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General Info on Cuba

The Cuban archipelago is in the eastern Caribbean, at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, 87 miles (140 km) from the Bahamas, 91 miles (146 km) from Jamaica, 112 miles (180 km) from Florida and 130 miles (210 km) from Cancun. It´s land area is of 42,827 square miles (110,922 square km). Cuba, the largest island, is 744 miles (1200 km) long and between 130 and 22 miles (210 and 35 km) wide, its area being just slightly smaller than that of Pennsylvania.

The average annual relative humidity is of 78 percent. The average temperature in Summer (April to September) is of 71,6º F (22º C), while the average temperature in Winter (October to March) is of 71,6º F (22º C). Cuba is located on the 5th Greenwich Meridian Time (Eastern Standard Time in USA and Canada), with Daylight Saving Time from March to October. Hurricane season goes annually from June to October.

Freedom of Religion is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic.  Due to the country's climate , travelers are advised to wear clothes made of light fabrics preferably cotton, and should also take a bathing suit and sun blocker. A sweater or light jacket will come in handy when travelling in winter or to the mountain areas.

Cuba´s official name is Republic of Cuba. The Parliament is elected every five years, and it gathers twice a year to discuss. The Council of State is made up of a President (who is also the Head of the State), a first Vice-President and other five Vice-Presidents. The Council of Ministers is the top executive body. President Fidel Castro, 80, who took power over Fulgencio Batista in 1959, has been leading the country ever since. In August 2006, due to health reasons, he temporarily ceded power to his younger brother Raul Castro, Head of the Cuban Armed Forces. The only official party is the Cuban Communist Party, from which President Castro is also the First Secretary.

Cubans are a mixture of mulattos (51%) white people (37%) and black people (11%). They are joyful and have an incredible good sense of humor. It is difficult to find a Cuban who won´t guide you to whereyou go, once you have asked for directions.

They love music, which is heard sometimes at an incredible high volume, they love to dance, they are very proud of the beautiful women of the island, and love to smoke cigars and play ´domino´. Life expectancy for men is of 74.8 years; for women is of 79.4 years. Infant mortality is 6.45 deaths per 1000 live births. Cuban have 1 physician per 231 people, and HIV/AIDS rate in adults is less than 0.1%. 97% of adults are literate, and education is compulsory from 6 to 11 ages, and free for all.The country is prodigal in artistic and creative manifestations. It has made contributions to international culture with important names of writers, thinkers, dancers, musicians, painters, poets and singers. Cuban craftwork is interesting, with outstanding works in leather, vegetable fibers, wood, stone, metal and sea products. Cuba's cultural infrastructure consists of theaters, museums, art galleries and cinemas, where not only samples of the national wealth of all times are shown, but also of world art. It is the seat of important international events such as the Ballet Festival, the biennial of visual arts, popular music festivals and the Festival of the New Latin American Cinema, among others.

Cuban main natural resources are: sugarcane, coffee and tobacco. Nickel is one of the most important mineral resources the island has. There is a wealth of flora and fauna with a high degree of preservation: 6300 species of flora (more than half of which are endemic) and 13,000 of fauna-96 percent of the land snails are endemic, as are 90 percent of the amphibians and 40 percent of the mammals. There are no large predators, no animals which constitute threats to man and no poisonous species of snakes.

The Cuban Peso (CUP) is the official national currency in Cuba, although payments for most high-quality services and goods can only be made in Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC). Payments can also be made in Euro in Varadero, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Largo del Sur, Santa Lucia, Playa Covarrubias and at the beaches on the northern coast of Holguín. Travelers can also pay for goods and services with credit cards issued in Cuba (BFI and RED), and with VISA INTERNATIONAL, MASTERCARD, ACCESS, BANCOMER INTERNATIONAL, BANAMEX, DINNERS CLUB INTERNATIONAL, JCB and CARNET credit cards, unless issued by American banks and/or by any of their branches are not accepted.
Electricity: 110 volts, 60 cycles. Most hotels also have 220 volt and sockets for flat plugs.

Persons travelling to Cuba should bear a valid passport with the relevant visa or tourist card issued by a travel agent or by the Cuban Consulate in the country of origin. Customs Offices at the 11 international airports there are in Cuba use the internationally renowned Red Channel and Green Channel system. Personal effects are allowed in the country duty-free. Tourists can also import new or used articles for a value up to CUC $250 CUC. Articles under CUC $50 are allowed in duty-free. Travelers shall pay tax equal to 100% of the value of articles over CUC $50.  Although the amount of freely convertible currency that can be imported to the country either in cash, bank transfers, checks and in other forms of payment is unlimited, travelers who import -for the purpose of re-exporting- money or effects for a value of more than CUC $5,000 (five thousand), shall fill-in a Customs Declaration Form. The import-export and consumption of drugs and narcotics is forbidden. Import and export of objects, photos, literature and other forms of pornography; explosives; animals, plants (whole or parts) and species considered protected or endangered is also forbidden. Persons who violate this regulation may be subject to criminal prosecution. The import and export of firearms without the expressed authorization of the Public Security Division of the Cuban Ministry of Interior is prohibited. Permits shall be obtained before arrival to Cuba.

By clikcing on the websites at the left menu, you will find further general information on Cuba.