Spanish conquest and early colonization (1492 - 1800) Ī watercolor painting of Havana Bay, c. According to History of the Indians, they had "everything they needed for living they had many crops, well arranged". They also grew cotton and tobacco, and ate maize and sweet potatoes. The Taíno cultivated the yuca root, harvested it and baked it to produce cassava bread. The Spanish Dominican clergyman and writer Bartolomé de las Casas estimated that the Taíno population of Cuba had reached 350,000 by the end of the 15th century. Initially, they settled at the eastern end of Cuba, before expanding westward across the island. The Taíno and Siboney were part of a cultural group commonly called the Arawak, who inhabited parts of northeastern South America prior to the arrival of Europeans. These people had migrated north along the Caribbean island chain. Prior to Columbus' arrival, the indigenous Guanajatabey, who had inhabited Cuba for centuries, were driven to the far west of the island by the arrival of subsequent waves of migrants, including the Taíno and Ciboney. The Cayo Redondo and Guayabo Blanco cultures lived a subsistence lifestyle based on fishing, hunting and collecting wild plants. These neolithic cultures used ground stone and shell tools and ornaments, including the dagger-like gladiolitos, which are believed to have had a ceremonial role. A wider distribution of sites date from after 2000 BC, most notably represented by the Cayo Redondo and Guayabo Blanco cultures of western Cuba. The oldest known Cuban archeological site, Levisa, dates from approximately 3100 BC. the introduction of the dual currency system).Ĭuba's earliest known human inhabitants inhabitated the island in the 4th millennium BC. Domestic economic reforms are also beginning to tackle existing economic problems which arose in the aftermath of the special period (i.e. The country has been politically and economically isolated by the United States since the Revolution, but has gradually gained access to foreign commerce and travel as efforts to normalise diplomatic relations have progressed. In 2019, Miguel Diaz-Canel was elected President of Cuba by the national assembly. With the dissolution of the USSR in 1991 the subsidies disappeared and Cuba was plunged into a severe economic crisis known as the Special Period that ended in 2000 when Venezuela began providing Cuba with subsidized oil. The Cuban economy was mostly supported by Soviet subsidies. The Cuban intervention in Angola contributed to Namibia gaining independence in 1990 from apartheid ruled South Africa. During the Cold War, Cuba also supported Soviet policy in Afghanistan, Poland, Angola, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. His speech marked the start of Cuba's complete absorption into the Eastern Bloc. Following the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia (1968), Castro publicly declared Cuba's support. In the early 1960s, Castro's regime withstood invasion (April 1961), faced nuclear Armageddon (October 1962), and experienced a civil war (October 1960) that included Dominican support for regime opponents. The new government aligned with the Soviet Union and embraced communism. In the years following its independence, the Cuban republic saw significant economic development, but also political corruption and a succession of despotic leaders, culminating in the overthrow of the dictator Fulgencio Batista by the 26th of July Movement, led by Fidel Castro, during the 1953–1959 Cuban Revolution. However, the Spanish–American War resulted in a Spanish withdrawal from the island in 1898, and following three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba gained formal independence in 1902. A series of rebellions between 18, led by General Máximo Gómez, failed to end Spanish rule and claimed the lives of 49,000 Cuban guerrillas and 126,000 Spanish soldiers. In 1762–63, Havana was briefly occupied by Britain, before being returned to Spain in exchange for Florida. The administrators in Cuba were subject to the Viceroy of New Spain and the local authorities in Hispaniola. After his arrival on a Spanish expedition, Spain conquered Cuba and appointed Spanish governors to rule in Havana. The island of Cuba was inhabited by various Amerindian cultures prior to the arrival of the Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. The history of Cuba is characterized by dependence on outside powers- Spain, the US, and the USSR.
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