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Cuba
Quick Facts
Capital Havana
Government Communist state
Currency Cuban peso (CUP)
Area total: 110,860 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 110,860 sq km
Population 11,224,321 (July 2002 est.)
Language Spanish
Religion nominally 85% Roman Catholic prior to CASTRO assuming
power; Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, and Santeria
are also represented
Cuba is a Caribbean island between the Caribbean Sea and
the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies 150 km south of Key West,
Florida between the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas, to the
west of Haiti.
Before the 1959 communist revolution, Cuba was a popular
tourist destination for United States citizens. Since the
revolution, Cuba has been shunned by the United States and
travel between the two neighbors has to be via a third country.
These restrictions mean that much of Cuba's tourist and general
infrastructure has been virtually frozen in the state it was
in in the late 1950's as Cubans have been forced to make do.
However the charms that attracted tourists to Cuba up to
the 1950's have not gone away. If anything, the time of isolation
has made Cuba an even more interesting and challenging destination
to visit for the adventurous traveller.
Table of contents [showhide]
1 Regions
1.1 Western Cuba
1.2 Central Cuba
1.3 Eastern Cuba
2 Cities
3 Other destinations
4 Understand
5 Get in
5.1 By plane
5.2 By boat
6 Get around
7 Talk
8 Buy
9 Eat
10 Drink
11 Sleep
12 Learn
13 Work
14 Stay safe
15 Stay healthy
16 Respect
17 Contact
18 External links
1 CIA Factbook information
1.1 Geography
1.2 Economy
1.3 Communications
1.4 Transnational Issues
Regions
Map of Cuba
Western Cuba
Pinar del Rio
Havana (province) (La Habana)
Havana (city) (Ciudad de la Habana)
Isla de la Juventud (special municipality)
Central Cuba
Mantanzas
Villa Clara
Cienfuegos
Sancti Spiritus
Ciego de Avila
Eastern Cuba
Camaguey
Las Tunas
Holguin
Santiago de Cuba
Granma
Guantanamo
Cities
Havana - capital, decay and nightlife
Trinidad de Cuba World Heritage Site
Santiago de Cuba - party capital
Maria Gorda
Other destinations
Isla de la Juventud
Cayo Coco - beach resort
Cayo Largo - small island, has good nudist facilities
Varadero - nice beach resort
Valley de Vinales- nice scenery
Understand
Get in
For political reasons travelling to Cuba from the United States
of America, one of its nearest neighbors, is not currently
possible. Many US citizens travel by way of Canada or Mexico.
American citizens should be aware that it is illegal to visit
Cuba without a license. Licenses are only granted to journalists,
people visiting relatives, and a few other reasons. If the
US government finds out about your visit, you may be subject
to fines or even criminal prosecution at the whim of the United
States government.
By plane
By boat
Get around
Probably the best way to get around on Cuba is on the Viazul
buses [1]. These are incredibly well-staffed and luxurious
buses with toilets which the attendent dutifully bleaches.
Big comfy seats, and lots of legroom. Halfway through a six-hour
journey to Trinidad from Havana, the attendant comes down
the aisle offering candies on a tray.
Talk
The official language of Cuba is Spanish. The Spanish spoken
in Cuba is only slightly different from that spoken in Spain.
Buy
Eat
The food in Cuba is notorious for being bland, however, this
really depends on the hotel. One hotel which seems to have
pretty good food reviews is Iberostar Tainos in Varadero.
Cubans eat mainly only pork and chicken. Beef, fish, lobster,
turtle, (ie. anything else) are illegal to sell outside of
state owned hotels and restaurants. If you eat in a 'paladares'
which are privately owned restaurants and you have turtle,
you are not only eating endangered animals, you're eating
illegal food. Even the jail sentence for a cuban killing a
cow is very strict.
Drink
Cuban national cocktails include the Cuba Libre (rum and coke)
and the Mojito (rum, lime, sugar, mint leaves and ice). Cristal
is a light beer and is not available in dollar stores where
cubans shop. Cubans prefer the Bucanero Fuerte, which at 5.5%
alcohol is a strong (hence fuerte) darker beer.
Sleep
If you want to experience something of the real life of Cubans
the best places to stay are in Casas Particulares (guest houses).
They are cheaper than hotels and the food is invariably better
than you would get in a hotel. Staying in someone's house,
you may be shown family photos, and enjoy a more intimate
and enlightening experience.
Learn
The University of Havana offers short courses on Spanish,
in addition to longer programs.
Work
Stay safe
Cuba is a very safe country. Strict and prominent policing,
combined with neighborhood watch style programmes keep the
streets even in Havana safer than you'd expect.
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