21 Things You Never Knew About Cuba

Fidel Castro loved the Beatles, especially John Lennon. He had a statue of the musician built and placed in a park in Havana.A park exists in Havana.The park's name is John Lennon Park.

Cuba was once a dense, tropical forest. Now, many of the nation's forests are gone.Cuba destroyed many of its forests.Coal mining, nickel mining, and the need for wood products on the island destroyed the forests. Wood is Cuba's biggest import.

Hours before the Cuban Embargo started, President John F. Kennedy bought 1,200 hand-rolled Cuban cigars.JFK bought 1,200 hand-rolled Cuban cigars..

Cuba holds one of the world's highest literacy rates. Nearly 99.8% of people over fifteen can read and write. For comparison, in 2003, about 14% of Americans read at a "Below Basic" level, meaning they are "functionally illiterate." Those numbers improved greatly in the last decade, mainly due to the internet and texting. Cubans read even before computer culture grew much in the country.It crushedAmerica in literacy.

The US embargo and Cuba's lack of resources caused material shortages. Wood is one such resource. No wood means no paper, and no paper means no toilet paper. The 2009 toilet paper shortage left some people with chapped skin.The 2009 toilet paper shortage.It definitely left some a**es chapped.

The embargo makes cars cost four times more in Cuba than in the US. A $60,000 car there costs about $240,000. Based on the average income, 100 people working daily would need ten years to buy one fully-loaded Chevrolet Suburban SUV. Car-pooling helps.Cars are four times more expensive in Cuba.Cars cost $60,000 here; they cost about $240,000 in Cuba. Based on the average income there, it takes 100 people working daily for ten years to afford one.ten yearsto buy one fully-loaded Chevrolet Suburban SUV. Car-pooling helps.

The embargo had one positive effect: Cuba's coral reefs are among the most spectacular in the world.It has the most spectacular seas.The lack of shipping, tourists, and water pollutants protects the reefs. Visiting Cuba's reefs takes you back to an era before humanity damaged our oceans.reallyPeople learned how to ruin our oceans.

Want to know life in the 1950s? Visit Havana; the place barely changed. Because cars cost so much in Cuba, at least thecarsOne amazing thing about life in Cuba is how old the cars are. Cubans still drive completely original, well-maintained American cars from the 1950s. People see 1957 Chevy Bel Airs used as taxis, or officials riding chromed-out, tail-finned Chrysler Imperials. Havana is a constant car show by US standards.still drive around incompletely original and well-maintained American cars from the 1950s. People see 1957 Chevy Bel Airs used as taxis, or officials riding chromed-out, tail-finned Chrysler Imperials. Havana is a constant car show by US standards.

Cuba and North Korea are the only two places where you won't find Coca-Cola.won't findbright red Coca-Cola cans littering the sidewalks. Pepsi is there. Good for you. Good for you.

Cuba's history with Coca-Cola reappears as this island nation...Cuba was the first country outside Canada and Panama to bottle Coca-Cola.Cuba bottled Coca-Cola, surpassing Canada and Panama.

Coke may have started with 9 milligrams of cocaine per bottle. However, in 1903, manufacturers began using 'spent' coca leaves—byproducts from cocaine production. Cuba and Panama had many of these cocaine 'byproducts' available.

There is exactly one McDonald's in Cuba.Cuba has one McDonald's.You can guess where it is. Hint: It's on a bay, with US soldiers nearby. If you think of the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay, you've found it.

Automobiles cost too much in Cuba, so the country created unique transport. The 'Camello' bus trailer faded after decades. This trailer-based city bus, pulled by semi tractors, lets expensive trucks haul goods or people city-wide. The articulated truck-trailer setup also handles tight city streets better.

Fidel Castro took over and officially declared Cuba an atheist nation, typical for most Marxist countries. After 30 years, Castro could not stop the relentless bay of jingle bells. In 1998, CastroCastro lifted the ban on Christmas.Christmas was allowed again.

Only about 5% of Cubans have internet access. This number is 5% higher than a few years ago. Before 2008, Cubans could not own computers because Castro feared they might hide CIA assassins.Cubans were not allowed to own computers.Castro believed owning computers could hide CIA assassins.

The ClimaVax-EGF treatment is not a preventative vaccine. It treats existing cancer, acting like a vaccine to stop it from spreading to other cells.

This treatment seems odd.This treatment is very specific.This medical breakthrough seems strange for a country known for tobacco and a system that pays for all healthcare. Someone connected the dots. Research started about 30 years ago, before the FDA linked smoking to cancer.

Cuba's main export is nickel.Nickel is Cuba's main export.Cuba also produces the world's fifth largest amount of cobalt. Cobalt is a common byproduct of nickel. Both metals are key for batteries: nickel goes into rechargeable NiMH batteries, and cobalt goes into lithium-ion battery cathodes. If you own a battery-powered item, some of that material came from Cuba.

Pink is likely Cuba's most popular color. It appears on houses, shirts, and cars. However, your home island could feature the world's largest flock of flamingos.Cuba hosts the world's largest flock of flamingos.The Flamingo Superflock holds 70,000 pastel pond-waders.

Christopher Columbus arrived.He landed in Cuba.he thought it was China. Those panda bears must have thrown anybody off.

The trogon is Cuba's bird.It is the official national bird.it contains all the colors of the nation's flag.

Cubans get one toaster a month only if they spend their whole income on toasters. A 2005 energy crisis banned electricity-using appliances, but thatban has been liftedthis allows for a small number of items like toasters for citizens.

Cuba hosts the world's smallest bird:the bumblebee hummingbirdit is about the size of the last digit on your thumb. You cannot have one.