starting point of the Cuban Revolution. In 1955, the revolutionaries were granted amnesty. December 2, 1956 new group revolutionaries landed from the Granma yacht in the east of the island and began military operations against the Batista government.
On January 1, 1959, dictator Batista fled Cuba. At this point, rebel forces occupied the city of Santa Clara in the center of the island and controlled large swathes of terrain to the east, although the capital was not in immediate danger and Batista still had significant military forces at his disposal. In the conditions of the power vacuum that arose as a result of Batista's flight, on January 8, a column of rebels entered Havana, where they were greeted with popular jubilation.

As a result of the victory of the revolution, power in Cuba was given to a left-wing government headed by Fidel Castro, which then leaned towards the construction of socialism and is in power to the present day. The country's ruling and only permitted party is the Communist Party of Cuba. The government of Fidel Castro carried out agrarian reform, nationalized industrial assets, and launched broad social reforms, which alienated many groups of the population; the result of the process was the mass emigration of the dissatisfied, mainly to the United States, where a large diaspora of opponents of Castro and his policies was created.
In April 1961, Cuban emigrants, with the active support of the United States, landed armed troops on south coast islands with the goal of organizing a mass protest against the policies of the new government in the future, but the intervention was quickly stopped, and the expected social explosion never happened. Subsequently, emigrant organizations repeatedly organized terrorist attacks and small-scale landings on Cuba, but without much results.

From the early 1960s to the early 1990s, Cuba was an ally of the USSR, which provided significant financial, economic and political support, and actively supported Marxist rebels and Marxist regimes Latin America(Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Chile), Africa (Ethiopia, Angola) and Asia, and also pursued a policy of providing humanitarian assistance to various countries of the world. In the late 1980s, more than 70 thousand Cubans were abroad as part of military and humanitarian missions.

Immediately with the 1959 revolution, political repression began (see repression during the reign of Castro), primarily directed against figures from the overthrown regime of dictator Batista and CIA agents.

Castro had a negative attitude towards the policy of perestroika in the USSR and even banned the distribution of a number of Soviet publications in Cuba (Moscow News, New Time, etc.), and at the same time supported Gorbachev’s main opponent, Yeltsin. According to Yeltsin’s memoirs, Castro expressed sympathy for him both during the years of disgrace and later, after he came to power, despite the obvious anti-socialist nature of the reforms in Russia.

With the collapse of the USSR, Cuba suffered huge economic losses (up to half of GDP), and analysts predicted the imminent fall of the Castro government, but by 1994 the situation had largely stabilized, and the economic condition of the country is currently assessed by international organizations as quite satisfactory.

On February 19, 2008, through the Granma newspaper, Fidel Castro announced his resignation as Chairman of the State Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban forces. “To my dear fellow citizens, who have given me the immeasurable honor of electing me as a member of Parliament, in which the most important decisions for the fate of the revolution will be made, I inform you that I do not intend and will not give my consent to take the post of Chairman of the State Council and Commander-in-Chief,” it says in circulation.

Observers have some concerns about the political stability of Cuba regarding the process of transfer of power from Fidel Castro to his heirs.

State structure

Public administration is a republic. The legislative branch is a unicameral parliament (National Assembly).

Executive power belongs to the Chairman of the State Council (head of state) and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers (head of government).

Economy

Advantages: The tourism industry attracts foreign investors. Export of sugar and nickel. Elite cigars. The banking sector is strengthening.

Weaknesses: Due to the US embargo, lack of access to important markets and investments. Acute shortage of foreign currency. Fluctuations in world prices for sugar and nickel. Complicated trade restrictions and lack of legal regulations hinder investment. Poor infrastructure. Shortage of fuel, fertilizers and spare parts. Hurricane damage in 2001

There are different points of view regarding the level of development of Cuba before the revolution. According to a number of sources, in terms of GNP per capita, Cuba was ahead of Spain and Japan at that time. Robin Blackburn also wrote that Cuba was one of the richest countries in the underdeveloped category. Professor Maurice Halperin, who worked in Cuba immediately after the revolution, objected to the application of the term “underdeveloped” to pre-revolutionary Cuba, which, in his words, caused false associations with truly backward countries, and proposed calling it “moderately developed.” On the other hand, the Groningen Growth and Development Center, having conducted its own retrospective calculations using a special methodology, obtained data stating that Cuba in 1958 was inferior to these countries and a number of Latin American countries.

