Embedded Files
Overview of Cuba
Largest of the Caribbean islands, Cuba has been an American state since 2076, joining the nation on its tri-centennial after a long, close, and often paradoxical relationship interrupted by the 20th century cold war. Actually an archipelago, the main island covers over 100,000 square kilometers, an area slightly smaller than the state of Pennsylvania. It is about 1,200 km long and 200 km across its widest and 35 km across its narrowest points. The next largest island, Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), off Cuba's southwest shore, covers about 3,000 sq km. Four sets of smaller archipelagos—the Sabana, the Colorados, the Jardines de la Reina, and the Canarreos archipelagos—and numerous other islands are part of the State of Cuba. Havana is the state capitol and largest city with a population of 2,500,000 in 2300. The population in 2300 was about 8,800,000.
For 400 years Cuba was a colony of Spain, although Britain very briefly held Havana in the 18th century. Along with exterminating the entire indigenous Cuban population in the 16th century, Spain's conquistadores launched their invasion of Mexico and South America from the island. In the mid-19th century, the Cuban people formed an independence movement, with strong American support, decades after most of Spain's other colonies had become independent. The goal of many early Cuban patriots was not independence but annexation by the United States, which at the time, based experience in Texas, seemed a good idea. By 1868 Cubans began to fight the first of three wars of independence. The United States made repeated efforts to resolve the situation peacefully by purchasing the island from Spain. In 1898 the United States entered the war against Spain and declared Cuba independent but under the protection of the United States. The liberation of Cuba became part of the brief but decisive Spanish-American War. Cuba remained independent for less than 200 years.
The mutual antagonism between their 20th century communist regime and the United States government evaporated quickly during the twilight, and deep cultural ties and mutual necessity drove Cuba closer to the United States in the 21st century. During the mid 21st century, Mexican ambitions ran afoul of Cuban ideals. Although courted by Mexico, Cubans were opposed to Mexico’s ongoing expansionism. Having endured dictatorship, Cubans understood its consequences regardless of its patriotic appeal. They were even more wary of Mexico's unconcealed racial appeal. For their part, Mexican leaders seemed baffled by Cuban unwillingness to join their cause: the creation of Central American superstate able to compete with the United States, and the rest of the world, on equal terms. Numerous Mexican attempts to find willing cadres in Cuba failed, and Cuba sided firmly with the United States, as well as other nations, Caribe in particular, holding out against Mexican expansion. This was part of the context surrounding American-Cuban reconciliation and eventual unification in the 21st century.
The end of the twilight period and the admission of Cuba as a state saw a number of massive scale public works projects. Drawing on memories of the 20th century Depression, this was seen by the United States government as a way to restart sluggish economies, and at the same time solidify Cuban loyalty. Cuba received, for decades, a disproportionate share of American attention, until extra-terrestrial colonization stole the limelight. During this time, Cuba stole much of the glory of Florida’s former tourist empire, built industry, and brought up its standard of living to parity with the rest of the United States. English gained wider acceptance in Cuba, even as Spanish worked its way into the American dialect. By the 23rd century, Cuba was no longer considered a "new" state. Its status was readily accepted amongst mainlanders and Cuban islanders, even though the history of Cuba's independent period stayed on in the state's celebrated heritage. The admission of Puerto Rico as another Spanish speaking Caribbean state "normalized" Cuba while the predominant United States culture continued the long process of "Hispanicization" it had been undergoing for centuries. Now, the state is well within the American mainstream- or maybe the American mainstream has expanded to embrace Cuban culture. Probably a mix of both. For example, the popularization of America as the national name in lieu of "United States" is largely due to the influence of Hispanic Americans, who preferred the term.
Geologically, Cuba is part of a limestone platform, related to the limestone areas of Florida, the Bahamas, and the Yucatán. About one quarter of the island is mountainous or hilly, the remainder consisting of flat or rolling terrain. The mountainous areas are scattered throughout the island and do not stem from a central mass. The principal ranges are the Sierra de los Organos in the west, rising to 750 m (these contain the rough but scenic karst terrain of the Guaniguánicos hill country with limestone features and underground rivers); the Sierra de Trinidad in the central part of the island; and the Sierra Maestra in the far east. The Sierra Maestra, which includes the Sierra del Cobre and Macaca ranges, is the most rugged, extensive, and highest of the mountainous areas, rising to the highest point in the state, the Pico Turquino (1,974 m) near the south-eastern coast.
One of the most notable natural features of the island is the large number of limestone caverns, notably the caves of Cotilla, near Havana. Parts of the coast, especially in the south, are swampy with marshes and mangroves. The largest area of swamp in the country is the Zapata Peninsula, a nature preserve and National Park south-east of Havana. The second-largest, the Ciénaga de Lanier, is on the Juventud Island, which is generally flat and low-lying. Most of the numerous rivers of Cuba are short and unnavigable. The chief river is the Cauto (343 km long) in the south-east. The coast of Cuba is extremely irregular and is indented by gulfs and bays. Most of the northern coast is protected by coral reefs and sandy cays.
People
Demographics
Prior to its unification with the United States, Cubans were predominantly of African and Spanish descent, with the largest group being the mulattos, people of mixed heritage. There were also substantial amounts of Chinese, Russians, and some other Europeans. Gradually, during the last two centuries, the population of Cuba has blended with that of the rest of the United States. Immigration from the mainland to Cuba has been strong, and many Cubans, especially those in the lower economic classes, left Cuba in search of opportunities elsewhere. As of 2300, roughly third of the population is mulatto, with African-Americans and Hispanics making up another third, and the last third being a hodgepodge of everything. The Hispanic population includes people of both European and mixed descent. The big cities, especially Havana, tend to be the most diverse. These proportions are more heterogeneous than Cuba was when it was last an independent nation, and the trend is towards further blending. Sociologists predict Cuba will gradually approach the American mean.
Income, on the average, is slightly behind the continental United States, but so is the cost of living. Housing is relatively inexpensive, despite the costs of meeting Cuba's hurricane-inspired construction codes. Housing is particularly inexpensive in the rural areas. This is in part due to the relative
Crime in Cuba is at rates slightly higher than American average. There are two focuses that are considered the major problems. One is the presence of anti-government groups (discussed separately). The other is the crime directed against tourists. This spans the range from petty theft, fraud, and vice crimes to kidnapping, assault, murder, and rape. There tend to be a few major incidents with each tourist season, not enough to turn visitors off to the island's charms, but the government believes the tourist draw can only improve with more effort spent on controlling this. At its basic level, it is the perennial problem caused by exposing the rich and careless to the not so rich and resentful, however, there is a strong organized crime element. The government takes a multi-tiered approach, combatting the vice crimes with vigor as these feed the criminal class also responsible for the major crimes. Gambling and Prostitution are illegal in Cuba, although both exist, and both are aimed at the tourists. Havana is the heart of the on going duel between the criminals that prey on tourists and the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
The population is slightly older than the United States average, due to Cuba's attractiveness as a retirement area.
Culture
English is the predominant Language, although most Cubans know Spanish and use a mix of English and Spanish in their daily lives. This is similar in concept to the Texan patterns of speech, but curiously, a native speaker of the Cuban version of mixed English and Spanish has a hard time understanding a speaker of the Texan version, and vice versa. Linguists suspect that the two, if isolated, would devolve into two completely different languages. As it is, Cuba is slowly drawing closer to mainland patterns of speech.
