CUBA
Kevin Incitti
Tiffany Howett
Courtney Kase
Ashley Burneka
Brian Dougan
Cuba: A Brief History
Kevin Incitti
Cuba: A Brief History
• Discovered by Christopher Columbus in
1492, and is located just 90 miles south of
Key West
• Original occupants of the island were
Arawak Indians, were wiped out by
Spanish
Cuba: A Brief History
• US gained control of Cuba in the Spanish
American War in 1898
• Through the Platt Amendment, Cuba was given
Independence
• The US had secured for itself the areas of
Guantanamo and Bahia Honda, eventually giving
up Bahia Honda for expanded control in
Guantanamo, where they built a naval base
Cuba: A Brief History
• US continuously intervened in Cuban affairs, throughout
the early 1900’s
• Intervened in the August and February Revolutions, and
in elections, until Geraldo Machado was elected
President in 1924
• Cuba was economically depressed and in political crisis opposition to Machado was growing
• 1933 Fulgencio Batista leads the Sergeants Revolt,
overthrowing the established administration
Cuba: A Brief History
• Batista appoints Ramon Grau San Martin to
power, who institutes sweeping range of social,
economic, and political reforms
• Batista then removes Ramon Grau San Martin
from power, seizes control
• Batista establishes a new constitution in 1940,
only to be defeated in the 1944 elections by Grau
San Martin
Cuba: A Brief History
• Cuba, still under the same regime, but now
headed by Carlos Prio Socarras, was overthrown
AGAIN, by Batista in 1952.
• In July of 1953, Fidel Castro plans an attack on
the Moncada barracks, landing him in prison.
• Soon thereafter, Castro is freed from jail, and
goes to Mexico to train and organize, he then
returns to Cuba.
Cuba: A Brief History
• The US begins an arms embargo on the
Batista Regime, which in turn, is
interpreted as support for Castro
• On January 1, 1959 Castro takes power in
Cuba
Cuba: A Brief History
• Still in power today, Castro consolidated
power, seized properties, and has led
Cuba through historical events such as
– The Bay of Pigs
– Cuban Missile Crisis
– Fall of one time ally the Soviet Union
– The Mariel Boatlift (responsible for the
emigration of 125,000 Cubans to Florida)
– increased US sanctions
Population
Tiffany Howett
Population
• 11.3 million
• 70% live in urban areas, 30% in rural
areas
• Majority of population located in large
cities of Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and
Camaguey
• 95% Spanish Speaking
• 97% literacy rate
Population
• Growth Rate: 34% as of late 2004
• Median Age: Total- 34.8 years
Male- 34.2 years
Female- 35.5 years
Population
• Birth Rate: 12.18 births/ 1000 population (2004
estimate)
• Death Rate: averaged 7.17 deaths/ 1000
population
• Life Expectancy:
– Total- 74.04 years
– Male- 74.77 years
– Female- 79.44 years
Population
• Ethnic Groups:
• 51% Mulatto
• 37% White
• 11% Black
• 1% Chinese
Religion
Ashley Burneka
Religion
• Roman Catholic- 6,205,000
• Jehovah Witnesses-869,462,002
• Jewish-1000
• Other religions represented are- Protestant,
Pentecostal, freemasonry and many afro-Cuban
religions such as Santeria.
Religion
• Due to centuries of slavery many African
religions have developed in Cuba
• Santeria or Regla de Ocha come from the
Yoruba culture in Nigeria.
• Practice magic, pray, divination,
and sacrifice.
Religion
• Abakua is another
Afro-Cuban religion
which is a secret
society for males that
is practiced in the
western part of Cuba.
