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CUBA

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Columbus did not realized that Cuba was an island ... Pirates noted and attacked these ships in Habana and Santiago de Cuba ... started to evolve in Cuba. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: CUBA


1
CUBA
  • Geography
  • History
  • Climate
  • Flora and Fauna
  • Government
  • Economy
  • Population
  • Education
  • Society
  • Arts

2
Geography
  • Long skinny island, size of Louisiana
  • 1250 km East to West
  • 31-191 km North to South
  • Forested mountains (25)
  • Highest peak, Pico Turquino (1972 m)
  • Biggest river, Rio Cauto
  • Separate Island Isla de Pino in my time now
    Isla de la Juventud
  • http//www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/caribbean/cu
    ba/cuba.htm

3
History - 1
  • Native Americans since at least 2000 BC
  • Guanahatabey in the West
  • Siboney in the rest of the country
  • 100,000 Taino Indians in Cuba when Columbus
    arrived in 1492
  • Columbus named the country 'Juana'
  • Columbus thought he had arrived in Asia
  • Columbus did not realized that Cuba was an
    island
  • Sebastian de Ocampo determined that Cuba was an
    island in 1508

4
History - 2
  • Spaniards ignored Cuba because it did not have
    any gold.
  • Spaniards settled in the Dominican Republic
  • A Spaniards based in Hispanola, Diego the
    Velazquez led troops over to Cuba to establish
    Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Bayamo, Camaguey,
    Santo Espirito, Trinidad and Habana in 1512
  • Spaniards killed thousands of Indians
  • Spaniards also brought diseases like small pox
    that the Indians had no resistance to.
  • Indian population declined to 5000 by 1550

5
History-3
  • Indian labor was replaced by African slave labor
    for sugar cane development
  • Economy mostly cattle ranching, leather until
    tobacco development in 1580.
  • Spaniards established a monopoly on the buy and
    sell of tobacco
  • Ships full of goods would leave for Spain every
    summer. Pirates noted and attacked these ships in
    Habana and Santiago de Cuba
  • Led to the fortification of those harbors. Each
    got a fortified castle (Morro) at the entrance

6
History-4
  • Other European countries noticed all the trade in
    the Caribbean, British secure Jamaica in 1655,
    Haiti became French property in 1697
  • Britain occupied Habana in 1762.
  • In 1763 Cuba was returned to Spain in trade for
    Florida, Spain also got Louisiana
  • Cuba was the major supplier of sugar to the US
    after 1783. By 1820, Cuba was the largest
    provider of sugar in the world

7
History 5
  • By 1825 most South American countries had become
    independent, but the US preferred that Cuba
    remain under Spanish control
  • In 1848, the US tried to buy Cuba for 100M
  • In 1854, the bid was 120M
  • By 1862, Britain started to enforce limitation in
    the trade of African slaves. Cuba turned to
    Chinese and Mexican Indians to provide the labor
    for the sugar industry.
  • In 1868, eastern Cuba supported the abolition of
    slavery, but the west did not. A civil war
    evolved

8
History 6
  • By 1890 Spain modified their practices and
    slavery faded away in Cuba.
  • In the 1880's the US developed a lot of interest
    in Cuba, bought bankrupt sugar plantations and
    many Cuban planters wanted Cuba to be annexed to
    the US.
  • US President Jefferson supported that
  • Independent thinking started to evolve in Cuba.
    Jose Marti a poet, playwright, etc that had
    traveled through Mexico and the US advocated for
    independence for Cuba

9
History - 7
  • Marti recruited General Maximo Gomez and Antonio
    Maceo to lead the independence movement. They
    landed in eastern Cuba and Marti was killed
    immediately in 1895. Gomez and Maceo proceeded
    west and conquered most of the country.
  • In 1897, the Spanish Prime Minister that was
    against independence for Cuba was assassinated in
    Spain. Spain tried to convince the Cubans to
    adopt Home Rule under the Spanish flag. This was
    rejected.

10
History - 8
  • The US gets in the act in 1898, sends Maine to
    guard US interests in Habana. Ship exploded. US
    offers to buy Cuba for 300M. In April US
    declared war on Spain over Cuba. Major battle at
    San Juan Hill, 700 Spaniards versus 6000 US
    troops led by Teddy Roosevelt.
  • Spaniards tried to leave Santiago. Boat caught on
    fire. Spain surrenders in July.
  • US did not allow Cubans to attend the surrender
    ceremonies because they were black.

