Cuba

Origen

When Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba on October 28, 1492, the view f the island amazed him so much that he called it, "(...) the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen.” Had he been bound to explore the island, he would have found out it was simply more than that. Cuba is as rich a land as beautiful.Honoring his benefactors and in tribute to the Spanish Catholic Monarch’s daughter, Columbus named the island Juana (Jane), thus becoming the first of the many names it subsequently received. It was eventually named Cuba, a clipped form of its original Cubanascán.When Columbus came to Cuba for the first time, native Arawacan-speaking Tainos inhabited the island. The island’s colonization began in 1512 when Spanish conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuéllar founded the city of Baracoa. He would later found other settlements like Havana and Santiago de Cuba.The Spaniards turned Cuba into one their supply bases to launch out expeditions toward Mexico and Florida.The native islanders were virtually extinguished in the mid 16th Century as a result of the exploitation they underwent, as well as diseases brought in by the Spaniards and the natives came down on. This situation pushed Spanish rulers to bring in slaves to work the mines and the plantations.Despite frequent attacks by buccaneers and fleets from rival powers, the island thrived during the 16th and 17th Centuries.


Constitución

Government Type: Communist state; current government assumed power on January 1, 1959. Independence: May 20, 1902. Political party: Cuban Communist Party (PCC); only one party allowed. Administrative subdivisions: 14 provinces, including the city of Havana, and one special municipality (Isle of Youth)


Gobierno

The People's Power National Assembly is a one-chamber parliament, the sole constitutionally and legislatively entitled body to make and pass laws. Its 601 delegates are elected for five-year terms by secret ballot. The National Assembly meets twice a year and chooses the members of the Council of State to execute the functions of the unicameral parliament between the two-sessions-a-year span of time. The Council of State is made up of a chairman, who’s also the head of State, a first vice chairman and other five vice chairmen. The Council of Ministers is the nation’s top executive and administrative body and it constitutes the country’s government. His chairman is the head of State and the head of the government. Cuba is divided in 14 provinces and 169 municipalities. The Isle of Youth special municipality is not attached to any province and its needs are directly met by the central government.Each and every municipality is led by an Assembly of People’s Power Delegates that elects an executive committee made up of delegates from the same delegation. A chairman and a vice-chairman are chosen from the executive committee members. The election of delegates to the municipal assemblies is held every two years and a half in the whole country. The Communist Party of Cuba is the country’s only political party.


Historia General

Traveling to Cuba is not a dream. Arriving is like making a second discovery trip, but without caravels at the mercy of the winds. It is getting straight into a small world of contrasts, located in a unique and wonderful Nature. It is to meet nice people, their expectations and reality. Five centuries of mixtures have provided Cuba with a racial diversity only typical from the Caribbean. Cubans, frequently easygoing and serious about their decision-making, are welcoming and attentive to visitors. As music lovers, they are always looking for reasons to celebrate parties. The sea is a permanent element in Cuban life. Its seven thousand long coasts have beautiful cliffs and sands views, as well as several bays and coves that provide shelter to ships navigating round the island. There are more than 300 extraordinary and famous beaches such as Varadero, Guardalavaca, Santa María del Mar, Ancón or Santa Lucía; and others more isolated but also fascinating. Natural attractions like Viñales and Yumurí valleys, mountain ranges such as the Sierra Maestra in the east of the country, the Escambray in the central part, and El Rosario in the western region, are waiting for the visitor eager to discover this island's original charms. Cuba has an invaluable and very well preserved cultural inheritance, constantly enriched by new generations of musicians, dancers, writers and painters. Important painting exhibitions can be admired in its museums. Painting can also be appreciated in many tourist places and art galleries. Famous night clubs like Tropicana one of the world's most famous open air cabarets, offers the possibility to enjoy paradise under the stars drinking genuine Cuban rum straight or mixed in cocktails that have make the island famous such as Mojito, Daiquirí or Cuba Libre. A varied and always exciting cabaret and night club offers along the island, cheer up nights for a demanding clientele, always willing to enjoy the joy and taste of the Antilles' major island. Cuba is an unusual paradise, very close to the crossroad where only a few people have time to stop for today's world gives little chance to rest and relax. Probably being a bunch of isles, beaches, forests and cities to discover, is the best thing about Cuba. Do it. We keep the invitation.