Cuba: the geographical position of the country, climate features, flora and fauna. Cuba: population, economy and general information

27.09.2019

Christopher Columbus, when he entered the land of Cuba for the first time, was struck by the beauty of the places that surrounded him. At the same time, he could only say that he had never met anything more beautiful.

And, really, what else can be more beautiful than white beaches, turquoise sea, piercing blue sky and beautiful Creoles? And the people? On this island, people are the most important thing. Cuba is an amazing, special world that, perhaps, you will not find anywhere else. And immediately I want to know geographical position Cuba.

The geographical position of Cuba can be described as follows: Cuba lies in the Caribbean on the islands of Juventud (Pinos until 1978), Cuba and many small islets, of which there are about 1500.

Cuba is a narrow and long strip of land between North America and South, which stretches for 1500 km. In its shape, the island is somewhat very similar to a crocodile. It is also the most big Island among the Greater Antilles.

The Cuban archipelago is located at the Tropic of Cancer, which is the border of the subtropical zone of our planet. If you move from west to east, the length of the island will be 1200 km.

Cuba is washed by the Florida and Yucatan straits from the north and south-west, respectively, from the east - by the Windward Strait, from the south - by the Caribbean Sea.

The area of the state is 111 thousand square meters. km. In the south of the country, the highest point is marked - Turkino Peak, with a height of 1972 m.

Administratively, the island is divided into 14 provinces: Guantanamo, Pinar del Rio, Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Camaguey, Holguin, Granma, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, City Havana, Havana and another municipality is Juventud Island.

The relief of the island is, by and large, flat. Mountains and hills occupy about a third of the territory. To the west of Havana lies the Sierra de los Organos. It is a narrow ridge with a height of about 750 meters.

And along the southeast coast, the Sierra Maestra stretches for 250 km - the highest mountain range... It is here that the Turkino peak is located, which was already mentioned above.

A quarter of Cuba's area is covered with pine and mahogany forests.

There are many caves in Cuba. To the west, you can find the Santo Tomás Cave with a network of underground galleries, the total length of which is 25 km.

The advantageous geographical position of Cuba partially compensates for the lack of precious metals.

Coastline has a total length of 5746 km, it is indented by deep bays and bays.

Describing the geographical position of Cuba, in the end I would like to note that its capital is the city of Havana.

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INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………… ..2

1. Geographical location …………………………………………… .3

1.1 Relief of Cuba ………………………………………………………… 3

1.2 Mineral resources …………………………………………… .. .4

1.3 Climate …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .4

1.4 Administrative divisions ………………………………………… ... 5

1.5 Transport ……………………………………………………………… .5

2. Population …………………………………………………… ……… ..6

3. State structure ………………………………………… ... 7

4. Economy …………………………………………………………… .8

5. Foreign policy ………………………………………………… .12

5.1 Panama …………………………………………………………………………………………… ... 12

5.2 Russia ……………………………………………………………… .12

5.3 USA ……………………………………………………………… .. .13

5.4 Participation in international organizations ………. ………………… ..14

6. Social security system …………………………………… 15

6.1 Healthcare ………………………………………………………… 15

6.2 Education ………………………………………………………… ... 16

6.3 Culture ……………………………………………………… …… .17

CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………… ....... 20

References ………………………………………………. ……… 21

INTRODUCTION

The Republic of Cuba is the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba is located in the West Indies at the junction of North, Central and South America. According to the configuration of the territory stretching from west to east for 1250 km, Cuba is often compared to a lizard. In the south, Cuba is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Cuba is located on the most important sea and airways Atlantic.

The area of the Republic of Cuba is 111,000 sq. km., including the island of Cuba - the largest in the West Indies and gave the name to the whole country. Cuba is equal in area to Bulgaria, and in terms of population it surpasses it.

Cubans call their Motherland “America's First Free Territory” with legitimate pride, and Cuba's friends all over the world call it “The Island of Freedom”. Socialist Cuba has traveled a difficult and glorious path in a historically short period of time.

1. Geographical location

1.1 Relief of Cuba

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 adjoining 1600 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 surrounded by reefs and other coral formations.

The territory of Cuba is 111 thousand km². The island, which stretches from west to east for 1250 km, is often compared to a lizard, whose body is facing the Atlantic, and the tail is at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. In the south, Cuba is washed by the waters Caribbean, in the northwest by the Gulf of Mexico, and in the northeast by the Atlantic Ocean. The distance from Cuba to the United States at the narrowest point of the Florida Strait is 180 km, to Haiti through the Windward Strait - 77 km, to Jamaica through the Colon Strait - 140 km, to Mexico through the Yucatan Strait - 210 km.

The relief of Cuba is predominantly flat. Hills and mountains occupy about a third of the territory. The three main mountain systems are the Cordillera de Guaniguanico in the west, Escambray in the central part and the Sierra Maestra in the east. The highest mountain range Sierra Maestra stretches along southeast coast 250 km. Its highest point is Turkino Peak (1972 m). The islands to the west are not picturesque high mountains fancifully dissected and poorly populated.

Karst is widely developed in Cuba, in this regard, many caves are known, including large ones. So, 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. The most populated and developed are the slightly hilly plains. The shores are usually low, sometimes swampy, in many cases overgrown with mangrove thickets. There are often sandy beaches that stretch for many kilometers (for example, on the Icacos Peninsula, where is located famous resort Varadero).

1.2. Minerals

Cuba occupies one of the leading places in the world in nickel mining (2nd in the world in terms of reserves and 3rd in production), has significant reserves of chromium, manganese, iron and copper ores, asbestos, rock salt, phosphorites. There are no coal deposits. Oil and gas fields have been discovered in the west of the country. Recently [specify] oil production is underway north of the island, off the coast of Florida. According to some reports, oil reserves on the Cuban shelf exceed 5 billion barrels (Havana insists on the figure of 20 billion barrels), and gas reserves - 300 million cubic meters. m. The total proven oil reserves for 2010 amount to 178.9 billion barrels, natural gas - 70, 9 billion cubic meters. m.

1.3. Climate

Cuba's climate is tropical, trade wind. The average annual temperature is 25.5 ° C. The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is 22.5 ° C and the hottest (August) is 27.8 ° C. The surface water temperature near the coast is 22-24 ° C in winter and 28-30 ° C in summer. The average annual rainfall, which usually falls in the form of rainstorms, is 1400 mm, but dry years also often occur.

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

A feature of the Cuban climate is the typical high humidity throughout the year. The combination of high humidity and high temperature has an overall adverse effect on human life. 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, therefore it is often possible to see trees, the trunks of which also have a corresponding slope.

