Kelli Thomasson 1/9/22 Kelli Thomasson 1/9/22

Bienvenido a Cuba!

Bienvenido a Cuba!
This week The Geography project is traveling to an island with warm waters, fancy old-fashioned cars, and rich cultural heritage. Get your passports out and let’s head to the Caribbean Nation of Cuba.

Although Cuba is actually visited often by tourists, we’re starting here today because many Americans have never had the opportunity to travel there. Travel from the United States to Cuba was banned for 36 years and was recently opened again in 2016 under the American President, Barack Obama. This makes Cuba an intriguing destination for Americans and yet, still many have not traveled there. Let’s go there now and find out what Cuba has to offer!

Flag: The national flag of Cuba consists of five alternating stripes (three blue and two white) and a red equilateral triangle at the hoist with a white five-pointed star in the middle of the triangle.

Capital: Havana

Official Language: Spanish

Government: Communist

Population: 11.32 million (approx. 264 people per sq. mi.)

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY: Cuba is what we call an archipelago. This is one of my favorite Geography words to use. I love the way it rolls off my tongue, Aar-kuh-peh-luh-go. An archipelago is a chain of islands. The mainland of the archipelago is what we refer to as Cuba while many of the smaller islands are lesser-known and only makeup approximately 2% of Cuba’s physical landscape. Cuba is surrounded by three bodies of water including the Atlantic Ocean, The Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, you can find the strait of Florida, The Windward passage, and the Yucatan Channel surrounding the island.

With beautiful waters, comes beautiful beaches, and mangroves. Many people love the white sand beaches found in Cuba, which can be enjoyed in the tropical savanna climate. Cuba’s climate is sub-tropical due to its location near the equator so you’re looking at nice warm weather all year long. If you’re more of the snow and winter type, perhaps this climate wouldn’t suit you well, but for those of us who love the beach and sand, we can find our happy place in the sun all year. Unfortunately, warm weather does come with drawbacks like hurricanes, and tropical storms that can devastate small island countries such as Cuba.

One geographical feature that Cuba is known for is the Zapata Swamp. It is the largest wetland in Cuba and in the Caribbean and is home to blue-water beaches, forests, rivers, lakes, flooded caverns, ponds, and swamp prairies. Cuba is also home to plants and animals that are native and endemic, meaning they can only be found in Cuba.

If you're more of the hiking type, you’ll be glad to know that Cuba is also full of beautiful mountains. For a small country, Cuba is home to four different mountain ranges. The largest and most well-known is the Sierra Maestra followed by the Sierra Cristal, Escambray Mountains, and the Sierra del Rosario range.

Finally, if the waters, beaches, and mountains aren’t enough, Cuba has beautiful vegetation and a wide variety of animals. Cuba is also home to approximately 3000 plants and 170 animals that are native and endemic, meaning they can only be found in Cuba and nowhere else.

CULTURAL: Cuban culture is richly influenced by African and Spanish culture. This can be seen in architecture and music, you can even find touches of American (United States) culture with the wide array of American vintage cars in pristine condition. Many Cubans are well educated and have access to free healthcare and free education. The people of Cuba are social, expressive, and take an interest in sharing experiences with others.

One thing that comes to mind for tourists is the dance and art scene in Cuba. Cuban art is a blend of African and European art and can be seen throughout the museums in Cuba. Beyond the visual arts is the performance art of dance. Cuban music and dance, heavily influenced by African heritage, encourage people to dance day and night in the streets and in their open-air concerts. Cuban music has influenced the Nueva Trova movement and inspired the famous Buena Vista Social Club, a famous ensemble of Cuban musicians.

Cuban food is also a major part of their culture. Cuban food includes the famous dish of Ropa Vieja which the main ingredients consist of boiled and shredded meat cooked in an onion sauce, bell peppers, bay leaves, and cumin. Another popular dish that often compliments Cuban dishes is Arroz y Frijoles Negros (rice and black beans). Other Cuban dishes include Lechon Asado, Yuca con Mojo, and the well-known Cubano (Cuban Sandwich).

Like many of the neighboring countries influenced by Europe, Cuba’s most dominant religion is Christianity, more specifically Roman Catholicism. Another religion that can be found in Cuba is Santeria, which combines the Yoruba religion of Africa and Catholicism of Europe.

