Everything you need to know about Cuba: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Cuba: Largest Caribbean Country Synonymous with Fidel Castro
Cuba is not just known for its Cuban cigars but also pristine white beaches and numerous bays and port cities. Cuba is a unique cultural gyroscope with Spanish, aboriginal and African influences. The country was under Spanish rule for a very long time from 15th to the 19th century who carried on sugar, coffee and tobacco plantations extensively and introduced African slaves for this purpose. Following its independence from Spain, Cuba was subjected to tortuous rule of its US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista who was finally overthrown by Fidel Castro in 1959 in the famous ‘Bay of Pigs’ uprising. Since then Cuba has had to face constant US hostilities that also has an infamous offshore prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Cuba has remained synonymous with the name of Fidel Castro for many years but now the baton has passed to Raul Castro, his younger brother.
Cuba Facts:
Located in the tropics Cubans enjoy a subtropical climate with summer temperatures of 25 degrees and 22 degrees in winter. Being situated near the Bay of Mexico has its downsides as Cuba is subject to frequent hurricanes and tropical storms.
Cuba Economy and Culture:
Cuba is well endowed with mineral resources and has the world’s second largest nickel deposits after Russia. Cubans are also renowned for producing fine Cuban cigars that are exported to all parts of the world. Cuba has a controlled economy in which public sector employment far outstrips the private one. In order to shore up its economy Cuban government is taking efforts to enhance medical tourism apart from regular tourism. Some oil has also been discovered in the North Cuba basin that has the potential of approximately 4.6 billion barrels.
Cuban culture features Spanish and African elements apart from aboriginal ones that is reflected in all their life aspects. Cubans love their sport especially Baseball followed closely by Volleyball and Boxing. The rich Cuban music has Son as the main style basis of other styles like salsa, rumbo and mambo. In fact, Havana is the Rap capital and also features the Reggae style prominently. Cuban cuisine is a rich fusion of Spanish and Caribbean cuisines and the typical Cuban meal consists of plantains, black beans, rice, Cuban bread, pork with onions and tropical fruits.
Cuban Tourist Attractions:
Cuba has a vibrant tourism scene with Havana and Satiago de Cuba leading the way. Havana or Habana boasts of an old town that also features on the World Heritage Site list and Malecon sea wall is the popular meeting point for young Cubans. La Bodeguita del Medio bar in Havana is closely associated with the famous write Ernest Hemingway who used it as his favourite joint. Camagüey in Santiago de Cuba features number of old churches and museums and also white pristine beaches the most famous of which is the Cayo Coco beach.
Other major Cuban Places to visit include:
Shanghai, May 19 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva won her first competition of the season by jumping 4.70 metres at the Diamond League meeting here.
Shanghai, May 18 (IANS) American hurdler Aries Merritt, who won his first Olympic gold in London and set a world record in the men's 110m hurdles last year, has geared up for the 2013 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League Shanghai leg.
The tiny northeast Indian state of Tripura has turned into the second largest producer of natural rubber in the country largely because several hundred former militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were rehabilitated a decade ago and allotted land.
Havana, May 16 (IANS) After a four-year absence, Cuba will send a team to participate in America group III of Davis Cup tennis to be held June 17-22 in La Paz, Bolivia, the National Tennis Commission (NTC) announced here.
Havana, May 15 (IANS) Olympic finalist Hanser Garcia leads Cuba's eight-member national team that will take part in the 2013 Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championship (CCCAN) slated for July 1 to 7 in Costa Rica.
Havana, May 15 (IANS) Boxers from 15 countries and regions, including Cuba, will compete in the 43rd Giraldo Cordova Cardin International Boxing Tournament to be held here June 4-9 at Ramon Fonst Arena.
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Indian boxers are set to begin their 2013 season with a couple of international exposure tours leading up to the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in June, where the participation of the Indian team has been sanctioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA).
Havana, May 14 (IANS/EFE) Corruption and illegal activities in areas like fuel distribution are of great concern for the Cuban government, the official media reported here Monday.
Havana, May 10 (IANS) Minister of Sport and Tourism of Belarus Alexander Igorievich Shamko says his country wants to strengthen sports cooperation with Cuba.
Lima (Peru), May 9 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Artem Okulov took gold in the 85 kg category at the junior weightlifting World Championship, bringing Russia's medal count to three.
Havana, May 8 (IANS) Cuba's tourism industry plans to expand its lodging capacity to upwards of 85,000 rooms by 2020, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said.
Washington, May 8 (IANS/EFE) Thousands of documents and photographs that belonged to Ernest Hemingway and have been stored until now in the house where he lived in Cuba will now become available to the public thanks to a US foundation that has just put them into digital format.