Economy
Tiffany Howett
Economy
• Gross domestic Product (GDP)- based on
agriculture, industry, and services- about
$32.13 billion on purchasing
– 5.5% Agriculture
– 27% Industry
– 67.6% Services
• Today, most of the economy is run by the
government, and is still recovering from the
decline of GDP in 1989
Economy
• Labor Force: In 2003 the labor force was
4.58, continues to rise
– 24% work in Agriculture
– 25% work in Industry Sector
– 51% work in Services
• According the Cuban Government 75% of the labor
force is working for the state
Economy
• Products: World producer of Sugar Cane
– Also reliant on
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Tourism
Coffee
Potatoes
Rice
Petroleum
Tobacco
Nickel
Steel
Livestock
National/Pop Culture
Brian Dougan
National/ Popular Culture
• Education
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High level of Cuban education
1/42 ratio
Literacy 96%
95% ages six-sixteen
• Communication
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Ministry of Communications
Telecommunications infrastructure
1990’s cellular introduction
China’s aid
Choteo
Print Publications
National/Popular Culture
• Music
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Afro-Cuban
Bolero
Classical
Habanera
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Jazz
Mambo
Rumba
Salsa
• Sports
– Baseball
– Boxing
– Cockfighting
– Dominoes
National/Popular Culture
• Festivities
– Carnivals
– New Years Day
– Los Quince
– Three Kings Day
– Noche Buena
• Community Life
– Bodegas
– Botanicas
– Crime
– Divorce
– Cigar Making
– Guajiros
A Taste of Cuba: Food,
Customs, and Material Life
Courtney Kase
Customs
• Everyday life (greetings)
– Kissing and hugging
• Carnival
• The Conga
• commemorates the days of Corpus
Christi and the Epiphany
• “Primero de Enero or Dia de
Ano” (New Year’s)
• Los quince
Cuban Cuisine
• Simple in concept, complex in flavor
• Influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and
Portuguese cultures
• Although an island, fish is rarely used in cooking; meat is favored food
especially beef
• Staples in diet include: rice, beans, and vegetables
• Popular vegetables such as yucca (potato-like vegetable) and sweet
potatoes
• Cucumber abundant vegetable
Ajiaco: Cuba’s National Dish
Fried Plantains
Cuban Cuisine
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Breakfast
• tostada and cafe con leche
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tostada is a portion of Cuban bread which is buttered then toasted on a
grill. The cafe con leche is a combination of strong, espresso coffee with
warm milk. Dunk bread into drink
Lunch
• empanadas, chicken or meat turnovers, or Cuban sandwiches
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sandwich could be a media noche (midnight sandwich), consisting of a
slice of pork, ham, and swiss cheese and then topped with pickles and
mustard on sweetened egg bread.
Cuban Cuisine
• Snack
• Cuban bakeries famous for their finger foods, such as pastelitos,
croquetas, bocaditos, and empanadas. Pastelitos are small flaky turnovers
in various shapes filled with meat, cheese, guava, or a combination of
guava and cream cheese. Bocaditos are small bite size sandwiches layered
with a ham spread.
• Dinner
• Consists of a meat, chicken, or fish dish as the entree accompanied by
white rice, black beans, and maduros, sweet fried plantains.
• Followed by dessert of the typical flan, a Cuban caramel-flavored custard,
and another shot of cafe cubano.
Cuban Cuisine
• Holidays
– small pig, marinated with salt, garlic, and sour orange juice, and
then roasted over an open fire, and slowly cooked for several
hours.
– Served with congri, a white rice and black bean mixture also
known as Moors and Christians, boniato in a garlic dressing, and
maduros.
• U.S. influenced foods:
• Hamburger “frita”
Drink
• Rum
– “Rum and Coke” known as “Cuba Libre”
– Consumed at most meals
– “Mojito”
• Cuban rum, seltzer water, sugar, lime, and mint leaves
Material Life
• Major industries
• Tobacco and coffee competed with sugar since
19th century
• Tourism most promising new activity for earning
of hard currency
• Reintroduction of animal traction for agriculture
• Nickel is abundant mineral resource
Language
Ashley Burneka
Language
• Spanish is the official language
of Cuba.
• There are not various different
dialects across nation.
• English is spoken in many of the
larger cities and tourist areas.
Especially around Havana.
Language
• Creole is also spoken in many eastern provinces
of the island because of Haitian immigrants who
fled to Cuba at the end of the Haitian revolution
• Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union many
students were taught Russian and German as
second languages
• After the collapse everything quickly switched to
English, such as the classes taught in school and
universities
Government/Social Order
Brian Dougan
Government/ Social Order
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Republic of Cuba
Communist State
Capital: Havana
Administrative divisions
– 14 Provinces
• Legal System
– 3 Branches (Executive,Legislative,Judicial)
Government/Social Order
• Political parties-Cuban Communist Party
• Leader: Fidel Castro
• Diplomatic Representation
– In US-None
– From US-None
• Independence
– December 10, 1898-from Spain
– May 20, 1902-form United States
Conclusion
• Cuban people have dealt with a remarkably unstable history full of
revolutions
• Their economy struggles, and they are making a strong push to
increase tourism
• Fidel Castro’s power has been a mainstay for the last 50 years
• Being in the US we mainly hear of the poor conditions in Cuba, rarely
about their deep rooted culture, traditions, and celebrations
• While the living conditions in Cuba are poor for many, the people are
strong and will continue to move forward
Questions?