According to statistics, in 1951 in Cuba there were 122 thousand cars for a population of 5.5 million, that is, 1 car for 41 people. At the same time, according to the authors of the Area Handbook for Cuba, “all this, as a fact, does not matter at all, since there were de facto two Cubas, in one the elite lived beautifully and comfortably, and in the other the most necessary things for life were not available "

In 1960, a massive nationalization of the private sector was carried out. Currently, Cuba has one of the most nationalized economies in the world. In the second half of the 1960s. the government has attempted to abandon central planning in favor of sectoral planning and is moving toward experiments involving moral incentives and widespread use of free forced labor. Falling production levels and avoidance of forced labor forced a return to Soviet-style central planning. In the 1970s - 80s. With the help of the countries of the socialist bloc, the basis of the industry is being created in Cuba.

After the collapse of the USSR, there was a reduction in purchases of Cuban sugar and the cessation of economic assistance. For 1989-1993 Cuba's GDP fell by a third. Economic collapse was avoided by opening the country to foreign capital in industry and tourism.

Venezuela (Hugo Chavez is a personal friend of Fidel Castro) provides Cuba with cheap oil; Cuba provides Venezuela with medical assistance.

According to official data, in 2006 GDP growth was 12.5%. According to the CIA directory, in 2007 real GDP growth was 7%.

The main sector of the Cuban economy is the sugar industry. The capacity of Cuba's sugar factories is capable of processing 670 thousand tons of sugar cane per day (production of 9-9.5 million tons of sugar per year). In the past, the industry developed extensively thanks to the support of the CMEA.

The Cuban government is creating free economic zones (FEZ) in order to attract foreign investment. In 1996, a law was adopted on the procedure for the creation and functioning of free economic zones. The validity period of the concession for the right to operate in the SEZ is 50 years. In 1997, three SEZs began operating (Mariel, Havana City and Vahay).

Exports ($3.8 billion in 2008) - sugar, nickel, tobacco, seafood, medical products, citrus fruits, coffee. The main export partners are China (28%), Canada (25%), Spain (6%), the Netherlands (5%), Iran (4%).

In November 2004, during a visit to Cuba by Chinese President Hu Jintao, an agreement was reached that China would invest $500 million in the Cuban nickel industry. In January 2008, Brazilian President Lula da Silva and the head of the state oil company Petrobras, Jose Sergio Gabrielli, who visited Cuba, announced their intention to invest $500 million in the exploration of Cuban hydrocarbon deposits in the Gulf of Mexico and the construction of a plant for the production of technical oils in Cuba.

Cuba imports ($14.5 billion in 2008) petroleum products, food, industrial equipment, chemical products. The main import partners are Venezuela (31.5%), China (11.8%), Spain (10.6%), Canada (6.7%), USA (6.6%).

The Cuban banking system consists of the Central Bank, 8 commercial banks, 13 non-banking financial institutions, 13 representative offices of foreign banks and 4 representative offices of foreign financial institutions. There are 2 types of currency in Cuba. Citizens of Cuba receive black and white Cuban pesos, foreigners receive colored (convertible) pesos when exchanging currency. Western media reported on currency manipulations by the top Cuban leadership and the F. Castro family.

Since 1962, a card system has been in effect in Cuba; products are issued according to the same standards for the entire country. According to Cuban experts, the population currently receives from 40 to 54 percent of the minimum required calories from food distributed on ration cards. Milk is provided free of charge by the state to children under 6 years of age or purchased by the population at the market. Throughout the post-revolutionary years, a black market existed in Cuba. A number of goods, the distribution of which by cards is carried out irregularly or are intended only for beneficiaries, are still purchased on the black market.

In 2008, Cubans were allowed to buy cell phones, computers and DVD players, as well as 19- and 24-inch televisions, electric pressure cookers and electric bicycles, car alarms and microwave ovens (but only with convertible currency). About 100 thousand cars are registered in the country, of which 60 thousand are old American cars that were on the island before the revolution.

According to the BBC, there is an increase in prostitution and corruption in Cuba. The average monthly salary in Cuba is $12, but there are many government benefits. For example, free clothing is provided to workers. There is a system of free medical care and free higher and secondary education.

Foreign policy

Panama

August 23, 2004 - President of Panama Mireya Moscoso announced the recall of the Panamanian ambassador from Cuba in response to the warning issued by the Cuban Foreign Ministry on August 22 about its readiness to sever diplomatic relations with Panama if its authorities amnestied the criminals who were preparing an assassination attempt on Fidel Castro. At the same time, the President of Panama noted that the recall of the Panamanian ambassador from Havana does not mean a severance of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
August 25, 2004 - Cuban Ambassador to Panama Carlos Zamora, at the request of the Panamanian authorities, left for his homeland. Before leaving, he made a statement to the press in which he noted that “Cuba considers it its duty to achieve exemplary punishment for the terrorists” who were preparing the assassination attempt on Fidel Castro. In March 2004, the Supreme Court of Panama sentenced six conspirators detained in Panama in 2000 to prison terms. The new President of Panama, Martin Torrijos, who takes office on September 1, expressed the hope that the Panama-Cuban conflict would be resolved on the basis of mutual “respect and common sense."