Catholicism is still Cuba's most dominant religion, but others have gained ground. The Catholic/Novo Catolico schism disenchanted the Cuban Catholics, and overall support for organized religion fell. Cuba's catholics today regard both branches of the Catholic Church as legitimate. They consider warnings to the contrary to consist mainly of Mexican propaganda and Brazilian paranoia. It is common for individual priests and parishes here to maintain ties to both organizations. The Cuban priests have been sharply and sternly rejected any kind of "its Us or Them, you have to choose" feelings coming out of either Montevideo or the Vatican. Both seats of Catholic power would rather accommodate Cuban vacillation than alienate the Cuban Catholic population and their stock of historic churches. Occasionally, tension between the two sides has boiled over into violence. This has been an uncommon event, primarily resulting from the always dangerous combination of youth, ignorance, and alcohol. Barring these exceptions, religion in Cuba tends not to be pursued with excessive fervor, in fact, during the past century, the State has acquired a population of immigrant Brazilians, who find they enjoy the more relaxed attitudes toward spirituality they find here.
Protestant denominations of Christianity have grown at the expense of Catholicism over the past two centuries. Santeria has managed a toe hold, particularly among poorer people in rural Cuba, although Havana is home to a large "Santeria Spiritual Center" with a surprisingly diverse following. Havana is also the center for Cuba's Jewish community. Many Cubans have no declared religion at all (but it seems that both branches of Catholicism claim these folk as their own). Overall, Cubans tend to be somewhat more religious than Americans as a whole are, but somewhat less so than Latin Americans in general.
Cubans celebrate most of the holidays and festivals that the rest of America does. In addition, Cuban Independence Day, May 20th, is a public holiday. Cuban Independence Day features parades and fireworks, and day long carnivals centered around historical Cuban food and entertainment. Mardi Gras was imported from New Orleans in the 22nd century, originally by Cuban resorts. Cubans eventually decided that yet another holiday with parades and general merriment was a good thing. While not an official holiday, little work gets done around Mardi Gras. Parades and festivities, modelled on the New Orleans tradition but blending in Cuban and Hispanic culture, are held in Havana and several other cities.
Social attitudes in Cuba are conservative, with some exceptions, the most important being for the tropical Latin culture the island has inherited. Havana is a free spirited place, being called in the 22nd century "The New Rio". (But no longer, most people no longer associate Rio with its pre-Twilight history of wanton hedonism.) Clothing is more important here than in Florida, where sandals and cutoffs are worn to business meetings. In Cuba, people dress to the occasion, and when they can, they dress smartly. When they enjoy themselves, they tend to dress flamboyantly.
Cubans place great value on family and ethnic heritage, yet at the same time are known for a strong American patriotic streak. Cubans join the military in numbers disproportionate to the State's population. They tend to vote for politicians supporting their strong views on family bonds and personal responsibility. Small businesses find they have a protective, loyal populace that will back them on Election Day over the corporations, even if it means giving the occasional tweak to the American ideal of market capitalism. The conservative streak of the Cuban voters is frequently used in defense of the small businesses, with the large corporations being portrayed as communist style bureaucratic giants.
Large corporations have a tough time competing, because Cubans greatly value local craftsmanship and the personal service they find with small, family owned businesses. Cuban small scale entrepreneurs have a reputation for quality and service, and this ethic is valued highly here. Almost anything a Cuban buys, if it is of good quality, can end up a family heirloom. The Cuban view towards material goods emphasizes quality and heritage over quantity and convenience. While New Yorkers might have a new wardrobe each month, the Cuban carefully maintains the clothes he or she has worn for years, yet somehow, they still keep up with the latest styles. In fact, Havana is known as a small but important and idiosyncratic fashion center keeping alive a tradition of Latino design that seems to have been lost in much of the rest of the Hispanic world. Most small businesses here are very clear about their age and history, and Cubans consider a new business, one less than a decade old, to have a sort of "probationary" status.
Travel and Transport in Cuba
Visitor's information
Cuba is a tourist friendly environment, with a populace fully appreciative of the income the state receives from guests. Havana and the resorts are the most popular destinations, and the state's historic sites are also frequented, although they are numerous and widely dispersed. Cuba is modern enough so that the typical Earthborn visitor needs no special guide or assistance, unless he or she plans to trek through some of the wilderness land on the southern coast or on the Isla de la Juventud. Those areas are wild enough to require more seasoned travellers.
Cuba's network links are state of the art in Havana, and the cities. In most of the western third of the state, in the central plain, and along the southeast coast between Santiago and Guantanamo, the communications and data net is fully wireless and capable of the best rates of data transmission. In the rural, mountainous areas, along the northern coast, and on the Isla de la Juventud the system is capable of wireless voice and slow data, but hard connections are needed for most network functions. In general, any system compatible with standard American protocols will have no trouble in Cuba. The net serves most of Cuba's monetary and entertainment needs. Just like in the rest of the United States, one can order from the net almost any programming recorded and pay for the experience through one's computer links. Just like in the remainder of the country, you can shop from the net as well, but Cubans seem to relish the experience of doing it person, meeting the seller and touching the goods.
Cuba has strains of Malaria similar to, but not as virulent as the ones found in Florida. The south coast area is the most dangerous. Anti malarial drugs are the common preventive and are generally successful, but a small percentage of people experience severe allergic reactions to these drugs. Visitors should definitely test themselves before travelling in Cuba's wilderness areas.
Entry Customs here are similar to the rules elsewhere in America: vague, and disturbingly random and arbitrary. Several different offices post frequently changing lists of what is allowed in, what is not, and what kind of duties one is expected to pay. At least, the Cuban government doesn't see this as a cash opportunity the way they do in Caribe. Check the lists before you travel to Cuba from outside the United States. Visitors should always enter by one of the "approved" points of entry, or file a navigational plan from a point elsewhere in the United States. Cuba is considered the "front line" of America and security here is taken somewhat more seriously than it is in Ohio.
By long standing tradition, some of the minor islands, such as the very popular Key Largo on the south shore and, are considered "Free ports". Travelers to these locales, even from foreign nations, need no passports or other documentation, and customs inspections are minimal. Of course, travel from these points to the rest of Cuba is more controlled, but the system remains popular with non-American visitors, who can move into a resort, then travel on day trips to Havana and Miami without hauling their luggage through customs. The resorts also offer duty free shops, representing many Cuban manufacturers, particularly in Cuba's famous designer clothing industry.
\Weather conditions can be extreme from mid summer to autumn. Hurricanes are a major problem in Cuba, even though the uplands rapidly disperse many of them. Throughout the Caribbean and east coast of America, weather is much more violent than it was a few centuries ago. Several hurricanes hit Cuba every year. Travellers should heed the weather warnings, and stay in a safe place during a hurricane or major tropical storm. Most buildings on Cuba are protected against hurricane, even many of the older ones, which were discreetly reinforced and armored during major renovations. The natives are used to it, and its best to take them at their word when they describe the intensity of the storms.
Aviation and Space
There is no space transport available in Cuba. Most passengers to and from space travel through Kennedy-Canaveral Space Center in Florida. There are several major airports. Havana International is the largest, and the primary US Customs port of entry for the state of Cuba. Although large enough to handle space planes, it does not, as the small market share it could take from KSCS would not be enough to keep space plane flights profitable. Havana International handles major international air lines and is home base to a bevy of small, specialized airlines using S/VTOL transports to provide direct service to many of the major Cuban resort centers. While international arrivals ar restricted to a few controlled ports of entry, domestic flights to and from other points in the United States are unrestricted. Direct flights arrive at the resorts from air and Maglev connections across the American southeast, and one-stop flights (these small aircraft have a limited range) originate as far away as New York and Chicago.
Cuba has one more international airport, Albreu International Airport near Santiago. Built in 2264 to provide a new regional airline astride the main Mag-Lev route, Albreu represents a return to the Spanish Colonial architecture lovingly preserved in historic districts throughout Cuba. Cuba also has a number of regional airports handling domestic traffic only. These are the Isla de la Juventud Airport, Varadero Airport, Centrala Aiport, Guantanamo Airport, Holguin Airport, Oriente Airport, and Vertientes Airport.
