Cuba
| Cuba | |
|---|---|
| Republic of Cuba | |
| República de Cuba | |
 | |
 Location of Cuba | |
| Established |
|
| Capital | Habana |
| Largest City | Habana |
| Government Type | Semi Presidential Republic |
| Languages |
|
| Currency | Cuban Peso (CUP) |
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba (Spanish: República de Cuba [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈkuβa] (listen)) is a country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The nations lays south of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Saint-Domingue and north of Jamaica. The largest city and capital of Cuba is the historic port of Habana with a population of 2.5 million inhabitants.
Before the start of Spanish colonization in the 15th century Cuba was inhabited by the Taíno people. From the 15th century to 1894 Cuba was a Spanish colony until the becoming an independent republic with a de facto client state relationship with the British empire. After a joint New Netherlands & Mexican intervention in the Cuban Civil War (1941-1945) the second republic of Cuba was established. In present day Cuba is a developing nation with a growing middle class, strong diplomatic relations with other nations in the Americas and a major tourism hotspot.
Etymology
Historians believe the name Cuba comes from the Taíno language, however "its exact derivation [is] unknown". The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as 'where fertile land is abundant' (cubao), or 'great place' (coabana).