11
History - 9
  • US unable to take over Cuba, because Senator
    Teller had added a provision to the bill
    authorizing the war, that Cuba must be governed
    by self-determination.
  • So Cuba was placed under US military
    occupation. Generals Brooke and Wood were the
    first governors of Cuba. Wood had an assembly
    draft a constitution in 1900
  • US Senator Platt, attached a rider to the 1901
    Army bill giving the US the right to intervene
    militarily in Cuba any time the US deemed it
    prudent

12
History - 10
  • US secures Guantanamo Bay Base in 1903
  • Cuba obtains independence in 1902
  • Tomas Estrada Palma first president
  • People insurrection in 1906 and the US
    intervened. US governor until 1909.
  • Agreement to have alternate Presidents from
    Liberals and Conservatives
  • First Liberal President, Jose Miguel Gomez lasted
    until 1912 when the US intervened again. And
    again in 1917
  • Gerardo Machado, Liberal, President during the
    Depression. Toppled in 1933 by Batista

13
History 11
  • Fulgencio Batista, Army Sergeant to play a
    significant role for the next 25 years
  • Platt amendment cancelled in 1934 by President
    Franklin Roosevelt
  • Batista ruled until 1944. Weak Presidents Grau
    and Prio succeed him
  • Batista staged a military coup (backed by US) in
    1952
  • In 1953, Castro attacked the Moncada Cuartel
    (Barrack) in Santiago de Cuba.
  • In 1955 and 1958 Batista is re-elected in
    rigged elections

14
History 12
  • In 1956, Castro arrives in Granma boat from
    Mexico. Moves into the Sierra Maestra mountains
  • In 1958, Castro forces attacked several
    government outpost and on December 31, 1958
    Batista leaves for Dominican Republic
  • Castros forces take control on Jan 1, 1959.
  • Socialist Revolution agrarian reform- give land
    to those that work the land, abolish racial
    discrimination, educational reform- increase
    literacy rate throughout the country to nearly
    100

15
History 13
  • In 1959, Castro meets with VP Richard Nixon in
    Washington
  • In 1960, many industries (oil refineries,
    electrical plants, mining operations, sugar
    mills, etc) are nationalized professionals and
    investors leave Cuba
  • In 1961, Bay of Pigs failed invasion
  • In 1962, Missile crisis, Cuba expelled from OAS,
    US embargo
  • Late 1960s, involvement in Africa
  • In the 1970, involvement in Ethiopia

16
Climate
  • Temperatures between 22 and 27 C
  • Relative Humidity 75 to 85
  • Breezes always blowing, sea-to-land or
    land-to-sea
  • Hurricanes are common

17
Flora and Fauna
  • Typical tropical flora and fauna
  • Hot zone (lower elevation) sugar cane, mangoes,
    avocados, palm trees, lemon, oranges, grapefruit,
    nisperos, guanabana, etc
  • Temperate zone- coffee, mahogany
  • Swap area- large reptiles

18
Government
  • Discussed extensively in the History section
  • Predominantly dictatorships
  • Weak democratic system
  • Strong US influence for better or for worse

19
Economy
  • Sugar
  • Cattle
  • Tourism
  • Mining
  • Tobacco
  • Fishing
  • Biotechnology

20
Population
  • 11M citizens, 2.1 M in Habana
  • Officially, 66 white, 12 Black and 22 mulato
  • Others observe that about 50 of the population
    is of mixed race
  • Small group of chinese

21
Education
  • 94.5 Literacy rate
  • Education to 9th grade is compulsory
  • Education at all levels is free
  • 47 institutions of higher learning, several of
    them offer doctorates

22
Society and Religion
  • Prior to the Castro Revolution, there were at
    least five classes The Very well off that hardly
    ever worked, Well off and Middle class that
    worked quite hard to maintain their position, the
    common labor that would extra ordinary hours and
    the beggars.
  • After the revolution, the Very well off were the
    executives in the government the Well off,
    Middle class and labor merged.
  • Before the Revolution 85 of the population were
    nominal Catholics, 10 of which attended church,
    currently 5attend church. Workers more likely to
    be Protestants or Baptists

23
Arts
  • Many accomplished Cuban musicians perform
    throughout the world
  • Cubans tend to be excellent dancers
  • Several accomplished writers. Jose Marti the most
    famous poet. Several novel writers.
  • Some films have been produced in Cuba but usually
    under a foreign director

24
Sources of Information
  • Cuba, a Lonely Planet travel survival kit, David
    Stanley, 1st ed, 1997, Lonely Planet
    Publications, Australia
  • Insight Guide Cuba, Danny Aeberhard, Editor, APA
    Publications GmbH Co, Verlag KG, Singapore,1999
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