Miami, May 8 (IANS/EFE) Cuban actor William Levy will star with Jada Pinkett-Smith in a new film that has as its background the world of salsa.
New York, May 7: Beyonce has revealed that she wants a "company" for her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.
Havana, May 4 (IANS) Cuban baseball manager Victor Mesa, who led the national team to a fifth place at the III World Classic, will continue for the next fours years till 2017.
Washington, May. 1 (ANI): President Barack Obama has said the prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba must close, amid a growing prisoner hunger strike there.
Washington, May 1 (IANS) A US federal advisory body has reiterated its concerns about Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's admissibility to the US due to his alleged "complicity in the 2002 riots" in the state.
Washington, May 1 (IANS/RIA Novosti) US President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday to make a new push to close the American military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as the US military sent extra medical personnel there to deal with prisoners on a hunger strike.
Varadero (Cuba), April 30 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Fidel Castro's son Antonio triumphed at the fifth annual Montecristo Cup golf tournament held in his native country.
Havana, April 30 (IANS/EFE) The Cuban government has leased more than 2,000 small businesses to their old employees, who have increased the firms' income and the quality of the services provided.
Havana, April 30 (IANS/EFE) Havana's taxis, most of them vintage American cars, for the first time in decades face the unusual situation of having to compete for passengers, following a boom in licenses for private cab drivers.
New York, April 29 (IANS) Actor Anthony Mackie is expanding his restaurant business by opening a Cuban restaurant here. He says that it is his back up plan.
Washington, April 28(ANI): Broadway star Cuba Gooding thinks that Tom Cruise is a real salt of the earth person that God has blessed.
Havana, April 27 (IANS) Cuban pugilists will participate for the first time in the World Boxing Series (WBS), Cuba's boxing chief Alberto Puig said here.
Havana, April 25 (IANS) Cuba's biotechnology industry is expected to double over the next five years, bringing in more than $5 billion in export revenues, an official said.
Havana, April 23 (IANS) Cuba and China signed a collaboration agreement to enhance bilateral cooperation in the sports sector.
Havana, April 23 (IANS) Cuba will participate in the Pan-American Route Cycling Championship in Mexico to be held from May 1 to 5.
Havana, April 23 (IANS/EFE) Cuba predicts that its rice harvest will increase this year by 74,000 tonnes, though the island will still rely on imports to meet demand, the official weekly Trabajadores said.
Havana, April 19 (IANS) Cuba and China are scheduled to sign a collaboration agreement to enhance the current ties in sports next Monday.
Islamabad, Apr. 18 (ANI): The Afghan Taliban has pledged to take revenge on US troops in Afghanistan after guards at Guantanamo prison fired non-lethal rounds at inmates to quell unrest.
Havana, April 18 (IANS) President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Joseph Blatter has condemned the terror attack targeting the Boston Marathon.
Washington, Apr. 17 (AI): It is 'indisputable' that the United States tortured detainees in the years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, a non-partisan panel has said.
Mexico City, April 17 (IANS) Latin American countries joined the international community in condemning Monday's twin bombings of the Boston Marathon.
Havana, April 17 (IANS/EFE) The most complex and important parts of the reform plan launched in Cuba to update its socialist economic model are yet to come, Communist Party daily Granma said Tuesday.
Havana, April 16 (IANS) The Cuban karate team left from Havana to participate at the XIV Centro-American and Caribbean Championship of the discipline to be held in Nicaraguan capital Managua April 16-21.
Miami, April 16 (IANS/EFE) Cuban-American rapper Pitbull offered a musical take on the controversy over hip hop mogul Jay-Z and pop diva Beyonce's recent visit to Cuba.
Havana, April 16 (IANS) Cuba's former president and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro had a "fraternal meeting" with the former soccer star Diego Armando Maradona.
Washington, Apr. 15 (ANI): Two U.S. lawmakers have questioned how pop stars Jay-Z and Beyonce were allowed to travel to Cuba last week to mark their wedding anniversary.
Havana, April 15 (IANS/EFE) Sloppy Joe's, one of the legendary Havana bars of the 20th century for its bohemian clientele, its long bar and famous customers like Ernest Hemingway and Spencer Tracy, has reopened its doors after almost half a century in ruins thanks to a painstaking reconstruction aimed at giving the city back some important memories.
Moscow, April 15 (IANS/RIA Novosti) US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon will become the first senior US official who will feel the consequences of the US sanctions under the Magnitsky Act, a top Russian lawmaker has said.
Moscow, April 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Members of both chambers of Russia's parliament have expressed optimism that the publication of "tit-for-tat" lists of Russian officials banned from entering the US and vice versa would not prove a major setback in US-Russian relations.
Moscow, April 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has laughed off speculation that he had been included in the classified section of Washington's list of Russian officials facing visa and financial sanctions.
