Cuba Facts for Kids

The study of geography is quite fascinating. There is so much to learn about each individual location. The type of terrain, the local weather, the animals, the people, the culture. The diversity of the world is simply amazing. Every region has its own history and interesting facts to learn about, every region is entirely unique.

Each continent has multiple countries, each country is then further divided up into different regions, states, cities, towns. No two areas are exactly alike. While there are many places to learn about, it is impossible to do so all at once. This means that it is best to break it down and learn about specific areas before moving on to the next. One interesting place to learn about is Cuba. That is why you will find here, a long list of fun and interesting facts all about Cuba.

There are many islands in the Caribbean, the largest of which is Cuba. There are also four thousand (4,000) smaller islands that are also part of the country.
One of the biggest resource exports in Cuba is nickel. It made up twenty-one percent (21%) of all exports in the year 2011. That is nearly four percent (4%) of the world’s production.
The most popular sport in Cuba is baseball. Other popular sports include boxing, basketball, cricket, football (soccer), and volleyball. Cuba has produced several Olympic winning boxers over the years.
Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba in the year 1492 and claimed it as Spanish territory. Up until this, Cuba was inhabited by Ciboney and Taino tribes. Before this, the island was inhabited by original indigenous inhabitants, the Guanahatabey people.
Cuba remained a Spanish Colony until it became a part of the United States after the Spanish-American War in 1898. The country of Cuba later became independent in the year 1902. The United States continued to have a great deal of influence on Cuba until 1959 when communist revolutionists took over. This group was lead by a man named Fidel Castro. Cuba remains one of only four self-declared communist states.
When viewed from the air, the Island of Cuba looks remarkably like a crocodile. Because of this, many refer to Cuba as El Cocodrilo which is the crocodile in Spanish.
Cuba’s population is somewhat over eleven (11) million people.
The capital of Cuba is Havana or La Habana in Spanish.
The literacy rate in Cuba is a massive ninety-nine point eight percent (99.8%) making it one of the highest in the entire world.
A mere ninety (90) miles of ocean is all that separates Cuba from the tip of Florida in the United States.
The smallest bird in the world, the Bee Humming Bird which only grows to two (2) inches in length is found in Cuba.
In Cuba, there is a statue of John Lennon from the Beatles. It was erected by Fidel Castro in the year 2000 because Castro declared Mr. Legend to be music revolutionary.
Up until the year 1997, Christmas was not an official holiday. The change was made as a way of preparing for a visit from Pope John Paul II planned for some time in 1998.
During the 1950’s fifty-eight (58) different newspaper were published in Cuba. That has come down some; however, there are still twenty (20) different newspapers being published.
Ernest Hemingway was living in Cuba at the time he wrote one of his most famous books, For Whom the Bell Tolls.
In Cuba, it is illegal to take photographs of any military personnel, police officers, and airport personnel.
Snow is an incredibly rare occurrence in Cuba. So rare in fact, that according to documentation, it has only ever snowed once. This happened in the year 1857.
It was essentially illegal for anyone living in Cuba to own a cell phone up until the year 2008.
According to data gathered in 2013, the average salary in Cuba is approximately twenty dollars ($20).
Voting is mandatory in Cuba.

There are a great many things to learn about Cuba and this has only been a small sampling. Here, we have discussed things such as the capital of Cuba, the history of its inhabitants, the history of its government, and many other interesting facts. Although, there is always more to learn. Regardless, hopefully you have learned some new and interesting facts about the country of Cuba.