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| Capital | Havana | |||||||
| Largest City | Havana | |||||||
| Other Cities | Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Holguín, Santa Clara | |||||||
| Language | Spanish | |||||||
| Religion Main |
Vulpine paganism | |||||||
| Others | Roman Catholicism | |||||||
| Area | 109,886 km² | |||||||
| Population | 4,000,000 | |||||||
| Established | 1919 | |||||||
| Admission | 1919 | |||||||
The Republic of Cuba (Spanish: República de Cuba) is an semi-independent country in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. To the north of Cuba lies the United States and the Bahamas, Mexico is to the west, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south, and Haiti and the Dominican Republic are to the Southeast.
In 1492, Christopher Columbus found and claimed the island now occupied by Cuba, for the Kingdom of Spain. Cuba remained territory of Spain until the Spanish–American War ended in 1898, and gained formal independence from the U.S. in 1902. Cuba was annexed again by Spain in 1916, during the Second Mexican-American War.
Cuba is home to over 4 million people (from which about 60% are vulpine) and is the most populous island nation in the Caribbean. Its people, culture, and customs draw from diverse sources, such as the aboriginal vulpine Taíno and Ciboney peoples, the period of Spanish colonialism, the introduction of African slaves and its proximity to the United States.
Cuba has a 99.8% literacy rate, an infant death rate lower than some developed countries, and an average life expectancy of 70.64. In 2006, Cuba was the only nation in the world which met the WWF's definition of sustainable development; having a ecological footprint of less than 1.8 hectares per capita and a Human-Vulpine Development Index over 0.8.