The country of Cuba was originally inhabited by the Taino (indigenous people of the Caribbean). In the year of 1492, Christopher Columbus claimed Cuba for Spain. By 1511 the Spanish conquest had begun and established Baracoa among other settlements. In 1762, British admiral George Pocock and Lord Albemarle captured Havana, but to no avail, only one year later Havana was returned to Spain by the Treaty of Paris. The Ten Years War of independence occurred between 1868-78 and ended with a truce between the island of Cuba and Spain with promises of reform (which were mostly never met). Cuba's second war of independence happened in 1895-98, where the US declared war on Spain. In the year 1898 the second independence war was lost to the US and Spain handed all of Cuba over to the US. After three and a half years of being under US command, Cuba gained formal independence in 1902. While many people may instinctually think that Cuban culture mainly roots from Spanish influences,
The Caribbean is a beautiful place to travel to with many different types islands, people, and cultures. If you are having a tough time deciding which place would be a great one to visit first, then let me tell you why Jamaica will not disappoint! To start off, from personal experience I can tell you that most, if not basically all, Jamaican people are very giving, easy going, high-spirited, and resilient. You will never feel out of place around such a welcoming culture. If you have ever listened to reggae music (originated in Jamaica) then you can expect it to coincide with the attitude and lifestyle of the island- relaxed, humble, uplifting. Although believed to be originally inhabited by the Tainos from South America 2,500 years ago, today, most of Jamaica's people come from many parts of the world; the largest group being of African descent. With that being said, you can expect to find a wide variety of cooking and food available to suit the pallet of just abou