Rail and Highway Travel
Cuba’s road net is somewhat less developed than in many states, not in extent, but in quality. This is not entirely a holdover from pre-state days, but the sad condition of Cuban roads in the pre-state days helped. "Auto-Pistas", as they were known then, tended to be poorly lit, poorly maintained, and stop abruptly where government work programs ran out of steam or where otherwise distracted. Cuba had no complete, end to end expressway until the Carretera de Cuba, now also known as US-95C, was completed in 2155. This was a handicap on an island with well over 1000 km driving distance, end to end. In addition to US95C, a series of branch roads were added. Certainly, enough funds were channeled into Cuba in the 21st and 22nd centuries to provide a good road net. The lack of development is partly due to prioritization of those funds, and a "development circle" favoring rail. The irony of course is that automobiles, especially historic automobiles, are a prominent Cuban interest, and vehicle ownership today is at rates higher than much of the world. Cuban highways were upgraded and renamed to basic American standards over two centuries, but they have always been a secondary priority, and have been playing "catch-up". There are no "smart" highways in Cuba yet; you have to drive on manual everywhere. The Cubans like it that way. Those who haven't ever tried this should at the very least put in a few hours in a simulator before driving in Cuba.
Oddly, there are plenty of Cubans, and plenty of visitors, who like it this way. Tourists often rent cars for the thrill of driving, and Cubans are proud of the scenery their island offers to drivers. Havanacar is the leading auto rental company, and even rents some of the "historic" models deigned to look like mid-20th century oil burners. Typical auto rental rates are about 10 Lv/day.
The mag lev system isn’t the fastest in the world, but its reliable, and the routes are shorter than highways, taking advantage of tunnels and cuts through some of the more severe terrain.
The mag lev system was built with federal funds. Costs were low, and no debt was accumulated. Ridership is high and the cost per kilometer is among the cheapest anywhere. The one failing of the system is a very limited commuter rail service from Havana.
Mag-Lev travel times and costs from Havana:
Local public travel is by bus. Many of the coastal resorts bring guests in by private bus, aircraft, or hovercraft ferry.
Government
Structure and Functions
The state government is in Havana. Like every state, Cuba is required to have a democratic, representative government, but the exact format of that government is left to the state. Cuba has a classic bicameral state Legislature, with a State Senate of 36 and a State Assembly of 60. The state capitol is Havana, where the Legislature meets in the State House of Cuba, a colonnaded limestone structure built in 2090, emulating the tradition American neo-Roman style. The governor is elected for a term of four years. Cubans took to democratic politics aggressively after the collapse of their Communist government. It took some time for the idea to sink in that beating up supporters of the opposition was inappropriate, and matters still get out of hand from time to time- the Holguin Riot of 2298, for example, but the system is now well entrenched. The island does seem to generate its own political parties with wild abandon, however. In the election of 2300, 33 registered political parties fielded candidates on the Cuba ballot.
The Cuban State Police number about 3000 and are headquartered in Havana. Their uniform is well known in fashion circles. In 2286, internationally known Havana based designer Olivia Taun of Taun and Artola offered their services, at no cost, to the Cuban State Police, which were then looking to update the all too military looking uniform currently in use. When manufacturers complained that the Taun design was more expensive to produce than conventional uniforms use by most law enforcement agencies, Taun and Artola stepped in and promised to subsidize the cost difference. The idea, they said, was to highlight Cuban design and fashion, then coming into the world as a cutting edge leader. Now the State Police of Cuba have uniforms that are the work of top designers. This has made them popular with the entertainment industry- 3 different networks have serial programs set in Cuba and involving the State Police.
While wearing their flashy threads, the Cuban State Police man an Investigation department, an Aerial department, a Highway department, a Courts Department, and a Coastal department. They have recently concluded a deal with Taun and Artola to have the design firm provide painting schemes for their vehicles. No doubt, they will be coordinated in color, form, and accent to the uniforms. The media remain enthralled.
Cuba's State Department of History and Preservation is one of the more important organizations of its kind. Few other states pay so much attention to their past (or have so much of it). The mandate of the Department of History and Preservation is a large and powerful bureaucracy. It has jurisdiction over most of the historic buildings in Cuba other than those in private hands, and the buildings owned by the Guardia Nacional. In some areas, the agency owns entire sections of towns, an example of which is historic Trinidad. The Department of History and Preservation also maintains cultural traditions, sponsoring traditional celebrations and holidays, as well as subsidizing folk artists. There have been complaints that the agency is overserious, and that in imposing a kind of historic stasis on the island, it forces people to lead lives as museum exhibits. On the other hand, there is no doubt that the agency contributes to the economic health of the State, as the well preserved culture of Cuba.
County governments
Cuban counties are generally adaptions of the provinces of the independent period, although some are creations of the last few centuries. They tend to be larger and more autonomous than most typical American counties. Avila, once called Ciego de Avila but having long since dropped its full name, is in the rugged central "waist" of the island. Camaguey County is the agricultural heartland in the center-east area. Its capitol is the city of the same name.
Cayos Romanos County occupies the coast to the north of Camaguey and the offshore islands continuing west to the islands north of Avila County. It's capital is Nuevitas, population 22,000. This is an almost entirely rural county, the economy largely resting on tourism. The islands, the north shore of which face the Bahamas channel, have numerous beach communities and resorts, including several retirement communities.
Cienfuegos County is on the south coast in the central area. Cienfuegos City is located 336 kilometers from Havana and next to the state's third largest bay. Among the city's many attractions are Jagua Castle, a colonial era military installations, the Rancho Luna beach, the Botanical Gardens and the Valle Palace. Nearby are the Escambray mountains, known for natural beauty.
Ciudad de La Habana is the capitol and the metropolitan heart of Cuba. Most of the state's financial and retail functions are centered here. The city is a separate county from La Habana, the county that encompasses the surrounding area.
Colon County is a small county between Matanzas, Cienfuegos, and Santa Clara, and another post-unification creation. It is home to several industrial parks, serving the bio-tech and medical field.
Granma County is a populous and fertile agricultural area, producing rice, beans, and topical crops. It lies near the eastern end of Cuba, south of Las Tunas, west of Holguin and Santiago. Its capitol of Manzanillo was hard hit by Hurricane Jodee in 2246, and was largely rebuilt.
Guantanamo County is on the far eastern tip of the state, and includes the famous bay of the same name. It is a significant coffee growing area, with several other crops as well. Holguin County, on the north shore of the far eastern end north of Guanatanamo, has the last working mines in Cuba. ,
The County of La Isla de la Juventud includes the island of the same name, and a minor archipelago to the east. Once administered directly from Havana, the County was established in 2107, as the resort industry there grew.
Las Tunas County is east of Camaguey. Much of it is rolling farmland. The Capitol, Victoria, is a quiet but modern rural center.
Matanzas County is directly east of La Habana. The Capitol was moved to Cardenas in 2150. It is considered part of the metropolitan area of Habana, or at least portions of it are, as Havana's modern urban transport system does not have a particularly long or dense reach. On the southern shore is the Zapata National Park, mostly swamp and rain forest. There are improved areas, but many visitors wish to explore the wilderness, which is home to most of Cuba's native crocodile population. Park rangers discourage feeding the crocs. Sometimes, visitors feed them quite inadvertently.
Pinar del Rio County is on the western tip of Cuba. It's open, rolling countryside is home to about half of Cuba's tobacco farms, a product for which Pinar del Rio is famous. About a quarter of a million people live in the county.
Sancti Spiritus County's capitol, Trinidad, is another of Cuba's best known historical sites, and among the oldest European settlements in the western hemisphere, founded in 1514. Set among the mountains and close to the sea, this city is something of a living museum. Its architecture has remained virtually untouched over the years. Cobblestone streets, balconies, churches and stately mansions display the baroque and neoclassical styles of the colonial period. Nearby are caves with the remains of old Indian settlements, and near the city is Ancon Beach, covered with 10 kilometers of white sand and clear waters, as well as keys and sea beds rich in corals and other species of Cuba fauna.