Cuba is prone to tropical cyclones, which 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 downpours and strong winds that can cause great damage to the economy and population of the island. Rivers in Cuba are short, not full of water. Forests covering about 10% of the territory have survived only in mountainous and swampy areas. The fauna of the land is relatively poor. At the same time, the waters surrounding Cuba contain valuable commercial fish, molluscs, lobsters, shrimps and sponges.

1.4. Administrative division

Cuba is a unitary state. Until 2011, the national territory was divided for political and administrative purposes into 14 provinces and the special municipality of Juventud Island. Since January 2011, the decision to divide the province of Havana into the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeke came into force. Thus, the number of provinces increased to 15.

1.5. Transport

On the island of Cuba, there is a railway (Cuban Railway, Spanish Ferrocarriles de Cuba), a network highways... There are sea and air links with other countries. Cubana de Aviación, the leading airline in Cuba, has offices in 32 countries.

2. Population

Cubans are a people of mixed origin. By the time the Spaniards appeared here, Cuba was inhabited by the tribes of the Siboneans, Indians of the Arawak group, Guanahanabes 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 to work on the 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 make up 40% of the population. For the same reason, over 125,000 Chinese were imported from Asia between 1853 and 1874. Chinatown has been preserved in Havana to this day. In addition, Indian slaves were imported, but in small numbers, from Yucatan, Central and South America. In the same period, 850,000 immigrants arrived from Spain, mainly Galicians, Castilians, Navarrians, Catalans, however, it should be noted that not all of them remained to live in Cuba. They are collectively called Gallego (Galician). From the end of the 18th century. a large stream of Frenchmen from Haiti and Louisiana also arrived here. Quite an intensive flow of immigrants was also from Germany, Italy and Britain. At the beginning of the 20th century, many Americans settled in Cuba, who created their colonies on about. Pinos (present. Juventud Island). There were very strong waves of immigration to Cuba during and after the First and Second World Wars, first of all, Jews moved here.

Data on the racial makeup of Cuba are contradictory. According to official data, the population of Cuba consists of white - 65.1% (7,271,926), mulattos - 24.8% (2,778,923), blacks - 10.1% (1,126,894), 1% - Chinese (113 828) (as of 2002 census). According to the Institute of Cuban Studies at the University of Miami, 68% of Cubans are blacks and mulattoes.

3. State structure

The official name of the country is the Socialist Republic of Cuba.

In terms of the form of government, Cuba is a socialist republic of the parliamentary type. It is the only socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. All power in parliament belongs to only one party - the Communist Party of Cuba.

Executive power belongs to the chairman of the Council of State (head of state), who is at the same time the general secretary of the Central Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Cuba, and the chairman of the Council of Ministers (head of government) - the second secretary of the Central Committee, respectively.

The government consists of a council of state and a council of ministers. The government is formed by the parliament of the republic, called the National Assembly. He also appoints the head of the state council. Thus, the highest organ of state power in Cuba is precisely the National Assembly.

Administratively, the republic is divided into 15 provinces, which include 169 municipalities. One of the municipalities - Juventud - is directly subordinate to the central authorities, the rest - to local administrative structures.

4. Economy

Benefits: 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 currency deficit. Fluctuations in world prices for sugar and nickel. Complicated trade restrictions and lack of legal regulations discourage investment. Bad infrastructure. Lack of fuel, fertilizers and spare parts. 2001 hurricane damage

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, evoked false associations with truly backward countries, and suggested calling it "moderately developed." On the other hand, the Groningen Growth and Development Center, having carried out their own retrospective calculations using a special method, received data stating that Cuba in 1958 was inferior to these countries and a number of Latin American countries.

Work description

Content

INTRODUCTION ……………………………………………………………… ..2
1. Geographical location …………………………………………… .3
1.1 Relief of Cuba …………………………………………………………… 3
1.2 Minerals …………………………………………… ... 4
1.3 Climate ………………………………………………………………… .4
1.4 Administrative divisions ………………………………………… ... 5
1.5 Transport ……………………………………………………………… .5
2. Population …………………………………………………………… ..6
3. State structure ………………………………………… ... 7
4. Economy …………………………………………………………… .8
5. Foreign policy ………………………………………………… .12
5.1 Panama ……………………………………………………………… 12
5.2 Russia ……………………………………………………………… .12
5.3 USA ……………………………………………………………… ... 13
5.4 Participation in international organizations ………. ………………… ..14
6. Social security system …………………………………… 15
6.1 Healthcare …………………………………………………… 15
6.2 Education ………………………………………………………… ... 16
6.3 Culture …………………………………………………………… .17
CONCLUSION …………………………………………………… ....... 20
References ………………………………………………. ……… 21

When Christopher Columbus first entered the land of Cuba, struck by the beauty of the places that surround him, he uttered his famous words: "I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life!"

Indeed, what could be more beautiful than a piercing blue sky, turquoise sea, endless white beaches and beautiful Creoles?

And, of course, people. People are the most important thing in Cuba. Cuba is special wonderful world, which, perhaps, you will not find anywhere else.

Geographical position. Cuba is located in the Caribbean Sea on the islands of Cuba, Juventud (until 1978 - Pinos) and many (about 1500) small islets. Cuba is washed by the Florida and Yucatan straits in the north and southwest, respectively, in the east - by the Windward Strait, in the south - by the Caribbean Sea.

The area of the country is 111 thousand square meters. Highest point countries - Turkino peak in the south (1972 m).

Administratively, Cuba is divided into 14 provinces: Pinar del Rio, Havana, City of Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas, Holguín, Granma, Santiago. de Cuba and Guantanamo and 1 municipality: Juventud Island.

Population of Cuba. Cuba has a population of 11.4 million. Cubans make up 95%. In turn, they are subdivided into Creoles (descendants of the Spaniards and other European settlers; approximately 65%), mulattoes and blacks. It is believed that by the end of the 19th century, about a million black slaves were brought to Cuba from Africa.

Cuba climate

Tropical. The rainy season is from May to October. On average, 330 days a year are sunny.
Average annual temperature is 26 degrees Celsius.
average temperature water on the coast in winter is 25 C, and in summer - 30 C. Average humidity: 78%.

Capital of Cuba

Havana (2.8 million people). The city was founded in 1515 as a well fortified Spanish fort. At the end of the XVI century. Havana has become administrative center Spanish colony, and in 1902 - the capital of the Cuban state.

Time in Cuba

Time is 8 hours behind Moscow time. When it is noon in Moscow, in Cuba it is 4 o'clock in the morning.

Cuba Political System

Cuba is the only socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. The form of government is a socialist republic.

Not all Cubans agree to live under socialism. There are a lot of people who want to leave Cuba. However, the level of support for the Cuban government is quite high.