London, April 13 (ANI): JAY-Z has been rapped by the White House after he claimed that Barack Obama has been doing him personal favors.
Havana, April 13 (IANS) FIFA president Joseph Blatter is expected to arrive in Havana Tuesday on a two-day work visit for meetings with national sports officials.
Havana, April 13 (IANS) The Cuban team which will participate in the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Turkey, next June, may "prove" the Caribbean island has qualities to compete in an international championship, technical director Raul Gonzalez Triana said here.
Havana, April 12 (IANS) The Cuban government has approved a set of guidelines on internet domain names, according to a decree.
Washington, Apr. 12 (ANI): The White House has challenged rap artist Jay-Z after he released a track suggesting he got "White House clearance" for his controversial trip to Cuba with wife Beyonce.
Washington, April 12 (IANS/EFE) US President Barack Obama had nothing to do with rapper Jay-Z and pop diva Beyonce's trip to Cuba, the White House said Thursday after the hip hop icon released a song about the controversy.
Miami, April 11 (IANS/EFE) A US couple accused of kidnapping their two sons in Florida and fleeing to Cuba by boat were turned over to US authorities, who arrested the man and the woman, authorities announced Wednesday.
London, Apr 10 (ANI): Researchers have observed how a nation that lost an average of 5kg per head over five years contributed to a halving of the death rate from diabetes and a one third reduction in deaths from heart disease.
Washington, April 10 (IANS/EFE) The US Treasury Department is investigating the trip music icons Jay-Z and Beyonce made to Cuba last week.
Havana, April 10 (IANS/EFE) Cuba will turn over to US authorities the American couple accused of kidnapping their two young sons from their maternal grandmother, who had permanent custody of them, and taking them to the island illegally, the Cuban foreign ministry said.
London, Apr. 8 (ANI): Star couple Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, and his wife Beyonce have come under scrutiny after they landed for a holiday in Havana, which happens to be subject to a trade embargo imposed by the US government 53 years ago.
Havana, April 8 (IANS) Over 25 percent of Cubans suffer from high blood pressure and the number is increasing, especially among the young, the health ministry said.
New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) Olympic bronze medallist boxer Vijender Singh, who has been accused of consuming drugs, was Saturday dropped from the India squad which is to tour Cyprus and Cuba.
Havana, April 5 (IANS/EFE) Beyonce and Jay-Z are in Cuba where Thursday they had breakfast at a restaurant in Old Havana to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.
Havana, April 5 (IANS/EFE) Cuban state-owned firms may use up to 50 percent of post-tax profits for R&D and employee incentives, Communist Party daily Granma said, reporting on a recent meeting of the Council of Ministers.
Moscow, April 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama will hold full-fledged talks on the sidelines of the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland in June, a Putin aide said.
Havana, April 3 (IANS) Cuba has unveiled rules for its first free-trade manufacturing zone in the Mariel megaport outside Havana.
Havana, April 3 (IANS/EFE) The Cuban band Los Van Van, idol of the island's dancers who regard it as "the salsa train", will give its songs a symphonic sound for the first time, media reports said.
Washington, Mar. 24 (ANI): Accounts of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's response to the suffering and slaughter of Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe fail to reveal the true strengths and failings of him and of his presidency, a new book has claimed.
London, March 23 (IANS/EFE) Cuban-born musician Bebo Valdes, a respected figure in the Afro-Cuban jazz genre, died Friday in Sweden, sources close to the artist told EFE. He was 94.
Havana, March 20 (IANS/EFE) Chinese firms such as Haier, ZTE and Huawei are the largest contingent at Cuba's 15th International Information Technology Fair and Convention.
Havana, March 16 (IASN/EFE) The government has launched an overhaul of Cuba's communications and information technology sectors, the Communist Party daily Granma said.
Caracas, March 16 (IANS/EFE) The body of late president Hugo Chavez was moved Friday from Venezuela's Military Academy to the site of a planned Museum of the Bolivarian Revolution.
New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Despite Sri Lanka's hopes, India is likely to back the US-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva against Colombo - if there is a vote.
Havana, March 14 (IANS/EFE) Camilo Vives, known for his work on Cuban classic films such as "Lucia" and "Fresa y Chocolate" (Strawberry and Chocolate) and regarded as the island's leading cinema producer, has died in Havana, official media reported. He was 71.
Havana, March 12 (IANS) Former Cuban president Fidel Castro said here Monday that the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez was the "best friend" the Cuban people had in history.
Havana, March 11 (IANS) Cuba will host the 5th Montecristo Golf Cup from April 25 to 27 at the Caribbean resort of Varadero, 87 miles east of Havana, tourism authorities announced.
New Delhi, Mar 8 (ANI): Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot will represent India at the state funeral of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas today.