Santiago County includes Cuba's second largest city, Santiago de Cuba. This historic center was founded in 1514 and is still known for its architectural treasures. Points of interest include the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Municipal Palace, the Bacardi Museum and the historical museum at the Moncada garrison, a museum run by the Guardia Nacional. Some of the buildings are among the oldest in Cuba.
Villa Clara, east of Matanzas, north of Cienfuegos, is governed from Santa Clara. It is the heart of Cuba's sugar industry, and is also known for the numerous tiny islets that form the archipelago off the north coast. Many are privately owned refuges for the wealthy. Some are refuges for the not so wealthy: Cuban police have at several times evicted squatters from makeshift settlements among the islands.
Anti-Government Groups
Two terrorist groups have plagued Cuba, rather erratically, for the last half of the 23rd century. These are Panraza and the Nueva Brigada Independencia. Panraza was once clearly Mexican supported, but Mexico has kept its hand out of it- at least as far as is known- recently in an effort to avoid unnecessary tensions. Some Mexican support channels still exist, even if inactive, and previous aid has allowed Panraza to establish a few hidden funds which are replenished with the proceeds from criminal activities. Nueva Brigada Independencia gets more of its financing from sucking the bank accounts of young and impressionable members with naïve middle class parents. Neither are particularly large, neither have significant local support, although one seems to b attractive on certain college campuses.
Panraza, with more regional links outside Cuba, is dedicated to the creation of a Spanish speaking super state incorporating areas of the united States with Spanish and native American heritage. No one seems to understand just why Panraza insists on linking the two cultures, while implying that other cultures should be excluded in this area. It appears to be an import from Mexican philosophy, which has built a national culture incorporating native and Spanish influences. In Cuba, this is an irony; here, the Spanish settlers exterminated the natives, and there is no native culture. Even so, Panraza appears to include native Americans amongst the people it presumes to fight for. Nueva Brigada Independencia is more Cuban in aim, although at times they seem to link themselves with Puerto Rico as well.
Of the two, Panraza is the more professional, and NBI more unpredictable. Both have learned that senseless violence against Cuban civilians of Hispanic heritage is counter productive. Panraza has been responsible for kidnappings, extortion, and bombing of businesses not sufficiently Latin or amerindian in origin. They strike quickly, and are adept at hiding from authorities. Panraza's past Mexican links are an embarrassment, and are either downplayed or denied outright by Panraza members and supporters. NBI seems to appeal more to amateurs. Their attacks are much less dangerous, more flamboyant, and usually lead too much quicker arrests. These arrests are rarely confrontational, NBI members seem unwilling to confront actual danger.
Panraza has about a dozen members in prison and a similar number still active and at large, of which less than half are considered to actually be in Cuba. Two members are thought to be in Hispaniola. Panraza has supporters there, and in some of the poorer areas of Cuba. The organization acquires money through criminal activities, and the members are considered well trained.
NBI has support in many ethnic organizations, including some university clubs. They are frequently viewed by their supporters not so much as terrorists with a political goal, as enthusiastic activists who sometimes lose perspective and go too far. Their actions, frequently performed for the media, have resulted in fatalities even though NBI members have claimed these were never intended. NBI has about 50 members at large, including about 10 who form the core of the organization (and never seem to perform any of the more dangerous stunts themselves). The number fluctuates dramatically as young idealists come and go. NBI has six members in prison serving significant sentences, and typically has about ten to twenty serving time for offenses such as vandalism, arson, and theft. Several "reformed" members of NBI have perished under suspicious circumstances, and although NBI denies any connection to this, this has led law enforcement agencies to take this amateur group much more seriously
The American Military in Cuba
The US Army
Cuba is home to the United States’ Southeast Command, the integrated American military command dealing with the Caribbean and Latin America other than the land border with Mexico. (Which is to say, it deals predominantly with Mexico, as the United States has almost no military interest elsewhere in Latin America.). The US Army returned to Cuba in the spring of 2038, in the face of Mexican attempts, first diplomatic, then forceful, to take possession of the island. The Army first committed advisors and liaisons to aid the Cubans, then several brigades, which assisted the Cubans with their campaigns Mexican backed guerillas. The guerillas never enjoyed popular support to any great degree, but they were resourceful and their nuisance value was tremendous. In the first Mexican-American war of the Twilight era, their function was to tie down troops that the financially struggling US government needed elsewhere. It was a paradox to the Mexicans that they had greater success in California than Cuba. They simply could not imagine that the Cuban populace placed no faith at all in Mexican vision, and under the illusion that success depended on merely a demonstration of resolve, Mexico supported the guerilla operations until 2052.
The US Army rebuilt the Cuban Army with itself as a model (although in mid 21st century, this was a somewhat degraded, attenuated model). In 2160, the two nations entered a formal defense pact. In 2171, Cuba's future was already clear, and the military began a process of integration.
The Cuban military was absorbed, lock stock and barrel, into the US Army. By 2130 no one talked about "Cuban" armed forces anymore, simply American forces. Cuba does maintain a large Guardia Nacional, but this is no more independent of the bulk of the US military than the National Guards of any of the more aloof states.
In 2300, The Army maintained two principal bases in Cuba. Fort Marti, near the western tip, is home to the 16th Infantry Regiment, Mechanized, and supporting elements. At Fort Cespedes east of Havana are the headquarters for the 18th Infantry Regiment, the 120th Military Intelligence Brigade, the 8th Strategic Defense Brigade, and supporting groups.
The Cuba Guardia Nacional has made a habit of restoring and reoccupying historic fortresses, including those originally built by Spain, as well as a handful of churches and other ancient buildings. Most of these are used as semi-ceremonial headquarters offices, with the bulk of the unit located in nearby armories. Most also retain some degree of public access, and many have historic displays. Cuba’s ancient Spanish architecture is thereby preserved, put to use, and maintained for the public, in particular the throngs of tourists and students of Spanish Colonial era art, architecture, and history. Undoubtedly, without the interest of the Guardia Nacional, many of these structures would have decayed. Some of the better known ones are: the Castillo De La Real Fuerza, now the Correspondence Office of the Commander of the Cuban Guardia Nacional, and also a military museum in the heart of Old Havana at the Plaza des Armes; the Castillo Del Morro- La Cabaña complex overlooking Havana harbor (this complex is large enough to be a functional armory as well as a headquarters) and home to an air defense battalion, a civil defense battalion, and a military police battalion; El Principe in Havana, home to an Administrative Support Group; Castillo De Jagua in Cienfuegos, headquarters for a local infantry battalion and a medical battalion, Fuerte de Matachin in Baracoa, headquarters for an engineer group, and San Pedro in Santiago, home to a transport and maintenance group.
Cuba’s Guardia Nacional has a manpower of about 25,000 and is structured to provide defense in depth to Cuba in the event of an attack by Mexico, while the regular army conducts the offense. It also conducts internal operations and disaster relief operations. Historically, despite general American naval superiority, Mexico has attempted operations across the Gulf and into the Caribbean during all of its wars with the United States, Texas, and other nations in the area. With the exception of the Hispaniola, where Mexico was able to take possession of the Dominican Republic, these have never been successful. The balance of naval power in the are hasn’t changed much since Mexico’s disastrous and bloody Jamaican invasion of 2056 led to military ruin and tens of thousands of Mexican prisoners in the hands of the US, UK, and Caribe. Efforts against Cuba failed for much the same reasons- US air and sea superiority coupled with a lack of interest on the part of the locals towards supporting Mexican goals. Even so, Cuba is within striking range of Mexican forces and its defenses, in particular the Guardia Nacional, are organized with Mexico in mind.