The supreme body of the state is the National Assembly of People's Power, endowed with legislative rights. She elects from among the deputies the Council of State, representing the Assembly between sessions, and appoints the members of the Council of Ministers, the highest executive and administrative body that is the government of the republic. Chairman of the Council of State - Head of State and Government - Fidel Castro Ruz.

Sports in Cuba

Sports in Cuba is available to everyone, and this massiveness of it allows you to constantly replenish national teams in various sports that have brought little Caribbean island important world and Olympic awards. Cuba is home to world famous athletes. Sports include baseball, boxing, athletics and volleyball.

Cuba Culture

Cuba is a country of world famous artists, chess players and intellectuals. For example, the chess player Capablanca. And also Jose Marti, Vilfredo Lama, Alicia Alonso, Alejo Carpentier, Jose Lizama Lima, Pablo Milanes, Silvio Rodriguez, Sintio Vitiera and many others.

1.Political and economic-geographical position.

The Republic of Cuba is the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. Cuba is located in the West Indies at the junction of the North, Central

and South America. According to the configuration of the territory stretching from west to east for 1250 km, Cuba is often compared to a lizard. In the south, Cuba is washed by the waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Cuba is located on the most important sea and air routes of the Atlantic.

The area of the Republic of Cuba is 111,000 sq. km., including the island of Cuba - the largest in the West Indies and which gave the name to the whole country. Cuba is equal in area to Bulgaria, and in terms of population it surpasses it.

Cubans with legitimate pride call their homeland the "First Free Territory of America", and Cuba's friends all over the world call it "The Island of Freedom." Socialist Cuba has traveled a difficult and glorious path in a historically short period of time.

The supreme organ of state power of the Republic of Cuba is the National Assembly of People's Power, elected for five years, and endowed with legislative powers. The National Assembly elects the Council of State from among its members. The highest executive body is the Council of Ministers. The Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers is the head of state. Administratively, Cuba is subdivided into 14 provinces, which in turn are divided into 169 municipalities, one of which, Juventud, is centrally subordinated.

The slogan is popular in Cuba: “Power of the people is really power! ".

The supreme leading force of Cuban society and state is the Communist Party of Cuba.

The coat of arms of Cuba depicts the surrounding blue sea, a key, a palm tree and hills. The key symbolizes the position of the island on the world's most important sea routes. Palm trees are the favorite trees of Cubans, and they grow everywhere, singly or in small scenic groups. And the hills and low mountains along the edges of the island enliven the view of the plains.
2. Cuba population.

The Cuban socialist nation is characterized by a complex ethnic history and ethnic composition. The ethnic basis of the Cuban nation is made up of descendants of immigrants from Europe, mainly Spaniards,

and blacks imported from Africa and to a lesser extent from the neighboring countries of the West Indies. Due to the large role of immigration in population growth and in the formation of the nation, Cuba can be classified as a Latin American country of the resettlement type.

Role of the indigenous Indian population in ethnic composition The Cuban nation is not great. Cubans are proud of their Indian past; they study it thoroughly and preserve the monuments of pre-colonial culture. There are many Indian words in the Spanish language of Cubans. Many geographical names Cubes are of Indian origin.

The African, Negro component played an important role in the formation of the Cuban nation, its material and spiritual culture, identity and historical traditions. This makes Cuba stand out among the Spanish-speaking countries

Latin America.

In the mid-1940s, according to ethnographers, at least half of Cuba's population was made up of blacks and mulattos. They, especially blacks, were at the bottom rung of the social ladder and belonged to the poorest and disadvantaged strata of the Cuban nation. The black population played an outstanding role in the economic development of Cuba and in the development of its territory. Especially in the interior and in the Eastern provinces, which have become the main areas of sugar production. The role of the Negro population in the national liberation movement of the Cuban people and in the formation of the Cuban nation is great. Now blacks and mulattos are full citizens of their socialist homeland.

The ethnic composition of the country's population is very variegated, it is almost impossible to somehow characterize the appearance of the "Average Cuban". But all Cubans have a lot in common in character. They are cheerful, witty, musical, and are very fond of various holidays. All people celebrate "Mother's Day", "Father's Day", "Valentine's Day", etc. On this day, gifts purchased in advance are given. Children are surrounded by love, they are independent and in the evenings they often sit with adults at the same table at home, at a party or in a restaurant. Go to bed late. In the evening, city streets, cinemas, cafes and restaurants are full of people.

The Spanish language played an outstanding role in the development of the Cuban nation and its culture. In Cuba, it includes many words of African and Indian origin. In 1978, Cuba celebrated widely and solemnly the millennium of the Spanish literary language.

The main religion is Catholic. There are also Protestants, Baptists and some other groups of believers. Among the believing part of the Negro population, various African beliefs persist. And also Afro-Christian and "Spiritual" sects. Atheism has always been developed in Cuba. The revolutionary transformations further increased the number of atheists, especially among the youth. In Cuba, the church is separate from the state. Believers participate in the working and social life of the people. After the conquest of Cuba, it took about 3 centuries for the island's population to become about the same as before the Spanish conquest.

Undoubtedly, an outstanding achievement of socialism is the increase in average life expectancy from 54 years before the revolution to almost 73 years at the end of the 70s.

For the population of Cuba, traditionally the predominance of men. It was especially large during colonial times and during the period of mass immigration. Men predominated among immigrants from Spain and among African slaves. In 1774, men accounted for 3/5 of the total population. As a result, the proportion of women in the population has increased significantly. After the victory of the revolution, much has been done to overcome the consequences of centuries of discrimination against women. They are not just declaratively, but in fact, are given equal rights with men in all spheres of activity. But the majority of women are not yet involved in social production. Cuban women are distinguished by great social and social activity.

According to a long tradition, Cubans and Cubans, especially in rural areas, marry at a young age. In 1960 on 1000 - the number of marriages among residents decreased from 9,2 before 6,4 During the same period, the number of divorces increased sharply. Among the reasons for the rise in divorce rates are the new role of women in Cuban society and the dramatic increase in population mobility.

Socialist Cuba is a country with a young population. The modern age structure of the population, especially the high proportion of people in young age groups (up to 15 years old), creates no small difficulties for social economic development Cuba. This group accounts for approximately 37% the entire population, and for persons over 65 years old - 6% ... Due to the high proportion of children in the population, the problem of the labor force has become aggravated, especially in rural areas. By specific gravity unemployed in the structure of labor resources Cuba occupied one of the first places in the capitalist world. By the end of the third year of the revolution, unemployment had been eliminated in Cuba. The situation with labor resources begins to gradually improve in the 70s, when their growth will be significantly higher than the growth rate of the population. To expand the workforce great importance has the involvement of women in social production. According to the 1953-1970 census, the proportion of women in the economically active population increased from 14% before 24% , mainly in the service sector. But women are more and more involved in the "male" industries for Cuba - in agriculture, the textile industry, in a number of other branches of material production.

