The Republic of Cuba is a large island nation located in the Caribbean. The territorial composition of the country includes many small archipelagos, such as Antilles and Huventud. Has no common earth borders with any state. Located in close proximity to North America. The capital is the city of Havana. Since 1945 is a member of the UN.
Population history
In ancient times, Indians lived on the territory of modern Cuba. In the fall of 1492, their peace was disturbed by an expedition led by Columbus himself. For a long time there was a fierce war for land between Europeans and indigenous tribes. And only in 1511 Diego Velazquez managed to subjugate the local population of Cuba. Soon Fort Baracoa was erected on the islands.
Gradually, the number of European settlements grew. Nevertheless, the Indians secretly did not want to cede their lands to strangers and again and again attacked new colonies. By the end of the 1520s, the number of victims among local residents exceeded one million. What was the population of Cuba at that time? Based on historical records, it amounted to about 1.8 million people.
At the beginning of the 19th century, a radical group of patriots appeared on the territory of the island colony. She pursued the goal of separation from Spain. The struggle for independence began in 1868 and lasted exactly 30 years. With alternating success, the reins temporarily passed from hand to hand. A peace treaty was signed several times, but it acted only on paper.
In 1898, the U.S. Army helped Cuba gain independence. From that moment on, a fierce struggle for power began in the country. Every few years, the
island nation trembled with new military and revolutionary coups. From 1953 to 2006 the head of Cuba was the great dictator Fidel Castro. He was remembered not only for successful reforms, but also for his confrontation with the CIA. Currently, the country is led by Fidel's younger brother Raul Castro.
Geographic features
Cuba is located near the border of the Americas. The republic includes the largest island in the West Indies. We are talking about Huventud, which is adjacent to about one and a half thousand coral reefs. The coastal border of Cuba is convenient for large and small vessels. There are dozens of large bays and ports. The adjacent waters are characterized by bays and coral formations.
The area of ββthe republic is about 111 thousand square meters. km From a bird's eye view, the island resembles a huge lizard, whose head is turned to the North Pole. From the south the country is washed by the Caribbean Sea, from the west and north - the Gulf of Mexico, from the east - the Atlantic Ocean. The closest point to the US border is 180 km from the mainland. Separates the state of
the Strait of Florida. Closest to Cuba are the
islands of Haiti and Jamaica.
The mountain system occupies a third of the country's territory. The highest point is considered Turkino peak - 1972 m.
What attracts Cuba
The climate in the country is tropical, so the average annual temperature rarely exceeds +25 degrees. The coldest month of the year is January. The air temperature then is +22 C. In summer, the indicators are slightly higher - up to +30 C. The water temperature is always stable +26 degrees.
Like all other islands, in Cuba, rains are commonplace. Precipitation here averages up to 1400 mm. Nevertheless, always stable, moderately hot weather every month attracts tens of thousands of tourists. In addition, the island is constantly blown by a pleasant wind, bringing with it fresh sea air.
The fauna is rich in aquatic representatives: mollusks, shrimps, spiny lobsters, outlandish fish.
Provincial population
Cuba is a unitary country by state system. The whole republic is divided into administrative municipalities. This was done for political reasons. Today, the country has 16 provinces.
The most densely populated is the city of Havana. The population is about 2.3 million. The population of Cuba is slightly smaller in the provinces of Holguin and Santiago - one million people each. Further in numbers are cities and islands such as Granma, Camaguey, Pinar, Villa Clara and the Havana region. The smallest number of people live in the province of Huventud - just over 87 thousand people.
It is noteworthy that the smallest in area is just the city of Havana - 725 square meters. km The population density in this case is 3 times higher than all the other provinces taken together.
Each municipality has its own executive and representative authorities.
The population of the republic
Most of the inhabitants of the islands are Cuban people. The population is represented by the descendants of the tribes of the Siboneans, Arawak, Haitians, Guanahanabee, Taino, etc. However, to date, there are few true native inhabitants. Most of them were exterminated during the wars with the Spanish colonialists.
The current population of Cuba is a mixture of dozens of peoples from Indians to Europeans. In addition, in the 17-18 centuries, the Spaniards brought hundreds of thousands of African slaves here. That is why there are so many black people on the islands. For all of them, Cuba has long been a home. In the 19th century, about 125 thousand Chinese were imported to the islands. In the 20th century, the population of Cuba was diluted by the Americans.
During World War II, thousands of Jews were found here. In 1953, more than 84% of the inhabitants of the islands were Caucasian. By 2012, the population of Cuba was about 11.16 million people.
2015 population
In terms of demographics over the past 10 years, the Republic of Cuba has taken the lead in the Caribbean. The population of Cuba in the fall of 2014 amounted to about 11.23 million people. At the same time, specialists noted a decrease in the birth rate and the influx of migrants to 0.1%. In addition, a working-age population, including young people, is constantly leaving the country. The main place of emigration remains the United States.
As of 2015, the population of Cuba is 11.22 million. According to experts, a negative demographic trend is expected. Already, the population has decreased by almost 12 thousand people. This is indicative, because the birth rate this year significantly exceeded mortality (by 18%). Consequently, the outflow of emigrants is again behind the negative trends. According to statistics, 32 residents leave the country per day. In this case, the birth rate is kept at 300 children per day.
Population aging
British experts considered that Cuba is the only Latin American state in which in recent years there has been a decrease in the population. The demographic crisis in the country has been observed for several years. It is noted that aging is directly affected by the population of Cuba and the number of its inhabitants. The fact is that the birth rate is falling every year, therefore, the average living age of the region is increasing.
On the other hand, the country has a very solid level of health care. No wonder mortality loses its usual pace with each reporting period. Today, 18% of people over 60 live in Cuba. Thanks to the mild sea climate, pensioners practically do not suffer from heart attacks and cancer.
Traditions of locals
The population of Cuba is made up of very funny and creative people. Favorite hobby is music and dances. In addition to public holidays, Valentine's Day and Parents' Day are honored here.
Almost all Cubans accumulate savings all year round in order to then have plenty of rest at the carnival in a chic costume. Nightlife is represented by massive discos to the rhythms of salsa.
The elderlyβs favorite thing is gatherings on a rocking chair with a glass of rum and a Cuban cigar.