2020 Travel the World - Week 33

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Cuba

Cuba is the largest Caribbean island both in terms of size and population. It is also the 17th largest island in the world.

When viewed from the air, the island of Cuba resembles a crocodile. Hence, it is also referred to in Spanish as “El Crocodilo” or “El Caima.”

Of all the islands in the Caribbean, Cuba is the largest. 

Cuba is roughly the size (in total area) of the U.S. states of Tennessee or Virginia.

Cuba’s coastline stretches more than 3,500 miles.

Cuba has over 200 bays and 250 beaches to explore, making it arguably the best beach destination in the Caribbean.

Out of the 38,000 miles of roadways in Cuba, half are unpaved.

Cuba has one of the highest literacy rates in the world with almost all of the population (99.8%) being literate.

The uniform color of school children depicts their grade level. Every child between the ages of 6 and 15 is required to attend the school.

Until 2011, there was an import ban on cars in Cuba. Until this time and even still today, a majority of the cars on the road are classic cars from the 1950s.

Cubans call vintage cars “almendrones” (big almond) and their drivers “boteros” (boatmen).

Only Cubans and foreign residents (temporary or permanent) are allowed to purchase cars in Cuba.

Ernest Hemingway lived in Cuba for twenty years and wrote two of his most famous novels there: The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls.

During the prohibition era, many American bartenders moved to Cuba to continue their profession.

There are now just two countries in the world where Coca-Cola cannot be bought or sold – at least not officially. They are Cuba and North Korea.

Cuba's main exports are sugar, tobacco, and nickel, with sugar cane being its major crop.

Cuban cigars are known as the finest cigars in the world. They are handcrafted with homegrown tobacco. 

Havana Catedral is one of the many famous landmarks you can find in old Havana.

Cuba is the only country in the world that has a double currency system.

It is almost impossible to eat beef in Cuba. Beef is sold at high prices and is generally available in limited number of restaurants.

The game of dominoes is the national game of Cuba.

Baseball is Cuba's favorite sport.

Cubans were not allowed to own cell phones until 2008 when the ban was lifted by the government.

Cuba is said to have almost no violent crime, making it a popular place for solo female travelers.

Voting is legally mandatory in Cuba.

The United States pays Cuba $4,085 each month for rent of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Cuba has never cashed the checks. It is rumored Fidel Castro kept them in his top desk drawer.

Recipes in Cuba are passed down from generation to generation. They typically do not write down their recipes.

Cuba did not officially recognize Christmas as a holiday until 1997.

It is a tradition in Cuba to burn dolls at New Year’s Eve to symbolize the forgetting of bad times and look forward to a fresh start with the New Year.

The Cuban hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world, measuring just 2" long from beak to tail.

The world's smallest frog also lives in Cuba. It is less than 1/2" long.

Of the 350 species of birds that call Cuba home, at least 12 of them are endemic to the island.

There are no animals or plants in Cuba that are poisonous or lethal to humans.

Cuba has the highest doctor-to-patient ratio in the world. Due to this fact, many Cuban doctors are sent to countries where medical aid is needed.

On March 12, 1857, it snowed in Cuba. It is the only time in history that the island has seen snow.

I decided to let this Cuba fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Cuba is home to the largest flamingo colonies in the western hemisphere.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Set: Whimsy Flamingo Fun stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Accent Opaque 120# White, JoAnn's 110# Kraft, and SU Summer Sun CS

Dies: Gina Marie Designs Stitched Sky, MFT Wonky Stitch Rectangle, and Rubbernecker Nested Rectangle Stitch

Embellishments: Gina Marie Designs Enamel Dots