The constitution of socialist Cuba guarantees the right to work, rest and social security. Back in 1959, an 8-hour working day was established. On Saturday, Cuba is open for half a day. Social insurance has received general development. Pensions for old age, incapacity for work or disability have been introduced. This has improved the living conditions of large groups of the population. The impact of progress is most felt in rural areas. In socialist Cuba, the standard of living and the purchasing power of the rural population rose sharply.

Cuba stands out for its relatively even distribution of the population across the territory. The average population density is about 90 people per 1 sq. km. The wetlands in the southwest of the island are characterized by the lowest population density. About half of the population is located along the Central Highway stretching across the entire island, to which almost all big cities... This is a kind of main “zone of settlement”, where the population density is about 3 times higher than in the rest of the territory. The distribution of the population was largely due to the formation and deepening of the "sugar" specialization of the economy.

Havana is a "grand" not only among Cuban cities, as it contains 1/5 of the entire urban population of the country, but also one of the largest cities in all of Latin America. In Havana lives about 2 000 000 human.

It is one of the significant centers of political, cultural and scientific life in Latin America. The special role of Havana not only as a capital, but also as a center of attraction for the population has been noted throughout the entire history of Cuba.

In the course of capitalist development in Cuba, a rather dense network of cities has developed, covering the entire territory. In the system of cities, as a legacy of the past, Havana rises above all of them, except for it, there are only 5 large cities from 100-4000 thousand inhabitants each. The disproportionate growth of Havana before the revolution hampered the development of other cities and provinces.

Santiago de Cuba is of general national importance. It is not only the second most populous city, industrial and cultural center, but also the capital of all the eastern provinces that play a special role in the creation of heavy industry in Cuba. For the interior of the country, important centers are the cities of Santa Clara and Camaguey.

The socialist reorganization of the whole society has given the urbanization in Cuba a new quality. 1960 - 1977 In the total population of the country, the share of city dwellers increased from 55% before 64%. Their number increased by 2304 thousand, and the rural population - by only 268 thousand people. Such a scale of growth of the urban population is associated, first of all, with the creation of new large industrial complexes and facilities, as well as with the development of special education.

Most large and medium-sized cities arose in colonial times; their old quarters retain many features of the planning and architecture of that period. In particular, each of them has a central square with a cathedral, city administration buildings, and ancient palaces. These monuments of colonial architecture in the first capital of Baracoa, Camaguey, Trinidad, Boyamo, Santiago de Cuba, Havana, Sancti Spiritus and in some other cities were taken under state protection and became historical and architectural memorials.

3. Natural conditions and resources.

When looking at a map of Cuba, one may get the impression of the simplicity of its arrangement on a mostly flat surface, but this impression is deceiving. Despite the relatively small size of the territory of Cuba, its natural conditions are characterized by very significant differences and great diversity. Difficulties in the variety of natural conditions of Cuba are largely due to its "middle" geographical position at the junction of the tropics and subtropics.

In terms of tectonic structure, Cuba is part of the Antilles-Caribbean region of the Cordelier fold belt. At the same time, it combines the folded structures of the island Antilles arcs and subplatform areas. Especially characteristic of Cuba is the wide distribution of young limestones. Currently, Cuba is in a zone of high seismicity (up to 7 points). The folded structures are associated with now highly depleted copper deposits. There are also manganese ores, and bauxite deposits are also possible. But the main mineral wealth of Cuba of world importance is the reserves of nickel ores in combination with cobalt. Cuba is well endowed with raw materials for the building materials industry. Some coastal areas show signs of oil bearing. The almost complete absence of fuel and energy resources creates great difficulties for economic development.

About 2/3 of the total area of Cuba is occupied by slightly hilly plains. Economically, territories with heights of up to 100 meters above sea level are especially important for perennial plantation tropical crops. They are also the most populated and developed. Plains with low elevations, with small groups of palm trees - a typical landscape in most of the territory. Mountain ranges and hills stretch along the coast in the West, in the center and in the East of the country. The relief does not create significant obstacles for the development of transport. The large single alluvial plain is of great agricultural importance due to soil fertility and water availability. The largest high mountain system countries - Sierra Maestro stretches for 250 km along the southeast coast. Mountainous areas do not yet play an important role in the economy. One of the most important features of the natural originality of Cuba is the widespread development of karst processes due to the spread of limestone. Karst caves have become important tourist destinations. Due to the development of karst, Cuba is sometimes called the "paradise for speleologists". The spread of karst has a noticeable impact on the geography and appearance of the country, on the living conditions of its people. This is due to the fact that in karst areas there is very little surface runoff. Karst groundwater plays an important role in water supply.

The climatic conditions and resources of Cuba are determined, first of all, by the position of the territory immediately south of the tropic, among the water area Atlantic Ocean, as well as the passage of warm currents near the island, forming the Gulf Stream. Cuba has huge thermal resources of solar heat. Average monthly temperatures in the plains are always high: in January 22.5, in August 27.8. But fluctuations in extreme temperatures are quite significant. The average maximum temperature in the plains exceeds 30.

Relatively high annual precipitation - 1380 mm. The year is not divided into 4 seasons, but into 2 seasons - dry, rainy. The rainy season usually lasts from May to October. The dry season usually begins in November and ends in April. This is the period of the greatest economic activity, as it is the season for the felling and processing of sugar cane. High humidity is typical for the climatic conditions of all regions of the country. Average relative humidity - 79%. In combination with constant high temperatures, very high air humidity has an overall adverse effect. Humidity oppresses a person. The climate of Cuba requires special treatment (tropicalization) of all industrial products and structures. In general, the climatic conditions in Cuba are much more favorable than in most other, especially continental tropical countries.

By overtaking water from the sea, hurricanes almost always cause floods. The country's water resources, mainly surface runoff, are rather limited. The hydropower potential of the rivers is not great, especially in the plains. Frequent droughts as well as systematic floods pose a vital management challenge for the country. water resources... This requires the construction of a large number of reservoirs in all regions of Cuba. The country's hydrographic network is very fragmented, dominated by small river basins. Such fragmentation of river basins and the spread of karst makes their rational use very difficult. Predominance short rivers due to the configuration of the island and the structure of its surface. Out of 563 rivers and about 340 of their tributaries, only 5 have a length of more than 100 km. The length of the largest river Kauto is 370 km, and the basin area is 8.8 thousand square meters. km. There are almost no large lakes in Cuba. The only large lake in the country - Laguna de la Leche has an area of 67 sq. km.