London, Mar. 8 (ANI): Deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressed his desire to live, and his love for the country, shortly before dying of a heart attack.
London, Mar. 8 (ANI): Deceased Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expressed his desire to live, and his love for the country, shortly before dying of a heart attack.
Washington, Mar 8 (ANI): A top Al Qaeda spokesman, also a son-in-law of slain Al Qaeda's founder Osama Bin Laden, has been captured and charged in the United States for conspiring to kill Americans, according to an indictment.
Caracas, March 7 (IANS/EFE) Venezuelans are mourning the death of president Hugo Chavez while government officials make preparations for his funeral and succession.
Tripura, Mar. 6 (ANI): Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday said the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was a profound loss and a major setback to the radicalisation movement in Latin America.
Havana, March 6 (IANS) Cuban sport authorities expect that the XV edition of Marathon of Hope Terry Fox, to be held next Sunday throughout the island, will be the most massive of its history in the country, Carlos Gattorno, chairman of the organising committee said.
New Delhi, Mar. 6 (ANI): The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has condoled the passing away of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying the charismatic and immensely popular leader leaves behind an enduring legacy of striving for social justice.
Washington, Mar 6 (ANI): US President Barack Obama has said America was interested in a 'constructive' future relationship with Venezuela after the death of President Hugo Chavez.
Caracas, March 6 (Xinhua-ANI): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died Tuesday in a military hospital in Caracas, Vice President Nicols Maduro announced on the national radio and television.
London, March 6 (IANS) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died after battling cancer, was a tough and charismatic leader, whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism gave hope to the poorest people in the Latin American country.
Caracas, March 6 (IANS) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost his battle with cancer Tuesday at the age of 58. He died in a military hospital in Caracas, Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced on national radio and television.
Caracas, March 6 (IANS) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez lost his battle with cancer Tuesday at the age of 58. He died in a military hospital in Caracas, Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced on national radio and television.
Hyderabad, March 5 (IANS) The bilateral trade between India and Latin America is likely to double in five years from the current level of $30 billion, said a senior Indian official Tuesday.
Mexico, March 5 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The health condition of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who is currently in a military hospital in Caracas, has deteriorated, the authorities said Tuesday.
Havana, March 4 (IANS/EFE) German tennis great Boris Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, said during a visit to the Cigar Festival in Havana that he was a "lover" of stogies, but he labelled himself just a "beginner" in the cigar world after trying several different brands and blends.
New York, Mar 2 (ANI): A team of Croatian chefs whipped up a pungent meal on Thursday, infusing the flavor of the tobacco leaf into baked stone bass filets, bread and butter, a rich demi-glace sauce, even ice cream.
New York, Mar 2 (ANI): A team of Croatian chefs whipped up a pungent meal on Thursday, infusing the flavor of the tobacco leaf into baked stone bass filets, bread and butter, a rich demi-glace sauce, even ice cream.
London, Mar 1 (IANS) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is "battling for his life", his deputy Nicolas Maduro said on state TV.
Quito, Feb 26 (IANS/EFE) The Ecuadorian government decreed the implementation of price controls on 46 food products to combat "speculation", it was announced Monday, a measure that was rejected by the country's main business federation.
Havana, Feb 25 (IANS) Cuban President Raul Castro has been re-elected for a second five-year term.
Havana, Feb 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia plans to increase its share of the global space market from the current 10 percent to 15 percent, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.
Havana, Feb 22 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Cuba will buy aircraft worth $650 million from Russia, the Russian industry and trade minister said Friday.
Havana, Feb 22 (IANS/EFE) The Cuban government broadened access of individuals to bank loans as part of an effort to "invigorate" economic reforms, Communist Party daily Granma said.
Havana, Feb 19 (IANS) An unusual cold front chilled parts of Cuba Monday with the temperature dropping to as low as four degrees Celsius, Cuba's Meteorology Institute (Insmet) said.
Caracas, Feb. 18 (Xinhua-ANI): Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on his Twitter account Monday that he has returned home after a two-month cancer treatment in Cuba.
Caracas, Feb 18 (IANS) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on his Twitter account Monday that he has returned home after a two-month cancer treatment in Cuba.
Quito, Feb 18 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa celebrated his election to a third term as the country's president, singing and dancing at a meeting with his supporters.
London, Feb. 17 (ANI): A Russian politician has claimed the meteor which struck the country on Friday was actually a clandestine American weapons test, as claims emerged that a sonic boom was also felt in Cuba.
Caracas, Feb 16 (IANS/EFE) The Venezuelan government has released the first photographs of President Hugo Chavez since Dec 10, the day before he underwent a fourth operation in Cuba for the cancer he has been battling for 20 months.
London, Feb. 15 (ANI): The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI was left with blood soaked hair after a fall in Mexico last year.
