Since Cuba is a socialist republic, the church is separated from the state. About half of the country’s believers are Catholics. There are adherents of Protestantism and the cults of Santeria and Nyañigos, which originated from the mixing of African beliefs with Christianity.
Transport in Cuba
It is not recommended to travel by public transport within cities and between cities, as Cuba ‘s bus fleet is quite dilapidated and buses often break down. It is better to use more expensive minibuses, one trip on which will cost 1 US dollar. When calling a taxi, ask for a special tourist car, they are air-conditioned, more modern and more reliable.
All the country’s few personal vehicles are represented by old American cars, produced in the 50s, and Soviet production. You can rent a modern car at rental points, but the price even for a simple car is quite high and you need to carefully study the terms of the contract.
Plant and Animal World in Cuba
The vegetation of Cuba is very diverse. There are mangroves, humid rainforests in the highlands and desert vegetation inland. The country’s symbols are the Royal Palm and the Mariposa flower. The most common animals are the Hutii tree rats and the Cuban flint tooth. More than 70,000 Caribbean flamingos live in Cuba – the largest colony of Caribbean flamingos in the Western Hemisphere. Cuban crocodiles are found in the marshes of Zapata. Here you can also find the smallest frog in the world, just over 10 mm in size.
Minerals in Cuba
Cuba is home to the world’s largest deposits of nickel, chromium and cobalt.
Banks in Cuba
Banks are open on weekdays from 8:30 to 15:00, on Saturday – until 10:30. You can exchange currency at any exchange office.
Money in Cuba
The official currency of Cuba is the Cuban peso. 1 peso is equal to 100 centavos. There are two types of peso: the “regular” peso, for settlements within the country, and the convertible peso, which tourists pay for and which is officially equal to the US dollar. In Cuba, in 2004, it was forbidden to use US dollars, so the convertible peso became the main payment unit for tourists. It can be purchased for 25 “regular” pesos. The convertible peso has no value anywhere else in the world. When exchanging US dollars in Cuba, a 10% tax is charged. You can also use credit cards, the main thing is that payments do not go through banks located in the United States.
Rate: 10 Cuban Peso (CUP) = 9.04 USD
Political State in Cuba
According to politicsezine, Cuba is a socialist republic. The highest organ of power is the National Assembly of People’s Power, elected for a term of 5 years. Inside it, the State Council is elected, the chairman of which heads the government.
Population in Cuba
The population of Cuba is about 11 million people. Most of the locals are descendants of the Spaniards. A third of the population are blacks, mulattoes and mestizos.
Language:
The official language of Cuba is Spanish, but staff in hotels and tourist areas also speak English.
Cuisine in Cuba
In the national cuisine, the main dishes are ajiaco criollo – a soup of vegetables and meat, fried pork, congri – colored beans with rice, and arroz moro – rice with black beans. Crocodile and turtle meat, swordfish are considered delicacies. For dessert, all kinds of tropical fruit dishes are served, and a fried banana, for example, is served as a side dish for meat. Cuba is known all over the world for its rum. It is an integral part of almost all alcoholic cocktails. The most popular of them are: Cuba Libre, made from rum and Coca-Cola; Mojito, which is made on the basis of rum and mint; daiquiri – made from rum and lemon juice.
