Cuba: flag, capital, currency and history

Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country in Caribbean, the Americas. Its capital is Havana. The currency is the Cuban convertible peso and Cuban peso. Languages spoken include Spanish.

Quick facts about Cuba

Official name: Republic of Cuba
Capital: Havana
Region: Americas, Caribbean
Currency: Cuban convertible peso (CUC, $)
Cuban peso (CUP, $)
Languages: Spanish
Calling code: +53
Internet domain: .cu
Area: 109,884 km² (42,426 sq mi)
Land borders: None (island or surrounded by water)
Demonym: Cuban

Flag of Cuba

Download the flag of Cuba as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇨🇺.

SVG (vector)

History of Cuba

The island was home to Taino and other Indigenous peoples when Christopher Columbus reached it in 1492. Spain colonised it in the early 16th century and ruled for nearly four centuries, developing a plantation economy based on enslaved labour, which was abolished in 1886. After Cuban independence struggles and the Spanish-American War of 1898, the island came under US military administration and became formally independent in 1902. The 1959 revolution brought a socialist one-party state. Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean with Havana as its capital.

Key dates

1492Christopher Columbus reaches the island during his first voyage.
1511Spanish conquest and settlement begin under Diego Velazquez.
1886Slavery is abolished in Cuba.
1898The Spanish-American War ends Spanish rule.
1902The Republic of Cuba is established as an independent state.
1959Revolutionary forces take power and overthrow the government of Fulgencio Batista.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.