General information about Cuba
General Data
The biggest island in the Caribbean, is located at the entrance to the gulf of Mexico. The archipielago is formed by 4 195 different sized islands and is 110 992 square kilometres wide. The Republic of Cuba is composed of 14 provinces, 169 municipalities and the Special Municipality of the Isle of Youth.</p>
Population
Over 10 000 000
Education
Education in Cuba is free and compulsory. In 1961 Cuba carried out a national campaign against of illiteracy and today in Cuba every citizen knows how to write and read
Health
Cuba’s system of primary health care covers the entire country and is considered to be unique in Latin America. Health services are free for all Cubans. The infant mortality rate is 5.3 per thousand live births and life expectancy at birth is 75.2 years
Culture
A country of great artistic manifestations and world reknown creators
Sports
Cuba is a major world power in sports. It holds leading positions in events such as boxing and baseball. Every year the country hosts international sporting events.
National Symbols
The Flag

The equilateral triangle is a clear reference to the yearning for liberty, equality and fraternity. The color red portends the spilling of blood that would be required to win independence. The single star located in the middle of the triangle is a symbol of absoluted freedom. The three blue stripes represent the eastern, central and western provinces into which the island was formerly divided. The two white strips signify the purity and virtue of the Cuban people</p>
Shield

This is gothic shaped. On the upper parts there is a golden ket that symbolizes the key position of the island, at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico and between the two Americas while the rising sun represents a new nation. Three blue strips in the bottom left section are a reference to the regions into which the country was divided during the colonial period. In the bottom right section, the royal palm (symbol of the nobility and steadfastness of Cubans), the mountains and the clear blue sky represent a typical Cuban landscape. A bundle of eleven staff that symbolizes the unity of the Cuban people in the struggle for freedom supports the shield, crowned by a Phrygian cap on which there is a white star. Bordering the shield, to the right there is an oak branch, and to the left, a laurel branch, representing strength and victory
National Anthem
The music and lyrics were composed by Pedro(Perucho) Figueredo, from Bayamo, at the start of the independence struggles. As a patriotic song, it was sung for the first time in october 20, 1868, by the inhabitants of Bayamo.
Flower

Butterfly lily (a type of white-colored jasmine that is exquisitely perfumed)
Bird

The Trogon bird (a native species whose plumage has the same colors as the Cuban flag)
Tree

The Royal Palm (Found in abundance)
Important Dates
- January 1: Liberation Day. Anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution.
- May 1: International Worker’s Day.July
- 25,26 and 27: Festivities in honor of the july 26, 1953 attack on Moncada Garrison.
- October 10: Beginning of the Wars of Independence.