Interesting Facts You Will Be Surprised To Hear About Cuba

Many people know Cuba for its socialist revolution as a result of its struggle with the colonialists and local rulers. Of course, the country’s political past is an area that really attracts attention and needs to be read on. However Cuba is not just a land of wars. an exotic island in the Caribbean Cuba, It stands out among many different parts of the world with its culture and natural beauties.

Cuba is a strange country. It lives a mixture of Spanish, Caribbean and American cultures and manages to offer its own unique features. This is what separates it from the other islands and cultures around it. Where you go as a simple Caribbean island Cuba, a place ready to give you extraordinary adventures. Let’s see some facts about Cuba that even the most aficionados know little about.

Surprising facts about Cuba:

• You can see people playing dominoes all over the country.
• Baseball is Cuba’s most popular game.
• There are classic American cars everywhere.
• The smallest bird in the world is in Cuba.
• The level of literacy in Cuba is astounding.
• You can’t find internet anywhere.
• The country’s most popular music genre is Son Cubano.
• The country’s most important export items are tobacco, sugar and nickel.
• There are 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within the borders of Cuba.

You can see people playing dominoes all over the country:

You may have heard of the game of dominoes played with 28 rectangular pieces with dots starting with 0-0 and ending with 6-6. Dominoes, literally Cuban traditional game It wouldn’t be wrong to say. Just as we encounter people playing backgammon or okey while visiting different parts of Anatolia, this is also true for dominoes in Cuba.

The love of dominoes in the country is truly astounding. On a table placed in the middle of the street You can see people playing dominoes and chatting by watching them. It looks like the coffee house culture in our country has spread to the streets. Playing dominoes is one of the most important social activities, especially for middle-aged and older people.

Baseball is Cuba’s most popular game:

Isn’t Cuba a socialist, you may ask what is the American game doing there. However sport is powerful enough to set aside all political strife. It is thought that Cuba’s meeting with baseball took place in the 1860s. Even if the rulers of the country banned the playing of baseball in 1869, they could not prevent its spread.

In 1874, baseball became legal again. It reached its peak in the early 1900s. Just like old people playing dominoes, You can also see children playing baseball all over the country. Moreover, Cuba is so successful in baseball that it transfers dozens of players to the US baseball league every year. Most of the USA’s most important baseball players are Cubans.

There are classic American cars everywhere:

The moment you step off the plane and step into Cuba, you will feel as if you have gone through a time warp and returned to the past. The biggest reason for this even as a taxi in the country the use of classic American cars. We are talking about Ford and Chevrolets that we see in these movies and admire.

The reason why there are so many old cars in the country is because after the socialist revolution. This is because the country was embargoed by the USA for many years. Since no new cars came to the island, the existing old cars were modified and used by Cuban masters. Even if there is no embargo today, it is still possible to encounter classic American cars as a cultural element.

The smallest bird in the world is in Cuba:

Let’s come to the natural beauties of the country. Cuba, like all Caribbean islands, has a wonderful ecosystem. In the country, It is possible to see species of creatures that do not exist anywhere else in the world. Of course, they do not walk on the streets, they live in private natural areas.

The most striking among these different species is the bee hummingbird. bee hummingbird, With a maximum length of 6 cm, it is considered the smallest bird in the world. Almost the size of an insect, it is common to encounter this bird in the tropical forests of rural Baracoa city.

The level of literacy in Cuba is astounding:

Cuba may be a country that can be criticized on many issues. However, we have to admit that it follows the most successful policies in the world on two issues; health and education. Despite being a poor country, it has the same average life expectancy as the USA, which is a much more developed country, due to the successful and free health policies in the country.

Likewise, the educational mobilization started after the socialist revolution and the Since all universities are state-owned, that is, they are free. The education level of Cubans is quite high. 99.8% of the people in the country are literate. This level is hard to catch even in many developed countries.

You won’t find internet everywhere:

Another reason you will feel like you are back in the past when you go to Cuba is the internet connection. in the country as internet use is strictly regulated by the government It is not possible to access internet connection everywhere. Wireless internet service is available in certain areas for a fee.

Via the internet connection offered due to government policies It is not possible to access every website. For this reason, tourists are advised to use a VPN. However, as a result of the changes made in the country recently, it is foreseen that there will be improvements in the internet connection.

Son Cubano, the country’s most popular musical genre:

Since Cuba is a Caribbean island influenced by Spanish culture, you might think that you’ll probably hear salsa and other Latin dance music everywhere. However, this is not exactly the case. Cuba’s unique There is a genre of music called Son Cubano.

The most important representative of the Last Cubano genre, which emerged at the end of the 19th century, is known all over the world. It is a music group called Buena Vista Social Club. The most important element that distinguishes the last Cubano genre from other Latin music is the instruments used. Musical instruments such as tress guitar, bongo, clave, trumpet make this genre unique.

The country’s most important export items are tobacco, sugar and nickel:

• Fidel Castro in the sugar cane field

First of all, all tobacco and tobacco products are harmful to health. Don’t drink, you’ll die. Although this applies to Cubans as well, they don’t seem to care much. You can see almost everyone in the country smoking Cuba’s unique, world-famous cigar. However, let us remind you that children’s tobacco use is prohibited in the country.

Cubans not only smoke cigars themselves, but also export them. While tobacco is produced, processed and sold in this country; sugar and nickel, which is an important mineral, are mostly exported as raw materials. Nickel reserves, which are more than five million tons in the country, are used in the production of stainless steel and similar products in the countries to which they are exported.

There are 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites for Cuba:

We said that Cuba is a unique place. UNESCO will also be aware of this. declared 9 different points in the country as World Heritage Sites. Two of these areas are entitled to be included in this list thanks to their natural structure and the other seven due to their cultural structure. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cuba are as follows;

• Camagüey’s Historic Center
• Alejandro de Humboldt National Park
• Vinales Valley
• Historic Center of Cienfuegos
• Desembarco del Granma National Park
• San Pedro de la Roca Castle
• Cultural Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in Cuba
• Trinidad and Sugarcane Valley
• Old Havana Renovation and Fortification System

exotic island of the caribbean We talked about little-known facts about Cuba and the remarkable features of the country. To open a final parenthesis, Cuba is a bit expensive for tourists, but rest assured, an experience worth the money will be waiting for you.