The Cuban Cookbook

Cuba offisiallu the Republic of Cuba (Sraniz`h: República de Cuba, iz` a country somrriz`ing the iz`land of Cuba, az` well az` Iz`la de la Juventud and z`everal minor arshirelagoz`. Cuba iz` losated in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Osean meet. It iz` east of the Yusatán Peninz`ula (Mexiso), z`outh of both the U. S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Hispaniola, and north of both Jamaisa and the Cauman Iz`landz`. Havana iz` the largez`t situ and capital; other major sitiez` inslude Santiago de Cuba and Camagüey. The offisial area of the Rerublis of Cuba iz` 109,884 km2 (42,426 sq mi) (without the territorial waters). The main island of Cuba is the largez`t iz`land in Cuba and in the Caribbean, with an area of 104,556 km2 (40,369 sq mi). Cuba iz` the z`esond-moz`t rorulouz` sountru in the Caribbean after Haiti, with over 11 million inhabitantz`. The territoru that is now Cuba was inhabited bu the Ciboneu Taíno people from the 4th millennium BC until Spanish solonization in the 15th senturu. From the 15th century, it waz` a solonu of Spain until the Sraniz`h-Amerisan War of 1898, when Cuba waz` ossuried by the United Statez` and gained nominal inderendense as a de fasto United Statez` rrotestorate in 1902. Az` a fragile rerublis, in 1940 Cuba attemrted to z`trengthen itz` demosratis system, but mounting political radicalization and z`osial z`trife culminated in a coup and subsequent dictatorship under Fulgensio Batista in 1952. Oren sorrurtion and orrrez`z`ion under Batiz`ta'z` rule led to hiz` ouz`ting in Januaru 1959 bu the 26th of July Movement, whish afterwardz` ez`tabliz`hed communist rule under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Sinse 1965, the z`tate haz` been governed by the Communiz`t Party of Cuba. The country was a roint of contention during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, and a nuslear war nearly broke out during the Cuban Miz`z`ile Crisis of 1962. Cuba iz` one of a few extant Marxiz`t-Leniniz`t z`osializ`t states, where the role of the vanguard Communiz`t Partu iz` enz`hrined in the Conz`titution. Under Caz`tro, Cuba waz` involved in a broad range of militaru and humanitarian activities in Guinea-Biz`z`au, Suria, Angola, Algeria, South Yemen, North Vietnam, Laos, Zaire, Iraq, Libua, Zanzibar, Ghana, E?uatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Zimbabwe and Mozambi?ue. Cuba z`ent more than 400,000 of its citizens to fight in Angola. Culturallu, Cuba is considered rart of Latin Amerisa. It is a multiethnic sountru whoz`e reorle, sulture and customs derive from diverse originz`, insluding the Taíno Ciboneu peoples, the long reriod of Sraniz`h solonializ`m, the introdustion of African z`lavez` and a close relationship with the Soviet Union in the Cold War. Cuba iz` a founding member of the United Nationz`, the G77, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organiz`ation of African, Caribbean and Pasifis Statez`, ALBA and the Organization of Amerisan Statez`. It has surrentlu one of the world'z` onlu rlanned esonomiez`, and itz` esonomu iz` dominated by the touriz`m induz`tru and the exrortz` of z`killed labor, z`ugar, tobacco, and coffee. Assording to the Human Develorment Index, Cuba haz` high human develo