Russia

From the very beginning of the revolution in Cuba, the attitude of the CPSU leadership towards Liberty Island was ambiguous, in some ways similar to the position regarding the SFRY. First, neither the Castro brothers nor their associates were formally Leninists. Their theoretical basis was limited to the legacy of Marx and Engels. Secondly, among other things, Cuba, in principle, was not part of the military blocs. Highly valuing freedom, Cuba, starting from the Belgrade Conference (Yugoslavia, September 1-6, 1961), was one of the most active participants in the Non-Aligned Movement. It joined the CMEA only in 1972.

January 21, 1964 - The USSR and Cuba signed a Long-term Agreement on the supply of sugar to the USSR.

Relations between Cuba and Russia changed after the collapse of the USSR, which was caused, in part, by the cessation of economic aid to Cuba and the reduction of the Soviet (Russian) military presence on the island. Soviet military bases were established here in the early 1960s. Their existence was based on an agreement between the Soviet and American leadership reached after the Caribbean crisis in 1962. In 2001, the last Russian military base in Cuba was closed, and all remaining Russian troops were withdrawn from Liberty Island. Recently, starting in November 2008, there has been a revival of interest in building relations between Russia and Cuba of an economic, political, scientific and social nature.

The United States owns the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba. Military base Guantanamo is located in southeastern Cuba, occupied by the United States under a 1901 treaty that Cuban authorities later abandoned. In January 2002, a prison for suspects of international terrorism was created at the base, where the first 20 people accused of participating in hostilities on the side of the Taliban were brought from Afghanistan.

The United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in 1961, any ties with Cuba were prohibited, US sanctions against Cuba continue to be in effect as of 2008; this blockade is regularly condemned by the UN General Assembly.

However, now the US share of Cuban imports is 6.6% (in 2008).

In 1962, the US Department of Defense planned Operation Northwoods, the purpose of which was to prepare American public opinion for an armed invasion of Cuba and overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. The operation was part of Operation Mongoose, developed by the US government on the initiative of President John F. Kennedy, directed against Cuba, and involved the implementation of terrorist acts with imaginary and/or real victims in the United States, Cuba and other countries, including hijacking aircraft, simulating hostile actions under a false flag, state-sponsored acts of terror. However, Kennedy rejected the project.

In 2001, the United States was sentenced to long periods imprisonment of five Cuban agents (“Cuban Five”). According to them, they conveyed information about impending terrorist attacks against Cuba.

In 2006, a committee was created at the US State Department whose task is to develop US policy towards Cuba in the event of the death of Fidel Castro.

Participation in international organizations

Cuba is a member of the WTO and the World Customs Organization. Takes part in international agreements - the New York Convention on International Arbitration, the Paris Convention and the Madrid Protocol.

Healthcare

On the eve of the revolution, there were 6 thousand doctors in Cuba, that is, 1 doctor per 1000 people, which was equal to the figures in France. However, unlike developed countries, Cuba did not have a health insurance system or cheap or free social healthcare. Therefore, for example, the infant mortality rate was 100-110 per 1000, which corresponded to the level of the most backward countries Western Europe- Spain and pre-war Italy.

Immediately after the revolution, about 3 thousand doctors left the country. However, this deficiency was compensated for by the organization of the medical education system.

Currently, the Cuban health care system is considered one of the best in the world and has extensive primary health care and scientific development programs. According to a 2009 CIA estimate, the average life expectancy in Cuba is 77.45 years. Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate among Latin American countries. All types of medical care are free.

Budget spending on health care (2004): 5.5% of GDP.

Education

Cuba has a traditionally high educational level of the population. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there has been a system of state free 9-grade elementary education for children from 6 to 14 years old (the ninth grade was optional, the rest are compulsory). In 1932, 90% of school-age children attended elementary schools (state and church). In 1951, illiterates accounted for 22% of the adult population, which was lower than in Spain and pre-war Italy.

In 1961, a massive literacy campaign began. As a result, in 1980 the number of illiterate people was only 2%, and in 1990 Cuba became a country of complete literacy. A public secondary and higher school was created. During the 60s, the number of students doubled (from 717 thousand to 1.5 million) with a population growth of 1-2% per year. In total, counting all stages of education, the number of people covered by them has tripled.

Cuba currently has compulsory nine-grade education (the average is 12-grade education). There are 50 centers of higher education. Education at all levels is free.