The vegetation cover of the country is interesting for the richness and originality of the species composition. Cuba's position at the crossroads of continents and oceans is clearly evident. The insular character has influenced the high degree of endemism of the Cuban flora. Diverse plant communities have been dramatically altered by human intervention. The territory of Cuba just a few centuries ago was covered with tropical forests and woodlands. The clearing of tropical forests, which began in colonial times near Havana and in the western part of Cuba, acquired rampant proportions in the first 3-rd XX century, when plantations and pastures occupied half of the island's territory. In Cuba, almost no natural ("primary") vegetation has been preserved. Numerous palm species are ubiquitous. The Royal palm is especially characteristic - the Real palm. By the time of the victory of the Cuban Revolution, forests occupied only 1.5 million hectares, while their species composition was greatly depleted due to the predatory felling of the most valuable coniferous and deciduous species. After the victory of the Cuban Revolution, reforestation works are carried out.

A fairly large area is occupied by coastal wetlands, especially, and Southwest coast... The peat layer in them has a thickness of up to one and a half meters. Quite significant resources of peat can be used as fertilizer and fuel. On the plains large areas are occupied by powerful red ferrallitic soils, humic-korbanatny, gray and black. They are good for the cultivation of perennial tropical crops, especially sugar cane. Rice cultivation is developed in coastal areas, in the lower parts of river valleys on alluvial and gley soils. Yellow-red sandy and sandy loam in the karst valleys are favorable for the cultivation of tobacco. Wet clay and loamy soils in the low mountains are occupied by coffee and cocoa plantations.

In the era of capitalism, the lands of Cuba were used very irrationally: monoculture farming, overgrazing on pastures, predatory deforestation caused the spread of soil erosion. Erosion has become one of the country's most dangerous enemies. Various anti-erosion measures are currently being carried out.

The fauna of Cuba, due to its insular position, is rather poor. In addition, he suffered greatly as a result of economic activity person. In Cuba, there are no predatory animals and poisonous snakes, many bats, a very rich species composition of birds, insects and land mollusks, a diverse species composition of fish, sea turtles, many shrimps and lobsters.

A significant part of the coastal water area is shallow. Garlands of small and smallest islets (400 islands) will become important areas for tourism and spearfishing. Many of these islets have some of the finest beaches. The coastline of the island of Cuba is more than 5700 km long and it is quite varied. Discontinuous lines of first-class beaches are located at various points along the coast. Cuba's coastline continues to evolve, including as a result of the latest crystalline movements.

Possibility sea bathing make Cuba an attractive tourist destination in winter. New sections of beaches are being developed. They are used for organizing sports fishing, scuba diving, spearfishing. A wide variety of landscapes is characteristic, especially in the mountains and foothills.

Two decades of socialist development in Cuba not only enriched the socio-economic content of the country's life, but also made important changes in its cultural landscapes... Forests are being created around all major cities and peri-urban agriculture is developing.

Until the victory of the Cuban revolution Natural resources countries have been very poorly studied, despite the availability of all areas. Joint Russian-Cuban research in the field of geology, tropical climatic conditions, geography, and vegetation of Cuba is becoming more and more significant. They are necessary for the rational use and development of the productive forces on a scientific basis.
3.Industry and agriculture.

Social life of society.
In order to better understand the depth of the transformations and the scale of the accomplishments of socialism in Cuba, let us briefly characterize the country's economy at the time of the victory of the revolution. Its main feature was complete dependence on the US monopoly, which captured 1/4 of the most fertile land, controlled key industries - the sugar industry, energy, mining. Perhaps, there were few countries with such a pronounced mono-marketability of the economy. The sugar industry accounted for more than half of all employed in the industry and almost half of the value of its fixed assets. In other industries, 3/4 of which were concentrated in Havana alone, only 14 enterprises had more than 500 workers. Agriculture was dominated by sugar companies, large planters and landowners, herders. The essence of the entire social and economic life of pre-revolutionary Cuba can, perhaps, be defined by the formula "one product for one country."

The industrial production of the capital was weakly connected with the needs of the economy. It provided, first of all, the reserves of Havana itself, or rather, its wealthy strata. Pre-revolutionary Havana was a major center for American tourism, part of the northern neighbor's entertainment "industry" business.

The years of socialist construction have turned Cuba into an agro-industrial country with a dynamically developing multi-sectoral economy. By joining the CMEA, Cuba is actively participating in the implementation of a comprehensive program of socialist economic integration. In the system of international socialist labor, Cuba specializes in the production of sugar, citrus fruits, nickel, tobacco and a number of other types of products, the production of which is favored by its natural resource conditions. V modern development of the modern economy, export industries are of paramount importance. Cuba's participation in the CMEA has a decisive impact on the Cuban economy, i.e. raising it to a qualitatively new level. This also directly affects the rise of the recently isolated and backward regions.

Fraternal assistance from Russia was and still is of particular importance for industrialization and agricultural agro-industrial development. The main industrial construction is carried out outside the metropolitan agglomeration. This helps to improve the distribution of productive forces and to boost the economy of all regions of the country. Between 1959 and 1979, Cuba's gross domestic product grew two and a half times. In the early 1970s, industry accounted for 43%, agriculture - 16%, and construction - 8%. Industry is closely related to agriculture. Almost 90% of its marketable output goes to industrial processing, primarily to sugar factories.

The foundations of the Cuban economy, its core is the agro-industrial complex, based on the organically interconnected sugar industry and the sugar cane plantation economy. “There is no Cuba without sugar,” a popular saying goes. About half of the sugar produced in Cuba is exported to the CMEA member countries. Sugar is Cuba's main export commodity in its foreign trade with capitalist countries. Research on the technology of deep processing of sugar cane for the production of paper, plastics, etc. is underway and has already produced results. The production of small fishing vessels, sold to neighboring countries, has been organized. A powerful nickel industry of world importance is being created, and in the future, nickel, chromium and manganese ores will be used in ferrous metallurgy. And finally, in 1970, the radio-electronic industry, completely new to Cuba, produced about 130 types of products: televisions, radios, and calculating computers.

Large industrial hubs of Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Holguin, Mariel, Nuevitas were formed. This gives the national economic complex of the country new dimensions and a new quality. For the socio-economic development of Cuba, the growth of the electric power industry and the creation of a new region for the country - the water sector - are of vital importance. This is the basis for the development of the economy, which has to be created in all regions of the country and which still remains its " bottleneck". As before, the Cuban energy industry is based on imported fuel. During the years of the revolution, the capacity of the electric power industry has grown almost fivefold. The largest thermal power plants were built with the help of Russia.

Before the revolution, the country had only 6 small reservoirs with a total capacity of less than 29 million cubic meters. During 1959-1977, the volume of reservoirs increased one hundred and ten times, 600,000 hectares of plantations, rice fields and pastures received water. In all regions, the problem of using the resources of river and ground waters is being solved.