The Aerospace Force and Navy
The United States Navy still maintains the naval base at Guantanamo Bay. This port, one of the world’s finest natural harbors, was originally leased from Cuba in the 20th century, having been occupied by the United States since the end of the Spanish American war in 1898. Guantanamo served the United States even while Cuba was ruled by a regime hostile to it, a very unusual arrangement. The naval base still covers the area now referred to as the "lower’ bay, while the upper Guantanamo bay is Cuba’s most active commercial cargo port.
Guantanamo is part of the chain of American bases extending to Puerto Rico. The base is home to a Navy surface group, some Navy aircraft, a squadron of sub-fighters (small attack craft that operate underwater) and a support activities. The United States Navy is also known to operate many underwater, bottom mounted sensors and weapons, but is notoriously skittish about releasing any details regarding this. The sub-fighters do not normally patrol around the whole island of Cuba, however, in exercises, the Navy has moved them to other points around Cuba, and elsewhere in the Caribbean by truck, rail, and aircraft, dropping them in the water for a mission and picking them up later. A dozen of these craft make up the sub-fighter squadron at Guantanamo.
The Aerospace Force has four operational wings in Cuba, which make up a significant portion of Southeast Command's power. The 12th Tactical Wing, headquartered at Jose Marti Aerospace Force Base west of Havana, flies manned combat aircraft, mostly air combat and battlefield superiority types. The 26th Tactical Wing, headquartered at San Antonio Aerospace Base south of Havana, is its unmanned counterpart, and also has a manned reconnaissance squadron. Baracoa Aerospace Force Base east of Havana is the headquarters for the 8th Strategic Wing, with theater air defense, intelligence, and long range missile assets, and the 27th Support Wing, with logistic support, transport aircraft, medical, and special function units. Some of the Aerospace force units in Cuba are kept at "tactical deployment" dispersed at small bases across the state. Most of this duty falls to the 26th Tactical Wing in peacetime, although the support units are generally widely dispersed. The 8th Strategic Wing's intelligence unit works in concert with other intelligence units of the Southeast Command.
Highlights
Style and Design
During the past half century, Cuba has emerged as a major design center, home to a smaller slice of the profession relative to major fashion and design powers such as New York and Hong Kong, but still having a distinct global influence. Three major internationally known design houses are based here; Salerazo, Taun, and Muscowitz. Cuban Style is distinctly tropical, with colorful Caribbean influence and Hispanic roots. Like their competitors, these Havana based design houses extend their touch to far more than simply apparel, although clothing and accessories are their main concerns. Muscowitz has a stable of respected architects, and since 2267 they have struggled to keep Cuba from emulating the "plastic bubble" look that has overwhelmed so much of Florida. They have designed structures that play on old Spanish themes, yet are adapted to the hurricanes Cuba frequently receives.
Anton Salerazo, founder of the design now managed by his children, was passionately interested in luxury automobiles. Every year since 2202, when his custom built car "Aeolus I" was presented to media baroness Eva Fox, (for an undisclosed but certainly enormous sum) Salerazo produced several custom designed, hand built vehicles for the wealthiest clients, never more than ten in a year. Each has a body that is nothing short of mobile sculpture, and the finest possible interior appointments. Almost all are still in existence, only a handful having been loss to accidents, and in once case, the crash of a transport. After his death in 2253, his children kept up the effort, although for several decades enthusiasts claimed the quality had declined. Those complaints have died down, the 2300 Salerazo's being every bit the masterpieces of the original Aeolus I. No two are alike, but certain clear lineages have been kept, with the Aeolus XV (2298) being sold to the Japanese Emperor.
Health Care
Cuba's medical industry was well established pre-twight, during the communist reign. Even as other elements of the economy suffered, health care received special attention. Going into the twilight, Cuba had a well regarded medical system, with high levels of education, and fairly modern equipment. This was successfully capitalized on during the 21st century. Americans travelled to Cuba to obtain reduced costs for heath care. Cuba took legal steps to safeguard its health care system from the obligations and legal traps that had crippled hospital networks elsewhere.
By the end of the 21st century Cuban hospitals were large, state of the art, and extremely profitable. Through the 22nd century, Cuba maintained its status as one of the pre-eminent hospital centers of the United States. Technology and capability lagged behind the great university hospitals of the northeast, and gross income was never as high as the overall system was smaller, but in terms of Health's proportion of the state economy, and the money brought in, it was crucial in the advancement of Cuba. Health care was the leading export of the 22nd century. The 23rd century saw the introduction of amazingly advanced ultra-flexible medical technologies. These allowed even a small clinic to provide the same level of service as a major hospital for a broad range of conditions. the device popularly known as the Automed can perform micro repairs to damaged tissue at levels once attainable only by the most specialized teams at the nation's most advanced hospitals. This had a devastating effect on area that maintained high proportions of medical personnel and technology. In the northeastern USA, the medical establishment survived by orienting itself around things the automeds still could not do; research and development, genetic therapies, sub-cellular therapies, regenerative processes, and psychiatry and psychology.
In Cuba, cross fertilization between health and the other shining star of the Cuban economy, tourism, produced the Health Resort. These aimed at providing recuperative environments, another thing the automed couldn't accomplish, and broad spectrum "healthy lifestyle" programs. They combine long term advanced medical care with exercise and nutrition programs, and stir it all in to a vacation resort experience, "sugar coating the pills" as one early industry leader put it. Health Resorts dot the coast (primarily the north coast) and are intermingled with conventional beach resorts. Some resorts are both- the health program has become merely one more option to choose from amongst resort amenities. The idea that getting your annual physical was something you should do on vacation caught on quickly here, where both doctors and beaches abound, but has yet to be taken up in mass by resorts in the rest of the world- which is fine with the Cuban resort industry.
Omnidiario
This is Cuba's state government owned news and entertainment content corporation. Omnidiario has a unique organization: rather than competing with or suppressing privately owned media companies, Omnidiario supports them, but requires that private media groups buy into their system, purchasing block times and performing certain public services. Omnidiario lets its private media companies work with a fairly free hand. Audience response is measured, analyzed, and used as the primary determinant of priorities for block assignment. Omnidiario has pursued cutting edge public-private cooperative ventures for over a century, when it went from private media corporation to state sponsored organization.
This combination of government support and artistic license has worked to Omnidiario's advantage. While private media providers throughout Latin America chafe under government directives, Omnidiario provides few- other than a format in which competition for viewership is open and apparent. Succeeding on Omnidiario is taken as the gold trophy for a Hispanic media enterprise.
Omnidiario blossomed during the first half of the 23rd century, the Golden Age of Cuban media. During this time it was the most popular entertainment provider in Latin America, absorbing with gusto artists fleeing more domineering government agencies elsewhere. By the 2260's use of Spanish was beginning to drop off in Cuba, or at least, use of Spanish that was recognizable as Spanish. This was a problem with Omnidiario, which relied on a stable of media companies whose staff tended to use more universal forms of Spanish. Change came slowly. More and more, Omnidiario's programming is being presented in the Cuban Spanish-english mix, and is becoming
increasingly difficult for other Spanish speakers to follow. On the other hand, its hybrid language is not easy for an English speaker to follow either. Fortunately, advanced linguistic software redubs all their programming in real time with native fluency in either language. Cubans, however, seem to prefer it "as is"
Even if it's past its prime, Omnidiario remains a powerful force in Spanish speaking media. It' standards are still considered the best, and Omnidiario still has a diverse and frequently changing pool of contributing production companies. Omnidiario's productions are frequent award winners, and any of Latin America's major networks would gladly swap audience shares with it.
