CUBA
(Republic of Cuba)

Capital: Havana
Currency: Peso (CUP)
Area: 109 884 sq.km.
Population: 11 221 153 persons.

GEOGRAPHY

Cuba is an archipelago of the islands located in the North Caribbean Sea at merge to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It is between latitudes 19 ° and 24 °C. Sh.I longitudes 74 ° and 85 ° WL the United States are in 150 kilometers (93 miles) through the passages of Florida to the North and the northwest (by the closest end of Key West, Florida) and to the Bahamas in 21 km (13 miles) to the North. Mexico is on 210 kilometers (130 miles) on Yucatan channel in the West (to the closest tip of Kabo Katoche in the State of Quintana Roo).

HISTORY

The territory which is Cuba now was inhabited by people of Ciboney Taino since the 4th millennium B.C. before the Spanish colonization in the 15th century. Since the 15th century it was the colony of Spain before the Spanish-American war of 1898 when Cuba was occupied by the United States and gained nominal independence as de facto protectorate of the United States in 1902. As the fragile republic, in 1940 Cuba tried to strengthen the democratic system, but the accruing political radicalization and social fight reached the culmination in Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship in 1952. Further disorders and instability led to Batista's replacement in January, 1959 by the 26th of July Movement which established communistic board under the leadership of Fidel Castro subsequently. Since 1965 the state is operated by the Communist Party of Cuba. The country was a dispute subject during Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, and nuclear war almost burst during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Cuba is one of the few remained Marxist-Leninist socialist states where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers accused the Cuban government of numerous human rights violations, including any imprisonment.

CLIMATE

From all island to the south from the Tropic of Cancer, local climate tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds which blow all the year round. Temperature is also formed by the Caribbean current which brings warm water from the equator. It does climate of Cuba to warmer, than climate of Hong Kong which is at the same width, as Cuba, but has subtropical, but not tropical climate. In general (with local variations), from November to April exists to the land, and from May to October - a rainy season. Average temperature is 21 °C (69,8 °F) in January and 27 °C (80,6 °F) in July. Warm temperatures of the Caribbean Sea and that fact that Cuba sits through an entrance to the Gulf of Mexico in total do the country inclined to frequent hurricanes. They are most widespread in September and October.