The main educational institution of the country is the University of Havana, located in different parts of the capital. Until 1999, Russian was taught there as the main foreign language (faculty of the Pais brothers). The work of this faculty was supervised by the Moscow State University Center for Education. After 1999, English became such a language. Other universities in Cuba: Agricultural University of Havana.

Budget spending on education (2002-05): 9% of GDP.

Culture

Painting

Independent Cuban painting arose only in late XIX century. In the 1930s, artists who visited Europe became acquainted with modern artistic movements there and brought them to Cuba. Thus, Marcelo Pogolotti used cubism to create images on themes related to the poverty of the Cuban people. The most famous Cuban artist, Wifredo Lam, painted in a surrealist style. Mario Carreno was greatly influenced by the work of Mexican muralists. Jorge Arche is known for his portraits, which are similar in style to the work of other Latin American artists of the 1930s.

Science

Illiteracy was virtually eliminated in Cuba in 1961. Education here is free at all levels - from primary school to higher education institutions - and compulsory until the end of the ninth grade. All graduates of primary, secondary, high school and technical schools are guaranteed the opportunity to continue their studies, and graduates of higher educational institutions are guaranteed the right to work. Since 1959 higher education in Cuba has become accessible to everyone. There are currently about 700,000 people in the country with higher education. Out of every seven Cuban workers, one has a university degree.

There are about 9,500 primary schools, about 2,000 secondary and 48 higher education institutions in the country. The school is considered a basic cultural institution.

There are more than 170 research institutes in Cuba.

After the victory of the Revolution, to this day in Cuba, about 630 thousand people have graduated from higher educational institutions in various specialties, and millions have received secondary education. The illiteracy rate (among the population aged ten years and over) is 3.8 percent.

There are 1,115 kindergartens in the country, attended by 145.1 thousand children. 135 thousand working mothers use the services of kindergartens.

The total number of primary school students is 1,028,900; children of secondary school students are 778 thousand; students of higher educational institutions - 127 thousand. The system of secondary and higher evening and correspondence education covers more than 100 thousand people.

There are 9,487 primary schools, 1,943 secondary schools and 48 higher education institutions in Cuba. There are a total of 17.8 teachers for every thousand inhabitants. 9 percent of GDP is allocated for education. The country allocates significant funds for scientific research, in particular related to human health, in the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering, the production of vaccines and numerous medicines; the results of these studies have received universal recognition. All this became possible thanks to the existence of significant human resources, including highly qualified specialists trained within the national education system.

Cuba also ranks 4-5 among Latin American countries (and 51 in the world) according to the UN classification in terms of Human Development.

Religion

In Cuba, church and state are separated, and the Cuban Constitution guarantees the population freedom of religion. The most common religion is Catholic.

Despite the peculiarities of socialism as a socio-political system that has dominated the country for many decades, Cubans are quite religious. Even members of the Cuban Communist Party are not prohibited from attending churches. Catholic churches exist throughout the country. Even after the victory of the revolution, masses are celebrated daily and solemn services are held on national or local religious holidays.

With the arrival of black slaves on the island, various beliefs of African origin spread. Over time, three main movements emerged from them, existing and popular to this day. These are Regla de Ocha (Spanish: Regla de Ocha) or Santeria (Spanish: Santeria), Las Reglas de Palo (Spanish: Las Reglas de Palo) and La Sociedad Secreta Abacua (Spanish: La Sociedad Secreta Abacua). As a result of the historical process, a mixture of Catholic dogmas and African cults also formed. For example, the Most Pure Virgin of Mercy from Cobre is considered by Catholics to be the patroness of Cuba. In Santeria she goes by the name Ochun.

In recent years, Protestant churches have begun to appear, especially in the provinces.

Sport

Sports in Cuba are available to everyone and this mass nature allows them to constantly replenish national teams in various sports, which brought little Caribbean island important world and Olympic awards. Cuba is the birthplace of world famous athletes. Among the sports that stand out are baseball, boxing, athletics and volleyball.

Armed forces

The Cuban Army (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias - FAR) is the main armed formation of Cuba, ensuring its national defense.

The Cuban Constitution specifies that the country's president is the supreme commander in chief and determines the structure of its army.

The Cuban Army includes the following units:
Ground forces
Navy
Air Force and Air Defense.

The Cuban army is under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief Raul Castro.

The daily newspaper of the Liberty Island, Granma, bears the name of the yacht of the same name, on which a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro landed in Cuba to carry out guerrilla warfare against the Batista regime. The newspaper is the official conductor and popularizer of the policies pursued by the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC). Granma Internacional is published once a week in English. Also, the Cuban press is represented by such publications devoted to the problems of economics, tourism, finance, culture, politics, such as “Opciones”, “Bohemia”, “Juventud Rebelde”, “Trabajadores”.