Vegan Parrots
In 2178, before3 public opinion clamped down on unrestricted neuro-genetic research, Dr. Manuel de La Vega a the University of Havana experimented with parrots, originally seeking to learn, through them, the relationships between basic neural architecture, speech patterns and problems, and cognition. By the 2190's, his research was generating opposition, especially in quarters that suspected a new wave of intelligence enhancing DNAMs would result in caste structured humanity ruled by Provolution styled technocrats. HE ceased his work, but he was left with a bevy of highly intelligent, carefully bred and genetically manipulated parrots, as the university wished not to be burdened with them, and had no desire to tarnish its image by killing them. De La Vega was the owner of over 200 birds.
The scientist secured his retirement and then some by selling them to a research firm, for which he then did consulting work. The research firm avoided public scrutiny by keeping its labs in the more remote parts of eastern Cuba. They kept up his lines of research, and the parrots became more advanced. De La Vega died in 2238, and 3 years later the first of the "Vegan Parrots" were released for sale.
Today there are thousands of them, and they breed true. Vegan parrots are sold through authorized dealers, with Manuel De La Vega's family receiving substantial royalties, for an average of over 1000 Lv each. The most advanced cost more than 5000 Lv. These birds can learn a vocabulary of hundreds of words, some degree of grammar and syntax, and understand what they hear and say, to the limits of their child like abilities. Vegan parrots blur the line between sentient and non sentient species, (a line which, to most neuro-biologists, never existed at all except as an arbitrarily drawn human border, drawn with considerable self interest) and are practically demonized by some groups. On the other hand, they are loyal (excessively loyal) companion animals, and are among the few non-human species ever known that can actually display a sense of humor. They can be easily housebroken, and need no cage once they are. They can also be taught to perform a number of basic tasks- having a flying assistant can be a benefit.
Putting the genetic genie back into the bottle has proved impossible, so governments have responded the way they know best- taxation and regulation. In many places, owning a Vegan parrot is illegal. Cubans, normally not so supportive of the genetic technology used to create them, take a somewhat nuanced view: they are a Cuban creation, after all. So, they are legal in Cuba, although owners must be licensed.
Few have ever been released into the wild- they are simply too expensive, and besides, from all reports, Vegan parrots don't like the wild. There are bugs and predators and food is too scarce and the other parrots are stupid. There are occasional rumors that a gang of Vegans has in fact established itself in some remote area, are breeding larger numbers, and have become the tyrant rulers of a large colony of wild parrots. This has been featured on a number of documentaries, released by Omnidiario and other media groups, but no real proof of their existence has ever turned up. The documentaries rely on anecdotes, unconfirmed reports, and anomalous evidence. Even so, a great many Cubans believe the Vegan birds are out there, and tourists do come to look for them.
Commerce and Industry
Ground Vehicles
The Cuban love of all things automotive makes the state an attractive locale for vehicle assembly and part fabrication. No major automotive corporations make their home here, though, except Havana Autentico. Havana Autentico got its start in 2099 as a company maintaining the vintage vehicles for which the island is famous. In the 22nd century, Havana Autentico went beyond maintenance, and began manufacturing parts, then reproductions of classic vehicles (a line they still successfully pursue). In the mid 23rd century, they released the Contesa, a modern vehicle inside and out, a luxury private passenger car, with a design inspired by the art-deco bulgy, finned designs of the 1950's United States. The Contesa was a hit and remained in production for 7 years.
Currently, Havana Autentico has four lines of vehicles on the market. The Miramar is their current high end luxury sedan, its finned, flared, chrome trimmed body still taking its design cues from the art deco period. (This is Havana Autentico's trademark. Enthusiasts would riot if they ever ceased production of the art deco inspired designs. The Habanero is a value version of the Miramar, but does not sell as well. The Haley is a newer, offering, a 2 seater in the style of early 20th century Italian racing cars. Bought by drivers looking for a sense of fun and adventure, it is not exactly an all weather vehicle. The Rascal is Havana Autentico's utility vehicle offering, a totally different concept, with seating for 5, or 8 if the cargo area is converted to seating. The Rascal also recalls automobiles of the 1st half of the 20th century, with rich faux-wood panel sides, and large white walled tires. These new vehicles complement the company's production of parts, especially parts for vintage vehicles.
Havana Autentico is not a mass producer. Its vehicles are popular in Cuba and other special markets. It’s total production in just over 50,000 vehicles annually. About 20% go to local buyers, and the remainder are shipped wherever there are buyers looking for something a bit different. Havana Autentico has about 7,000 employees in Cuba, and a few thousand elsewhere. Since 2228 it has been a public corporation, with a vast number of stockholders- many of whom are classic auto enthusiasts. Every February, Havana Autentico's annual stockholder convention also offers a host of other vehicle related activities, many reserved for stockholders and their guests. The highlight is the Cuba Road Rally, open to the public, a moving auto-fest spanning the length of the island.
Mining
Cuba still manages to produce a small amount of cobalt, copper and nickel, which supply a few limited local industries. Production gradually tapered off during the 22nd century, but the advent of new technology allowed profitable exploitation of deeper veins than previously thought possible in the 23rd century, and the mining industry experienced a recovery, but only to modest levels. Mining of these metals employs only a few hundred Cubans, and a few hundred more are employed in the quarrying of Cuba's excellent limestone deposits, used for construction throughout the island since the days of Spanish colonialism and exported globally. Mining of metals takes place in Holguin County, at the eastern end of Cuba. Limestone deposits are found in several locations
Agriculture
Tobacco
Worldwide tobacco consumption is a fraction of its former size, yet, Cuba manages to remain an exporter. Cuban cigars have not lost their mystique despite the passage of time and competition from a few other respected sources. Cuban cigars command the upper end of the market, and sell at prices ranging from 20 to 100 Lv for a 1 kilo box. Their value to mass ratio makes them an effective interstellar cargo, and although the market is small they turn up in all corners of space. The Cuban cigar industry pulls in about 200 MLv annually. About half of Cuba's remaining tobacco farms are in the Pinar del Rio area, the remainder being in the central area of the state.
Cuba's cigar industry is divided up amongst over a hundred small independent businesses. This suits the Cuban small business and family heritage ethics well, and competition for label recognition is fierce.
A curious side of the cigar industry is the prevalence of smuggling. It's estimated that one third of Cuba's cigar output moves through undocumented, unregulated channels. Cigars being luxury import items, considered noxious by many, and having documented negative health effects associated with them, it seems natural that most nations which allow them would also consider taxing and regulating them to be a good idea. In many regions they are simply illegal. This means that there will also be those individuals who will seek to gain a competitive advantage by selling without regard to the costs and restrictions imposed by the government. The Cuban cigar manufacturers seem highly supportive of the regulations and taxes placed on their products, which is an unusual position for any manufacturer. In fact they tend to be scrupulously compliant. On the other hand, the are clearly not as aggressive as one could hope in combatting smuggling. Why the discrepancy?
The manufacturers have alluded to the heavy regulation and taxation as a means of avoiding medical liabilities for a product that is clearly unhealthy, but this is not universally believed. Many analysts have concluded that the cigar manufacturing community lobbies for heavy restrictions and taxes precisely because they know it will generate smuggling. The theory is that the aura of illicitness surrounding cigars makes them all the more attractive. After all, if they weren't desirable,
who would bother smuggling them? No one smuggles plantains out of Cuba. According to this theory, the black market in cigars is semi-deliberately maintained mostly as a sort of publicity campaign to enhance the value of the regular market. Less plausible schemes have proved true in the past, so who knows?
Other Agriculture
In many ways it seems like Cuba's twilight era history is the result of Cuba having a head start in getting to the problems that slowly engulfed other nations. Cuba's agriculture, geared almost entirely to providing enormous quantities of subsidized sugar to the Russians through the 1960-s through 1991, collapsed entirely when Russian purchases ended. By the end of the 20th century Cuba was enduring a food crisis carefully putting its agriculture back together.