Finally, Cuban culture can be seen in the blend of African, South American, European, and North American art. Modernism became a major part of the art scene in Cuba producing famous artists like Ameilia Pelaez, Wifredo Lam, and Federico Beltran Masses. One of the most well-known artists to come from Cuba is Alberto Korda, who photographed the early days of the Cuban Revolution and shot the picture of Che Guevara which has become one of the most recognizable images of the 20th century. Today you can see a flourishing street art movement in Cuba influenced by José Guadalupe Posada and Diego Rivera.

SCHOOLS: Cuban schools include primary education (grades 1-6), basic secondary education (grades 7-9), upper secondary education (grades 10-12), post-secondary (grades 10-14), and tertiary (grades 13-22). Public education was nationalized in 1959 and today, Cuban students have one of the highest literacy rates in the world.

TRAVEL: Due to a long history of political tensions between the United States and Cuba, tourists are not able to freely travel to Cuba from the United States. There are some provisions that allow for travel though and if you’re interested you can check those out here: U.S. Embassy in Cuba.

If you are fortunate enough to fall under those provisions, or you’re traveling from another country, there are definitely some places you’ll want to be sure and visit while you’re there. Here are our top 5 places we think you should consider if you find yourself booking a trip to Cuba!

TOP 5 PLACES TO SEE IN CUBA

Havana: The capital of Cuba, known for its old-fashioned cars and vibrant nightlife. (UNESCO World Heritage site)
Varadero (Playa Azul): A small resort peninsula known for its all-inclusive resorts and rated as one of the best beaches in the world.
Trinidad: Is known for its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. (UNESCO World Heritage site)
Viñales: A beautiful low-lying area with a National Park. It is well known for how it has preserved the historical landscape of the area and how locals have developed techniques to work with the earth instead of against it. (UNESCO World Heritage site)
Santiago de Cuba: This city is where Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca (UNESCO World Heritage site) is located. This fortress overlooks the bay and is considered the best-preserved and most complete example of Spanish-American military architecture.
(BONUS): Cascate El Nicho (Waterfalls) Who doesn’t love waterfalls? El Nicho can be found tucked away in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and is a beautiful protected hidden gem.

We hope you enjoyed your visit to Cuba! We are looking forward to seeing where your postcards take us next. If you have ever traveled to Cuba, feel free to comment below or comment on our Instagram: The Geography Project

If you’re interested in sending us a postcard and possibly seeing your country, city, or state featured on our blog, send your postcards here: The Geography Project.

WANT TO SEE MORE OF CUBA? Check out our PINTEREST board: CUBA

CHECK OUT our CUBAN MUSIC playlist on SPOTIFY: CUBA

Kelli Thomasson 3/31/21 Kelli Thomasson 3/31/21

What is The Geography Project?

My name is Kel Michele and I am the original creator of The Geography Project. I have been an educator for over 13 years, endorsed in secondary Social Studies. It wasn’t until I started teaching World Geography that I understood my deep-seated passion for nature, culture, and travel.

The Geography Project was born when I began working at a mid-sized high school where I realized many of my students had not traveled outside of the state, let alone to another country. I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to understand the world outside of our four classroom walls. Despite growing up from humble beginnings, I was afforded opportunities throughout my childhood and young adult life to travel Internationally. In fact, my very first plane ride was to Costa Rica when I was 15 years old. When I was assigned to teach World Geography I was pretty excited but it wasn’t until my students began commenting on how many travel stories I had to share that I realized they could be learning about the world through the stories of others. I had this idea that if I started an Instagram I could start collecting postcards from around the world and we could learn about cities and cultures from other countries. I love sharing my own stories, but what if we had stories from people who live, work, or visit frequently to other places? What if we had the opportunity to see the world through others' eyes?

The Geography Project Instagram page took off and within a few weeks, we were receiving postcards weekly and having rich discussions about the countries that were sent to us. While teaching World Geography, I have realized how passionate I am about nature and hiking, my love for cultures all around the world, and my need to travel and experience the world first hand to share stories with my students and others. What started as a classroom project, has turned into my passion to teach others the beauty of this world and a way for me to always feel like I’m traveling even when I’m not.

It’s a joy to feel passionate about what you’re doing. I hope that you will find the same love for geography as you travel with us around the world as part of The Geography Project!