Sugarcane was introduced to Cuba by the Spanish in the 16th century. Before the revolution, the agro-technical level of sugarcane production was low. Already in the first decade after the revolutionary decade, a lot of work was done to streamline and strengthen the raw material zones of sugar factories. This became possible due to the fact that large sugar cane plantations were transferred to the public sector. Very important work is underway to improve the varietal composition of sugar cane. For this purpose, new varieties of seeds are being introduced, which are distinguished by higher yields and drought resistance. On the basis of sugar cane processing waste, the production of valuable feed for livestock can be created, which can significantly improve its stall maintenance. It is planned to build 3 large enterprises of the pulp and paper industry on the basis of sugar cane.

In Cuba, agriculture is often divided into "sugar" and "non-sugar", the latter traditionally traditionally occupied the leading place in tobacco growing. Modern agriculture is characterized by a much more diverse composition of crops, the emergence of new types of specialization for Cuba. State farms prevail in areas of plantation and livestock development. Tobacco occupies about 70 thousand hectares, mainly in the river valleys of the western half of the island. In the late 1970s, tobacco-growing areas suffered significant damage from tobacco leaf disease. Many plantations have to be re-created, and this is associated with great difficulties, since tobacco is a very capricious culture. In the 70s, citrus fruits began to gradually squeeze out the place of tobacco as an export product.

The island will become one of the world's citrus growing regions in the future. Cuba has great conditions for growing pineapple, banana, and many other types of tropical fruits, as well as various vegetables. A large-scale industry was being created for the production of juices and canned fruit. Much attention is paid to expanding the export of fresh fruit.

The main food crop - rice was brought by people from southern Spain. It covers about 200,000 hectares, mainly in the Cauto Basin and on the irrigated coastal plains in the center of the island.

Of the industrial crops, Heneken is especially important - agave, which provides valuable fiber. It grows on little fertile karst lands in the Cardenas region.

Despite the fact that Cuba is a country of traditional development of animal husbandry, it has always had an extensive character and occupied a modest place in the economy. But now livestock raising is undergoing a profound renewal and is becoming an important branch of the national economy. After the victory of the revolution, thanks to the import of valuable breeds of livestock, the widespread development of genetic research and the development of new breeds, combining the endurance of local "Creole" cows and the excellent performance of European and North American varieties, it was possible to significantly raise the level of development of animal husbandry.

Special attention was paid to the industries serving the emerging national economic complex. But the light and food industries, which work to meet the sharply increased needs of the population, are also acquiring more and more importance.

With the help of RUSSIA and COMECON, the first large territorial industrial complex for the production of nickel and cobalt is being created. Four large factories - in Moa, Niccaro, Punta Gorda and La Camarioca - will become the backbone of Cuba's mining and metallurgical industry, primarily due to the integrated use of laterite ores.

Among the new industries of the Cuban economy, marine fishing... Before the revolution, insular Cuba was spoken of as a country "living with its back to the sea."

The development of tourism - this "industry without pipes" - is being staged in Cuba on a large scale and on a broad scientific basis. In particular, the coast is being investigated to preserve existing and select new beaches, to organize diving and hunting bases. The landscapes that are the most promising and attractive for the development of tourism are gradually being developed, especially in the back of the island. international tourism becomes an important item of foreign exchange earnings.

Cuban transport system is undergoing fundamental changes. Before the revolution, it corresponded to the general level of a mono-commodity and US-oriented economy. In internal communications, short haulage “plantation, sugar refinery, port of export” prevailed.

Due to the weakness of interregional connections, the average distance of transportation of 1 ton of cargo by rail was less than 100 km (with the length of the island being 1250 km). Most of the cargo was transported along the central highway, built in the early 1930s and connecting the centers of all 6 provinces. After the revolution, 1000 kilometers of new highways were built, especially in rural areas. With the help of Russia, an "infrastructure axis" is being built, which will connect all the provinces of the country and all the largest centers. This infrastructural axis includes the trans-Cuban lines that run through the entire island: railway, motorway, power line and cable communication line. Externally, economic ties are carried out by 36 ports, among which Havana has always stood out for its importance. Cuba is more and more actively engaged in trade with 80 countries, which testifies to the failure of the American blockade. Its trading partners include Canada, Japan, Spain, Italy, France and a number of other industrialized countries. Cuban exports are 95% sugar and other food and raw materials. Cuba imports equipment, fuel, food and a number of other essential goods. Before the revolution, Cuba had practically no merchant fleet, but now its importance in the country's sea transportation is gradually increasing, but the main role in them is still played by the Russian merchant fleet.

Trade cooperation between Russia and Cuba.

H eft Equipment

Russia supplies Cuba

Vehicles Consumer Goods

Tobacco products Citrus

Cuba supplies Russia

Nickel-containing products Sugar Several other products

New industrial centers, areas of punctuation economy and mining and metallurgical industries, hundreds of new settlements, many dozens of reservoirs appeared on the map of Cuba. A network of national natural parks and reserves is being created. Before the revolution, the main investment in Cuba was concentrated mainly in Havana. Now the whole country has become a gigantic construction site. Continuous renewal and creation is, perhaps, the main sign of the countryside and cities of all regions of Cuba. The name "Antilles Pearl" has long been stuck behind it. The new Cuba lives up to this poetic name like never before.

4.History of Cuba.
The settlement of Cuba began in the fourth millennium BC. Apparently, the first inhabitants of the island moved there from South and Central America. The Indians knew agriculture, cultivated tuberous roots (Yuku), corn and other food crops, hunted birds, rodents, hunted turtles and fish.

By the time of the Spanish conquest of Cuba at the beginning of the 16th century, the bulk of the Indians lived in conditions of the decay of the primitive communal system. October 28, 1492, the first expedition of Columbus, who set off in search of rich overseas lands and marked the beginning of the era of the Great geographical discoveries, reached the northeastern coast of Cuba. On the same day, he wrote in his diary that no man's eyes had ever seen more beautiful than this island. In 1510, the Spanish colonization of Cuba began. By 1514, the Spanish had founded seven cities from the first capital, Baracoa in the far east, to Havana. Later, all of them, except for Baracoa, changed their location. The colonization of the island was accompanied by the almost complete destruction of the Indians. They put up heroic resistance to the Spaniards under the leadership of their leaders - Atuei and Guama.

The Spaniards found small reserves of gold in Cuba, but their reserves were quickly depleted. The main specialization of the colony was the plantation of tropical crops and cattle breeding. Havana became the main port of the Spanish colonies in America. The Spaniards brought feudal orders to Cuba, which were closely intertwined with slavery. The so-called plantation slavery was established.

Since the 17th century, the production of first-class tobacco has become an important specialization of Cuba. Tobacco growers waged a stubborn struggle against the predatory policy of the Spanish monarchy and local landowners, herders.