With no fuel for tractors, the Cubans bred oxen. With no chemicals for pest control, the Cubans relied on biological controls. When Cuba and United States began to draw closer together, Cubans found that the practices they used in extremis were considered luxurious in the United States, where consumers who could afford it paid extra for "organic" produce. Later, the farmers of the United States would have to put to use these same techniques as a matter of necessity. The fortunes of history had taken Cuba from backwards to cutting edge.
With the advent of hydrogen fuels, Cuban farms, like their American counterparts, quickly re-adopted mechanized agriculture. But, Cubans find it hard to shake traditions. More so than in the rest of America, Cubans retain beasts of burden, and avoid chemicals. Of course, its not possible for a farm to stay profitable relying on animal labor, but without an ox and a mule, even for show, a farm just isn't a farm here.
Cuba still produces sugar. Once dependent on manual labor, sugar harvesting in Cuba finally adopted mechanized systems around the turn of the 22nd century, when SweetSun Sugar of New Orleans invested heavily in the struggling Cuban sugar plantations. Sweetsun, now based in Havana, controls over half of Cuba's sugar business, and has frequent difficulties with its workforce.
Cuba is also a major producer of tropical fruit, most of which is consumed in the continental United States. They produce a major share of America's citrus, along with bananas and plantains. The plantain in particular, a non-sweet variety of banana, is one of Cuba's signature crops, and one of the foundations of classic Cuban cuisine.
Camaguey is the center of Cuba's cattle industry, which is spread across ranches on the rolling plains of the county. Cuban cattle have long since been standardized along typical American breeds, with some of the classic Black Angus cattle raised by ranchers who established a herd of them here in the late 21st century. Cuban cattle are genetically protected against the tropical and semi-tropical diseases and parasites they face here, as well as being slightly altered to better thrive in the warm Caribbean environment.
Fishing
The waters off the southern coast of Cuba are a National Managed Fishery Area, one of 18 in American territorial waters and the southernmost such zone in the Atlantic. Fishing permits are issued by the state government and carefully controlled, with state residents getting priority. A number of game fish species frequent these waters (as well as the lees densely population waters north of Cuba) and sport fishing is popular. Fishing laws require the sport fisher to register a catch and pay a nominal fee based on the weight of the catch. The technology in use on charter sport fishing boats often allows the fishing boat crew to target a specific species, and sometimes a specific fish.
The Cuba NMFA produces one of the world's largest harvests of Spiney lobster, a clawless relative of its new England cousin, considered a lesser species but very popular nonetheless. Six thousand tons of Spiney lobster are taken annually, a rate determined by the state government to allow healthy replenishment of natural stocks.
Recreation, Culture, and Entertainment
Resorts and Beaches
This is one of the things Cuba is globally famous for. Cuba is the Caribbean vacation destination of choice for many Americans. The beaches, from one end of the island to the other, mostly on the north coast, are home beach resorts and hotels of every description, from the most prestigious of luxury resort hotels to rows of little rental cabanas with no amenities but shade from the tropical sun. Resort Beaches include Maria la Gorda and Key Levisa, in Pinar del Rio County, Santa Maria and Miramar in Havana County, Varadero in Matanzas County, Playa Bibijagua, on the Isla de la Juventud, Cayo Largo, Playa Sirena and Playa Blanca, on the small islands west of Isla de la Juventud (and part of that county), Ancon in Trinidad County, Rancho Luna in Cienfuegos County, Playa Bonita, and Key Caguama, in Camagüey County, Covarrubias, in Las Tunas County, Estero Ciego and Key Saetia, in Holguin County, and Playas de Baconao, in Santiago County. The resort industry is a major employer in Cuba, which displaced Florida as the premiere American beach destination in the 22nd century.
Winter is the regular tourist season, and Cuban beach resorts are often booked up. Many of the Cuban resorts, especially those in the more remote areas, are a good deal more tolerant of guest behavior than their counterparts in Florida, but rest assured your credit will be verified first. Some resorts cater to special interests, either on a full time basis or during special programs.
East of Havana, the beaches 15-25 km from the city are the playground of the local population. Tourists don't usually head this way unless they want to mix with the native population- which are not indisposed towards tourists, but tend to be a noisy and free spirited lot. You won't find the peace of the resort beaches here. On the other hand, the metropolitan beaches are served by cheap public transport from Havana, making them available to the extremely budget conscious visitor. It's worth mentioning that a Cuban doesn't take public transport unless he has to. For the young Havana vehicle owner, the drive, generally with your friends filling your car, is part of the fun, and the beach party begins in the parking lot. And it's just more convenient to carry your picnic trunk in your car, regardless of what the public signs say, and regardless of the fact that food of many kinds is readily available on the East Havana Beaches from strolling vendors. T
Nightlife, Entertainment, Hotels, Dining
Havana is one of the great American getaway spots. People come for the warm nights of food, music, and various manner of diversions. Havana's Old Town is the heart of it, competing with New Orleans for the world record in number of frozen drinks poured in a tourist season. Havana bartenders have a number of invented cocktails to their credit, and continue to unleash new ones on the world. Some use exotic off world ingredients, but most start with basic Cuban rum. 2300 saw the popularization of the Havana Mindbounce and the Loco Dulce, and a few new ones crop up every year. Taverns, restaurants, and retail stores dominate the Old Town, lining the Spanish colonial streets, and all hidden away inside the restored and maintained original houses. The restaurants along these ancient cobbled streets can impress New Yorkers and Parisians, and music fills the streets at all hours.
Clubs, restaurants, and retail-entertainment centers unwilling or unable to find a place among the small vintage buildings of Old Havana line the perimeter of the historic district. There is the "Tropicana", a grand dame of the nightclub world. Cuba is Cuba, governments come and go, flags change, hurricanes hit but there will ALWAYS be a place called the Tropicana. Similarly, there will always be a Copa Cabana. Both are among Cuba's largest and best known, with famous name entertainment and authentic Cuban meals. Both attract tourists and locals alike. They are competitors in a sense, and allies in the struggle to maintain Cuban heritage. Both are known for traditional Cuban style- conga drums and a line of bartenders in tuxedos. There is the funky, irreverent "Cuba Libre!," always looking like its about to tumble down, with faux bullet holes in the walls, Viva Che Guevara posters, waiters and waitresses in "revolutionary" outfits, and a theme that seems to find the tumultuous era's in Cuban history a source of fun and amusement.
The newer entertainment centers include the massive "Ignacio Besadas Plaza", named for the highly revered last president of independent Cuba, who also became the first governor of the State of Cuba, oversaw the unification with the United States, and is generally considered in Cuban history to have maneuvered the American government into arranging a really great deal for Cuba. This was completed in 2269 and is the home of the Havana ballet, as well as a state of the art holotheater. The nearby Teatro Brasilero does its best to keep alive Brazilian pageantry of the age before the rise of church led conservatism in Brazil. This involves plenty of female dancers who seem to wear nothing but glitter and feathers, and not much of either. The Teatro Brasilero is popular with visiting Brazilians- one well worn joke describes a Brazilian man who was so deeply shocked and ashamed that his ancestors allowed such scandalous clothing in public that he had to see the show again, just to be sure.
There is the Gran Teatro de la Habana, an ancient building, one of the city's countless historic sites, having been built in 1847 as a social club for Galician immigrants. Today, the impressive limestone building, expanded in 2215, is home to a variety of stage productions. Visitors can usually obtain tickets from their hotels, provided they've chosen a good one, as the concierges squirrel away a few to please guests. Otherwise, obtaining tickets months in advance is necessary.
Havana has hotels that compete with the beach resorts scattered around the country. The best are La Ambrosia, which sits on the water at Miramar, (16km west of Havana) El Palacia Havana, in the heart of the city, and American Inn, on the edge of Old Havana.
The town of Varadero, 132 km east of Havana and connected by Hover-ferry, is the entertainment capitol for tourists. This is a large combination beach resort-theme park- dining, entertainment and shopping complex, the largest and most famous in the Caribbean area. The Nueva Melia is the most famous resort hotel here, rising twenty stories above the waves and featuring a sea-side, retractable roof amphitheater at beach level.
