10 Fascinating Facts About Cuba

Here are 10 fascinating facts about Cuba.

With relations between the US and Cuba on the mend, it’s a great time to learn more about the nearby island nation.

Number 10. Russian cars rule the roads. The most popular one is the Lada, a vehicle made during the Soviet era and driven to this day. They’re used as cabs, police vehicles, ambulances, and for personal transportation.

Number 9. It’s largely an advertising-free zone. No billboards, no commercials, nobody shoving pamphlets at passersby. Much of that is a result of most goods being government controlled and a lack of funds to purchase those that aren’t.

Number 8. Sex-change operations are 0 dollars. That’s right – free. They’ve been legally permitted since 2007 and are among the medical procedures included in the nation’s universal healthcare system.

Number 7. Guantanamo Bay is a rental. The US pays Cuba about 4 thousand dollars a month for the use of the detention facility. Cuba stopped accepting the payments in 1959, but America isn’t technically squatting as breaking the lease requires the consent of both parties.

Number 6. Cuba has one of the world’s highest literacy rates. It’s at a very impressive 99.8 percent.

Number 5. There’s no Coca-Cola there. Due to trade embargos, none of the nearly 2 billion servings of the drink sold daily are legally dispensed in Cuba. North Korea is the only other country on the planet where the product isn’t available.

Number 4. Cuba’s got a lot of doctors, and they share them. Thanks to its highly regarded and financially accessible medical schooling, the small nation has a large number of qualified health professionals. In recent times 165 of them were been dispatched to aid in tackling the Ebola crisis.

Number 3. The right to hitchhike is protected by law. In fact, it’s encouraged. Given the low vehicle to population ratio, drivers with certain license plates are required to stop and pick up people needing rides.

Number 2. John Lennon is big in Cuba. Fidel Castro is a fan, so not only did he name a park after the late musician, he commissioned a statue of him. The former leader’s fondness came to him later in life, though, as Beatles music was banned in Cuba throughout the 60s and 70s. The park and the bronze didn’t show up until 2000.

Number 1. Cuba is brimming with baseball talent. The Cuban team won the first two Olympic medals offered for the sport, and many celebrated players for US ball clubs hail from there.