In 1762-1763, Havana was captured by the British, which contributed to the growth of the sugar cane plantation economy. Sugar production gradually became the main branch of the Cuban economy, which was largely facilitated by the slave revolution in Haiti in 1791-1803, where the production of sugar and coffee was sharply reduced in this regard.

At the beginning of the 19th century, about a quarter of the island was developed and populated. The Spanish crown considered Cuba one of its most important colonies. But the oppression of the metropolises, the systematic plunder of Cuba provoked more and more widespread protests from various strata and ethnic groups of the population. By 1809-1810, that is, the beginning of the struggle of the Spanish colonies in America for independence, the first actions of Cuban patriots, aimed at liberation from the yoke of Spain, also belong. But Cuba then failed to win independence. The United States in every possible way obstructed the liberation of Cuba, pursuing far-reaching selfish goals. The United States strengthened its position in the sugar market, which became an important commodity in the 19th century.

In the life of each country there are several names and dates associated with the most glorious pages of history. One of such milestones in Cuban history is October 10, 1868, when the patriot Carlos Manuel De Cespedes roused all his compatriots to revolt against the domination of Spain. For ten years, from 1868 to 1878, Cuban rebels fought the Spaniards under the slogan "Independence or Death!" On April 10, 1869, the first Cuban Constitution was adopted. She proclaimed the freedom of the Negro slaves. Many thousands of blacks became insurgents. But Cuba failed to win. Among the reasons for the defeat were the inconsistency of the leaders, the heterogeneity of the composition of the rebels and the disunity of various regions of the country. In addition, the Spaniards had about 20 times more troops than the rebels.

In the second half of the 19th century, the conflict between developing capitalism and the persisting slavery became acute. In 1866, slavery was abolished, which accelerated the development of capitalism.

Cuban patriots did not stop fighting for independence. Jose Marti became the ideologists, organizers and inspirers of this struggle. In 1892, he created the first revolutionary party. In April 1895, José Martí's detachments landed in Cuba and deployed active military operations. On May 19, Jose died in a battle with the Spaniards. But the struggle continued, encompassing all the new regions of the country. On September 16, 1895, the rebels proclaimed the creation of the Cuban Republic and its separation from Spain. The war of 1895-1898 was an ordeal for the Cuban people.

Then the country was occupied by the Americans. On January 1, 1899, they established a military occupation regime in Cuba. The era of US domination in Cuba began, lasting exactly 60 years. During this period, plundering intensified. natural resources Cuba.

The world economic crisis of 1929-1933 dealt a severe blow to the entire economic system of Cuba. On March 10, 1952, General Batista carried out another military coup. Fidel Castro and his associates in 1952 set about creating a revolutionary underground youth organization. A plan for the organization of armed struggle was developed. On July 26, 1953, a convoy of cars with rebels moved in the direction of Satyago de Cuba. The uprising was brutally suppressed by the superior forces of the dictatorship. Fidel Castro and his associates were forced to flee to Mexico due to persecution, and there they proceeded to prepare a new armed uprising. In Mexico, they were joined by the Argentine physician Ernesto Che Guevara. On November 25, 1956, a schooner secretly departed from the coast of Mexico. On December 2, Fidel's detachment began fighting for Batista. Attempts by Batista to crush the rebel army with the help of an American weapon completely failed. The revolution in Cuba has won. The Cuban revolution, already at its initial stage, completely restored national sovereignty, destroyed the bourgeois state apparatus, eliminated the omnipotence of the US monopolies and the regime of exploitation of the working people of town and country. In 1959 - 1960 in Cuba, nationalization of industry, transport, banks, trade was carried out, as well as measures were taken to eliminate unemployment, transfer housing to workers and improve their working and living conditions. At this difficult time, Russia came to the aid of Cuba.

Cuba has made tremendous, recognized social successes. In December 1875, the first congress of the Cuban Communist Party took place in Havana. On February 24, 1976, the constitution of socialist Cuba entered into force. In 1978, Cuba hosted the 11th World Festival of Youth and Students in 1980, the first Cuban cosmonaut flew into space. The US plans to isolate Cuba have failed. Cuba maintains diplomatic relations with more than 100 states. Cuba and the Cuban people have come a long and difficult path of development from the primitive system

pre-Columbian era before becoming the first socialist state in the Western Hemisphere. The Cuban nation was formed from heterogeneous ethnic elements in the process of economic development. In long battles against the Spanish conquerors, and since the end of the 19th century against the domination of American imperialism and reactionary regimes. The Cuban socialist nation has a glorious history and a worthy future.

5. Tradition and culture.
The socialist revolution brought a lot of new things to Cuban culture, while at the same time carefully preserving and enhancing its traditions, deep national roots and comprehensive ties with world culture. The culture of our country is well known and loved in Cuba. Profound changes in material culture have taken place in rural areas. Now they do not build a "boio" - a hut made of wood, but rebuild comfortable houses.

Cubans wear clothes that are European cut but adapted to tropical conditions. The main attribute of the national costume for men is the guavera - a linen shirt with long sleeves, folds, and four pockets. This is a very practical garment in the Cuban climate. There is a lot of Spanish in the diet of Cubans: a lot of rice. There is an expression "A Cuban who has not eaten rice feels as if he has not eaten anything." A popular dish is rice with black beans called moros and christianos (Moors and Christians). Cubans love pork, a traditional New Year's dish - whole suckling pig roasted on a spit with various vegetables. It is customary to put a lot of sugar in dessert dishes; in general, Cubans love sweets. They drink a lot of juices. Various types of popsicles are ubiquitous. Strong sweet coffee has always been popular.

The multi-layered Cuban culture and the intertwining of its two main elements - Spanish and African - have absorbed the Spanish language, one can feel the influence of African dialects and quite a few Americanisms in it.

Most common musical instrument- three string guitar. In folk art, especially in song and dance, the African element is very strong. Orchestras widely use drums, as well as maracas - pumpkin rattles filled with seeds. Cubans have very developed musicality and a sense of rhythm. Many Cuban tunes are popular all over the world.

The Cuban Revolution has set the task of educating the entire people. Secondary education has now become compulsory. Cuba is characterized by the spread of the system of boarding schools and semi-boarding schools. A large team of specialists in various fields have been trained for Cuba in Russia. In 1978, more than 4,000 Cubans studied at universities and specialized secondary educational institutions of our country.

Cuba is one of the leading powers in world sports. Cuban athletes have won many brilliant victories in the most representative competitions. Especially popular are baseball, boxing, athletics. Chess is very fond of.

