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00:00When we think about the geography of Cuba, we might keep in mind two important ideas.
00:30First, Cuba is an island.
00:34Second, Cuba has a tropical climate.
00:38Let's learn more about this island and its people.
00:42Here are some of the people of rural Cuba.
00:45There are many different types of Cuban people, including those descended from the original Spanish settlers,
00:51those descended from Negro slaves brought to the island,
00:55and some descended from various European and West Indies peoples.
00:59What relationships can we find between these people and the big island on which they live?
01:11The tropical island of Cuba lies in the Caribbean Sea, just south of the United States and east of Mexico.
01:19It is only 90 miles from the United States, so near that the affairs of the two countries have always been closely related.
01:28Cuba's strategic position puts it on important sea lanes, here, here, and here.
01:36Two of these lanes are gateways to the Panama Canal.
01:42Because of its strategic position, Cuba was called the key to the new world by the early Spanish explorers.
01:54The Spaniards settled Cuba and built many cities, including Havana, still called by the Spanish name La Havana, and Santiago.
02:06In Santiago, we can see today something of Spanish history in the old buildings and streets.
02:13We find evidence of the Spanish conquest in the great fortifications in Santiago harbor.
02:19Here, too, are scenes of the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain, a struggle in which the United States took part.
02:27In Santiago Channel, a Spanish fleet was defeated by the United States in 1898.
02:33On San Juan Hill, American and Cuban troops won another victory.
02:41On the hill today, this memorial represents the combined Cuban and American fight for the island's independence from Spain.
02:50And so much of Cuba's history has been influenced by the importance of its island position as key to the new world.
02:59One way to see more of Cuba and its people is to go along the central highway.
03:04It extends from Havana to Santiago, a distance of about 700 miles.
03:10Starting in the city of Santiago, we meet more of the Cuban people.
03:15People of many different types who make up Cuba's mixed population.
03:21Following this bus from Santiago to Havana, we'll see more of the fertile, beautiful island.
03:28Here, at the eastern end of the island, are some of Cuba's highest mountains.
03:37There are mountains similar to these throughout the length of the island.
03:41It is here, in the mountainous region of the eastern end, that many of Cuba's forests and most of its minerals are found.
03:48Among the ores mined in eastern Cuba are iron, nickel, copper, and chrome.
03:57This mine produces manganese, an ore used in the manufacture of a hard type of steel.
04:03Among the many kinds of tropical trees that grow in eastern Cuba is mahogany.
04:10Much of the mahogany wood is exported to the United States.
04:17Moving westward along the island, we see green fields on both sides of the highway.
04:22Here, in the central portion of Cuba, are some of its most productive regions.
04:29Much of the land is used to grow sugar cane, the most important product of Cuba.
04:35Sugar cane is a tropical plant, and in Cuba's warm, moist climate and fertile soil, it grows so abundantly that five or six crops can be harvested from the same plants.
04:49Much of the crop is harvested by hand laborers who use sharp knives called machetes.
04:55Let's meet one of the workmen in this field.
04:58His name is Jose Hernandez.
05:01He swings his machete again and again, cutting the ripe stalks.
05:06After cutting the stalks, Jose gathers them up and helps load them into a truck.
05:12Jose and the other men do not work in the fields during the hottest part of the day.
05:22From noon until about four o'clock, they go to their homes to rest, or as they say, to take a siesta.
05:29Jose and his family live in a simple thatched hut called a boillo.
05:36Jose owns a goat and a few ducks and chickens, which his wife cares for.
05:46Near the hut are some banana trees that provide fresh fruit for the family.
05:52As in most tropical countries, life is easy and pleasant.
05:59For the siesta, everyone goes inside the hut to rest.
06:06After siesta, work on the plantations is resumed.
06:11In the midst of the plantation is the central, or sugar mill, where the harvested sugar cane is brought to be processed.
06:19At the central, the cane is pressed and the juice is changed into raw sugar.
06:25In some mills, the raw sugar is further processed into refined sugar.
06:31From this single product, sugar, comes most of Cuba's wealth.
06:37And where is the sugar sent?
06:39Most of it goes to Cuba's close neighbor, the United States.
06:43What else does Cuba send us?
06:46Let's follow the central highway into the western part of the island to find out.
06:52Knowing Cuba's tropical climate, we're not surprised to see fields of pineapples along the highway.
07:00Like sugar cane, pineapples thrive in Cuba's fertile soil and year-round warm weather.
07:06Much of this tropical fruit is sent to the United States.
07:10Another crop which brings wealth to Cuba is tobacco.
07:16Certain varieties of tobacco are grown under cloth for protection from the hot sun.
07:22Cuban laborers handle the crop through all stages.
07:26The growing of the plants, the harvesting of the tobacco leaves, and the final making of cigars.
07:32This is one of the many cigar factories in Havana.
07:44Supervising the work is the foreman, Miguel Perez.
07:48Senor Perez is one of many men who earned their living in the tobacco industry.
07:58Let's follow Miguel Perez as he leaves the factory to go to his home in Havana.
08:04He dodges the traffic of the evening rush hour and runs to catch his bus for home.
08:10The bus passes the Prado, Havana's famous boulevard.
08:16Nearby is the University of Havana.
08:20Among the students is Pedro Perez, Miguel's son.
08:26After classes, Pedro and his fellow students walk through Havana.
08:34They pass the capital, a beautiful building that resembles the United States capital in Washington.
08:40Later, Pedro and his friends find their way to one of Havana's beaches.
08:46Cuba's beautiful beaches and pleasant climate are among the attractions that bring tourists from other lands,
08:53many of them from the United States.
08:57The Cubans, too, appreciate the beauties of their own land.
09:01Sometimes for recreation, Miguel takes his family for a drive through Havana.
09:07Among the familiar Havana sites that the family sees is this statue of José MartÃ,
09:14the hero of Cuba's War of Independence.
09:18Here is Columbus Cathedral, named after the famous discoverer of the New World.
09:24Along Havana's docks are ships loading Cuban products that go to the United States and other countries.
09:31And near the mouth of Havana Harbor stands Morro Castle,
09:35one of the great forts that the early Spaniards built to protect their island, their key to the New World.
09:42And from then on until the present day, Cuba's history and geography have been closely related to its island position.
09:51Its nearness to America has made it a good neighbor,
09:54a neighbor whose history is closely related to that of the United States.
09:59Cuba's natural wealth includes many valuable products.
10:03Among them are tropical woods such as mahogany,
10:08tropical fruits such as pineapple,
10:13special crops such as high-grade tobacco,
10:18and of course the most important single product, sugar.
10:24These are some of the things produced by the Cuban people who live on the big island with the tropical climate.
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