Did You Know

Interesting Facts about Cuba

Trivia, oddities, and curious tidbits about Cuba.

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Did You Know?

20 curious facts about Cuba.

During the 17th century, pirates buried stolen treasure on an island off Cuba called the Isle of Youth. According to legend, this was the famous Treasure Island described in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel.
About 150 million years ago, Cuba was part of a submerged North American mountain range. Movements of the earth's crust below the sea made the mountain tops appear above the surface of the water. These peaks became the Caribbean islands that we know today.
The royal palm is the symbol of Cuba. It occupies the central position in Cuba's national coat of arms and symbolizes strength.
Many mountains, rivers and towns in Cuba retain the names given to them by the indigenous peoples. The name “ Cuba” comes from the Taino word cubanacán, meaning a centre or central place.

José Martí (1858-95) was a leading figure in Cuba's struggle for independence. He spent many years in exile, and wrote poems and essays about the need for Cubans to break free of Spanish and American domination. In 1895, he helped lead an army against the Spanish at Dos Rios. He was killed when he rode headlong into the enemy lines. Today, Cubans revere Martí as a hero.
Men usually do two years of compulsory military service between the ages of 16 and 30. Recently, they have been given the option of doing agricultural service instead.
Cuban families may celebrate a daughter's fifteenth birthday by throwing a big party. Traditionally, this celebration announced her readiness for marriage.
Sugar is harvested between November and June. Before mechanization, Cuba brought in temporary workers from Haiti and Jamaica to cut the stalks by hand with machetes. In the 1980s, huge harvesters that could cut a truckload of cane in 10 minutes worked around the clock, using floodlights during the night. Recent fuel shortages, however, have forced workers to return to more labour-intensive methods.
A Cuban called Kid Chocolate was a world boxing champion in the 1920s.
Every May since 1962, Ernest Hemingway is remembered in a Cuban competition called the Ernest Hemingway International Marlin Fishing Tournament. Fidel Castro has participated in this event.