Cuban culture has been strongly influenced by the Cuban Revolution. The Revolution began in 1959, which ended in the exile of Dictator Fulegencio Batista. The Revolutions was led by Fidel Castro: utilizing a guerilla style of warfare. Support had been driven up for Castro by Anti-Batista groups and by peasant towns and villages, which were attacked due to their support for Castro. Batista and his generals realized the situation was hopeless and fled to Spain with $300 million, amassed through bribery and embezzlement.
This revolution established a new government, which had many ambitious social programs. Shortly after the revolution the U.S. established an economic embargo on Cuba. By doing this, the U.S. has discouraged many companies from engaging in business with Cuba. Cuba now estimates that the embargo has cost them as much as $60 billion US dollars.
Due to the failed relations between the U.S. and Cuba the Soviet Union offered economic assistance. With Castro's programs failing, the country was in turmoil and had to accept Soviet support. This led to the Cuba providing the Soviet Union with its sugar supply while the Cuban Government adopted a communist form of government. This has led to Cuba becoming one of the most egalitarian countries in the world. All is shared amongst the cuban people.
The country is primarily a working class country. In Cuba there is no ruling class, society here does not consist of a cast system as India does. The government employs most individuals in Cuba. The average Cuban spends 200 pesos per month, which is the equivalent of $10.00 U.S. Those that receive donations from US relatives are slightly better off.
The Cuban population consists of a variety of ethnic origins. The most significant roots originate from African and Spanish descent due to the systematic elimination of the aborigine inhabitants. Sixty percent of the population is of spanish descent, twenty two percent is mulatto, eleven percent is of African descent, and one percent is of chinese origin. Most of the spanish-cuban population orginated from the southern Spain, after the conquest. Later the Spanish population migrated from the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Galacia.
The African population arrived in Cuba as slaves working on sugar plantations. Mulatto populations began to develop due to relations between masters and their slaves. This began a new genetic variation within Cuban culture which gave birth to new culture between Africans and Cubans. These two populations account for the majority of the population and the spice of cuban culture.
