Cuba

thumb|300px|right|The flag and national anthem of Cuba.
The Republic of Cuba (pronounced /ˈkjuːbə/ Spanish: República de Cuba, pronounced [reˈpuβlika ðe ˈkuβa]) is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the 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. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is the most populous insular nation in the Caribbean. Its people, culture, and customs draw from diverse sources, including the aboriginal Taíno and Ciboney peoples; the period of Spanish colonialism; the introduction of African slaves; and its proximity to the United States of America.
==Religion in Cuba==
Following Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959, restrictions were placed on religious practice. Between 1959 and 1961, 80% of the Catholic and Protestsant clergy fled to the United States.
The Roman Catholic Church estimates that 60% of the population of Cuba are Catholics. Pope John Paul II made a historic visist to Cuba in January 1998. Prior to which Christmas was reinstated as a national holiday in Cuba.
Other Christian denominations account for about 5% of the population of Cuba. The first Russian Orthodox cathedral was opened in Cuba on October 20, 2008, in a ceremony attended by Raul Castro.
There is a long history of Judaism in Cuba, although the Jewish population there is now small. The New York times has said that there are 1,500 Jews in Cuba and only one kosher butcher's shop. A significant proportion of Cuba's Jewish population left the country after the revolution and now live in Florida. Many Cubans are descended from Marranos (Crypto-Jews) who fled the Spanish Inquisition, Fidel Castro himself has said that he had Marrano ancestors.
About 0.25% of the people of Cuba are Buddhists and 0.003% are Muslims.
==See also==
* Santería
* State atheism
==References==
*http://www.thedhamma.com/buddhists_in_the_world.htm
*The Complete Book of Buddha's Lists -- Explained. David N. Snyder, Ph.D., 2006.
*http://www.thedhamma.com/
==External links==
* Wikipedia article about Cuba.
* Wikitravel article about Cuba.
Category:Buddhism by location
Category:Countries
Category:Americas