The answer to the question of where Havana is located could easily be given by every Soviet schoolchild. “On Liberty Island!” This is the only name Cuba was called in the USSR in the 1960s. From all the radio points came: "Cuba is my love ...". And the name of Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary, was known in the same way as the name of Lenin.
The assistance that the Soviet Union provided to the revolutionary government of the country was difficult to overestimate.
After the collapse of the USSR, difficult times came for the first socialist country of the American continent. But, relying on its own resources, the country lives and is optimistic about the future.
A bit about colonial times
Christopher Columbus discovered America at the end of the 15th century. In subsequent years, his countrymen, residents of Spain, and Portuguese neighbors actively explored the continent, or rather, captured it. Where the city of Havana is located, the Indian tribes of Sibonei and Taino once lived. Cruel oppression, hunger and imported diseases destroyed the indigenous people. The Spaniards began to supply labor to a new colony from another continent. So on the island appeared slaves with black skin - blacks.
For some time, Cuba was the property of England. In 1762, it was captured by British troops, but a year later, at the end of the Seven Years War, it returned to Spanish rule. Since the end of the 19th century, the Cubans waged a continuous liberation struggle. The path to freedom was long and difficult, but some rights were gradually won back. Final independence was achieved only in 1959.
The development of socialist Cuba
After the victory of the Cuban revolution, all forces were sent to restore the economy devastated during the years of struggle. Cubans are a cheerful people who did not lose heart even under the yoke of the colonialists. They enthusiastically set about creating a new social system. The fraternal Soviet Union, like all countries of the socialist camp, provided all kinds of assistance to young fighters. The necessary specialists worked on the island. Cuban students studied at the universities of socialist countries. Material assistance came from everywhere.
Now, certainly, all Soviet people knew where Havana was, and what kind of country Cuba was. In a short time, a metallurgical plant, a car repair plant, a shipyard, a residential area of Havana del Este were built here. The Cuban Republic has firmly embarked on the socialist path of development.
Today's Cuba
Despite the predictions of analysts who claimed that after the collapse of the USSR, the government of Fidel Castro, the leader of the Cuban revolution, would fall. The people hardened in the struggle only rallied closer around their president and withstood. Today, the economic condition of the country is considered stable and satisfactory.
Cuba produces oil, grows cane and produces sugar, exports nickel. Cuban cigars are considered the best in the world and are sold in high-end stores. But the tourism industry attracts the largest number of foreign investors.
Description of Havana
Where, in what country this city is, is no secret. It is the capital and largest city of Cuba. Built during the time of the Spanish settlers, it was not subjected to global destruction. And today it is one of the most beautiful capitals among the island states. It harmoniously combines the originality of the colonial appearance with modern architecture. In general, the city makes a stunning impression on tourists.
Cultural life is active and diverse. The catalog of attractions contains more than 900 objects. On the streets there are many monuments, sculptures, buildings with interesting architectural solutions. Museums and theaters, galleries and exhibitions await art lovers. For lovers of beach holidays - a multi-kilometer zone of the coast, where you can find a place for swimming, sports or fishing.
Cubans, who know how to spend their free time incendiary, are attractive to visitors to the island for their holidays, festivals, carnivals. But on ordinary days, where Havana is located, music constantly sounds, there is noisy, crowded fun. This city never sleeps.
Malecon Embankment
The location of Havana is unique. The capital of the island nation lies in a picturesque place: on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Fluctuations in air temperature during the year are insignificant: from 25 to 29 degrees; and therefore a comfortable rest is possible at any time of the year. Luxurious vegetation dominated by sandalwood and citrus trees complements the idyllic holiday.
Not a single guest of the island can miss the Malecon embankment, and local residents consider it the most suitable place for meetings, walks, and relaxation. Malecon was created at the very beginning of the 20th century for the middle-income population. Today it is an open-air theater, where the population of Havana flocks in the evening to get news, participate in philosophical conversations, and discuss cultural events. On holidays, which are often held in the capital, the embankment turns into the center of crowded and noisy entertainment.
Old part of town
Where Havana is located, there has been a fierce struggle against slavery for many centuries, but this was not reflected in the appearance of the capital. It did not suffer during the revolutions, and today it is inhabited by more than two million citizens.
Old Havana, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, has preserved its narrow streets and shady squares. Most of the buildings here date from the 16th century and show tourists a mixture of Baroque and neoclassical styles. In the old city, the largest number of attractions is concentrated: monuments, monasteries, fortresses. Where are Havana's Cathedral Square, the Cathedral of the mid-18th century, the Castillode la Real Fuerza Fortress, the oldest in Latin America? Any resident of the city will answer this question of a tourist: "Of course, in Old Havana."
In the Cuban capital there are a lot of interesting places that I would like to visit. The development of the tourism industry in this country, the creation of comfortable living conditions, catering and tour companies make the dream of tourists all over the world possible.