Automobiles
Cubans have a strong appreciation for things past, and one piece of archaic culture they keep alive is the oil-fueled internal combustion motor driven automobile. These loud machines of the 20th and early 21st centuries burned oil in two forms depending on their engine type, diesel fuel or gasoline. At the turn of the 21st century the Cubans already had a reputation for maintaining vintage vehicles. This was due to necessity, as economic conditions meant the importation of new vehicles was all but impossible but for the wealthiest. Upkeep of their vehicles went beyond necessity, however, it became a cultural standard and national past time. By the mid 21st century, however, hydrogen powered vehicles and electric vehicles arrived in increasing numbers, and fueling sites for oil powered vehicles "gas stations" became fewer in number as market shrank and costs increased. environmental restrictions, aimed at reducing the destructive effects of the
exhaust of these vehicles, played a part, and by the latter 21st century, oil burning vehicles had gone the way of coal burning locomotives. In Cuba, though, many of these vehicles had become family heirlooms, maintained for a century and lovingly passed from father to son (more rarely, due to the nature of Cuban society at the time, to daughter). Cubans fought for and won exemptions for their historic vehicles, kept maintaining them, and kept driving them.
By the end of the 21st century, though, it was apparent that Cuba could not hold off time forever. The numbers of vintage automobiles, some of them the only ones left of their kind, dropped steadily due to attrition- there were accidents, and inevitably some were destroyed beyond repair. Most of the vehicles had seen their entire inventory of parts replaced more than once, and the specialist work necessary to keep them going was getting harder to find.
The Cuban Historical Automobile Society (Sociedad Cubano de los Autos Historicos) was established in 2108 to preserve the shrinking population of beloved antique vehicles, a few of which still dated to the early 1900's. At the same time, Cuba's tourist industry was growing, and the state government saw a way of linking the two concerns. The Autodrome de Varona opened up in Havana in 2110, and the Old City of Havana was declared the first of many "preserves" where historic vehicles could be driven. Purists fretted that the mixture of 18th century buildings and 20th century vehicles was anachronistic, but tourists seemed to appreciate it.
By the mid 23rd century Cuba had eighteen automobile racing and display venues, the largest being de Varona in Havana, which was expanded to include 2 race tracks, a museum, and a "training course" where would be drivers can sit in mockups of historic vehicles and navigate through a variety of imaginative environments, half simulation, half actual track. (Made possible with clever use of treadmills and autonomous overrides governing the operation of the vehicles) A good many tourists come from areas where modern vehicles are guided entirely automatically over 'smart roads", and this is the closest experience many people will have to driving an old fashioned internal combustion engined vehicle on open roads.
Sports
Cuba has long been a bastion of the "Great American Sport", baseball. Briefly, after the fall of the communist regime but before Cuba joined with the United States, Cuba's national team played in the United States based professional league along with several teams from Canada. The national team ceased to be long before statehood, with several local professional teams emerging, then finally coalescing into the Havana Hurricanes, which have been Cuba's professional team since 2114. The Hurricanes today are one of the "old guard" of teams, fighting to keep the antiquated traditions and equipment of historic baseball alive.
Other popular Cuban sports include Auto racing- discussed above-, Mag Hockey and Jai Alai (interest in soccer waned through the 22nd century for reasons unclear). Havana had one of the earliest Mag Hockey teams, as the more northerly regions of America, the nation in which the sport was first popularized, seemed reluctant to adopt this technological adaption of Ice Hockey. The Havana Zorros are still one of the best teams in the league, and the sport has a large following here.
Wildlife
Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus Rhombifer)
"I've been around Crocodiles, mate, and I'm tellin ya we've got no worries, crocs just can't jump as high as…."
Pouncer/Killer. No. Appearing: 1D10 Initiative: 7 Melee Hit Chance: Routine, Size: 200 Kg Speed 80 Swimming, 80 on Land Armor .4 on head and upper back, .3 elsewhere. Consciousness: 5 Life:12 WPM 0 DPV .5 Signature 0, -2 when motionless in water.
Crocodiles are sluggish at night and in early morning. A newly awakened Croc has an initiative of 3. A croc in the early AM has an initiative of 5. They rarely attack unless disturbed or threatened in this state.
The Genus name Crocodylus is derived from the Greek krokodeilos which means literally "pebble worm" (kroko = pebble; deilos = worm, or man) referring to the appearance of a crocodile. rhombifer apparently refers to the shape of flank scales
The Cuban Crocodile is a medium-sized crocodilian, reaching 3.5 m in length (although 5 m individuals have been reported) - slightly smaller than C. acutus. (the more common American Crocodile) A characteristic yellow and black patterning has led to the name 'Pearly' crocodile. Hybrid crocodiles (with C. acutus, and C. siamensis in farms) exhibit characteristics of both species to varying degrees. The eat mainly fish and turtles, with the occasional small mammal. The teeth at the back of the mouth are broader than those at the front - an adaptation to crush turtles which are part of their diet. Historically believed to have occurred with giant ground sloths, it is believed that the crocodiles show adaptations for dealing with this prey on land - large and powerful rear legs with reduced webbing. They are noted for their terrestrial abilities, which includes a strong 'high-walk' and a propensity for leaping. They have also been documented to feed on arboreal mammals by leaping from the water (using powerful thrusts of their tail from below the surface) and snatching the prey from overhanging tree branches. This is a behavior unique to the Cuban Crocodile, which is somewhat smaller than other crocodiles, but more agile.
The Cuban crocodile inhabits swamps in Cuba and surrounding isles. Threatened during the pre-twilight era, the retreat of man from some of its area allowed the Cuban Croc to make something of a comeback, although numbers were never many. The Cuban Croc was once found elsewhere in the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, but is now extinct in these areas. Typical population density in swampland is 10-20 individuals per square kilometer. Farming and exposure to other species has somewhat hybridized the population, and "pure" examples of Crocodylus Rhombifer are now in the minority. Like all Crocs, it is swift on land, and is able to run at a 50% higher speed, but only for very short distances (1 action).
The Cuban Crocodile has a few evolutionarily surprises up its sleeve. Forced to adapt to a smaller environment with smaller prey, the Cuban Crocodile makes up for in agility what it lacks in mass. A Cuban croc can leap out of the water, its full body length plus a meter! They frequently use this attack to snatch prey from tree branches. The are also the only Crocodile capable of jumping while on land.
Green Sea Turtle
Intermittent. No. Appearing: 2D10 Initiative: 2 Melee Hit Chance: Difficult Size: 150 Kg Speed 80 Swimming, Armor .4 on carapace .2 elsewhere. Consciousness: 5 Life:12 WPM 0 DPV .2 Signature 0 when motionless in water.
A fairly harmless, vegetarian shelled seagoing reptile. They range in color from olive green to dark brown, and can also be seen with yellow spots or brown mottled markings. The Green Sea Turtle is typically found in warm shallow water with an abundance of edible plants, but they cross open traveling between feeding areas and nesting sites, and can be found in almost any marine area on Earth save the polar seas. They can deliver a nasty bite when provoked, but this is a last ditch defense. They will always seek to flee danger rather than confront it. The whole body except for the head and flippers is protected by the shell, and the exposed parts are fairly well armored.
It can crawl only very slowly on land, and is found there only when laying eggs. When Egg laying, typically over the winter months, the turtles will seek nesting grounds, often remote beaches and islands, where they congregate, sometimes numbering in the many thousands. Like most turtles they are long lived, lasting up to 50 years in the wild.
These creatures are among the few predators of the Jellyfish, and are themselves eaten by major predators, including man. They can be rendered into a reasonable stew or soup, such dishes appearing in Caribbean cuisine.
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