Cuban cinema ranks worthy in the world cinematography in the theater arts, the traditions of the ballet school are especially strong. The National Ballet of Cuba, created in 1948 with the wonderful ballerina A. Alonso, is known all over the world

Cuban literature, with its deep national traditions, was born in the early 19th century, although typography appeared there as early as the 17th century. The founder of Cuban literature is considered the remarkable poet and prose writer Hosse Maria Eredia, his work marked the transition of Cuban literature from classicism to romanticism. In Cuba, everyone knows the Exile's Anthem. In this work, the poet, forced to leave his homeland, conveys his longing for Cuba. The formation of national Cuban literature was associated with the growth of the national liberation movement. The 19th century was marked by the development of the novel genre in Cuban literature. In the 20th century, the topic of the struggle against US imperialism and Negro issues are popular in Cuban literature. The genre - an action-packed deductive - has received great development.

Nowadays there are more than 100 scientific centers in Cuba. Both on the problems of resource disruption, nuclear physics and electronic technology, agriculture and medicine, and in the humanities.

Cuba, having overcome all the difficulties of conquests, uprisings and crises, she walked the path to socialism with dignity. Of course, Russia (USSR) provided significant support in this difficult path. Cuba is now an important exporter of sugar and citrus fruits. She plays an important role in world tourism.

Probably, finding a person who has never heard of Cuba, which is also called the Island of Freedom, is almost impossible in our time. The country went through difficult times, but at the same time it survived, was able to become stronger and more independent. Therefore, the geographical position of Cuba, as well as its influence on the formation of the economy, flora and fauna, is worth telling in more detail.

Why is Cuba called that?

Cuba received the status of an independent state from Spain back in 1989. But the name itself appeared much earlier. Today it is difficult to unambiguously understand the etymology of the word. Some experts believe that Columbus himself gave it to the island, who discovered a new continent and named it after the small village of Cuba, located near the city of Beja in Portugal.

There is also an opinion that the word comes from the Taino dialect of the Indians who lived on some of the islands of the Caribbean. In their dictionary, the word cubao means a place with fertile land. Certainly, due to its geographical position, Cuba in the "Islamic" language (Arabic) would be called "Jannat" - paradise.

Alas, today it is almost impossible to completely refute any of these versions.

Where is Cuba located

If you are interested in Cuba, the geographical position of the country is very important to know. It is located in the West Indies. Moreover, this is not one or several large cities, as some think. In fact, Cuba is made up of 1,600 islands and reefs! Their total area is 110,860 square kilometers. Of course, due to their small size, most of them are uninhabited.

It is no coincidence that in some textbooks one may come across the question: "What unites the United Kingdom, Iceland, Cuba and Malta by geographic location?" The answer is simple: they are all island states.

Most of the entire state is occupied by one island, which gave it its name. The area of the island of Cuba is 105 thousand square kilometers. The second largest island, Juventud, formerly called Pinos, has an area of only 2,200 square kilometers.

Pros and cons of location

Of course, Cuba's unusual geographical position is of great benefit, but it is also the cause of many difficulties.

The relief on the island is very difficult. There are gentle beaches, vast valleys, impenetrable jungles, dangerous swamps, as well as rather high mountains, for example, Turkino peak is more than 2 kilometers high.

The climate here is very warm and tropical. Yes, in the summer it is not an easy task to survive the hot noon - the temperature reaches + 35 ... + 38 degrees Celsius, which, together with high humidity, can knock down even a person who is accustomed to the heat. But in winter it is never cold - even at night the temperature does not drop below + 12 ... + 15 degrees.

This climate allows you to do without massive buildings, heating and other very serious costs. Fertile land allows you to grow anything, taking off 2-3 crops per year.

In addition, the location in the middle of the Caribbean Sea makes Cuba a convenient port - ships often come here, heading from Europe to the North or South America, and vice versa.

The downside is the large number of hurricanes, frequent storms. Often, coastal residents have to leave their homes in order to go into the interior of the island, fleeing storms with downpours.

For a long time, constant heat and tropical humidity were the causes of dangerous epidemics. However, today the situation is under control. The point is, healthcare in Cuba is amazing. When compared with other countries in America (both South and North), it turns out that local medicine is second only to Canada, confidently bypassing the United States and, all the more, Mexico and Brazil. And this despite the fact that healthcare here is completely free, while in the USA even minor procedures have to pay a lot of money.

Local flora and fauna

If we talk about the pros and cons of Cuba's geographical position, then it is worth noting the unique flora and fauna.

As befits a tropical island, a large part of it is covered with real jungle. In total, about 3000 different plants grow here - both evergreen and deciduous. Moreover, half of them are endemic, that is, they no longer grow anywhere in the world. The government's program of greening the island has led to the fact that today 30% of the land is covered with forests - up from 14% a few decades ago.

But there are not very many mammals. You can find here rodents of the Hutia, Cuban cracker, deer (were brought from other countries), as well as 23 species of bats.

On the contrary, there are a lot of birds. The almost complete absence of predatory animals has led to the island becoming a bird's paradise. 360 species of birds live here, 20 of them are endemic. Flamingos, hummingbirds, blackbirds, nightingales, parrots, vultures and many other birds have chosen this place as their home.

The climate is great for reptiles and amphibians. It is difficult to walk through the forest or the coast without encountering various frogs, snakes (mostly non-venomous), turtles, crocodiles and many others.

State economy

The Cuban government is diligently developing various sectors of the economy, exporting a variety of goods - from elite cigars and nickel, which is mined here in large quantities, to sugar and tropical fruits (plantations occupy a large part of the country).

There is also oil, albeit in small quantities, and tourism is thriving. Ports also make a significant contribution to the country's economy.

In general, Cuba could be the guarantee of the prosperity of the entire people. Alas, the American sanctions, introduced back in 1960, inflict enormous damage on the country - according to various sources, Cuba loses from $ 1.5 billion to $ 16 billion a year.

Still, GDP per capita is, according to 2010, $ 9,900. For comparison, in our country this figure is $ 8,900.

Army of Cuba

As already mentioned, Cuba is also called the Island of Liberty. But freedom is never free. AND locals ready to fight for her to the last. The government supports them and is constantly building up the army. For a relatively small population (11.2 million people), the army is quite large. The total number of military personnel is 49 thousand people. To this should be added 39 thousand reservists who have undergone appropriate training. The civil defense forces reach 50 thousand people. You should also take into account the presence of various paramilitary formations, which include almost 40 thousand more people. In addition, if necessary, the state will be able to mobilize up to 3.8 million soldiers in a matter of months.

Tanks are represented by Soviet designs - from T-34-85 to PT-76. Their total number is 900 cars. For comparison: the Bundeswehr, the most powerful army in Europe (after the Russian), boasts about 1050 tanks, and not all of them are modern.

Conclusion

This concludes the article. Now you have learned more about Cuba's geographic location, its impact on the country's climate and economy. And at the same time they read a little about the history and even the Armed Forces of the Island of Liberty.