Cu·ba (ky  b ) An island country in the Caribbean Sea south of Florida. Originally settled by Arawak Indians, it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 and was colonized by Spain beginning in 1511. Spain relinquished its control of Cuba in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War, and following a three-year occupation by U.S. forces, the island became self-governing in 1902. Fulgencio Batista dominated the government of Cuba from 1933 until 1959, when he was ousted by Fidel Castro. Havana is the capital and the largest city. Population: 11,400,000. Cu ban adj. & n. |   |
Cuba [ˈkjuːbə]
n
(Placename) a republic and the largest island in the Caribbean, at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico: became a Spanish colony after its discovery by Columbus in 1492; gained independence after the Spanish-American War of 1898 but remained subject to US influence until declared a people's republic under Castro in 1960; subject of an international crisis in 1962, when the US blockaded the island in order to compel the Soviet Union to dismantle its nuclear missile base. Sugar comprises about 80 per cent of total exports; the economy has been devastated by loss of trade following the collapse of the Soviet Union and by the continuing US trade embargo. Language: Spanish. Religion: nonreligious majority. Currency: peso. Capital: Havana. Pop.: 11 190 000 (2001 est.). Area: 110 922 sq. km (42 827 sq. miles)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Cuba - a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of CubaOAS, Organization of American States - an association including most countries in the western hemisphere; created in 1948 to promote military and economic and social and cultural cooperation Caribbean - region including the Caribbean Islands Cuba - the largest island in the West Indies capital of Cuba, Cuban capital, Havana - the capital and largest city of Cuba; located in western Cuba; one of the oldest cities in the Americas Santiago de Cuba, Santiago - a port city in southeastern Cuba; industrial center Guantanamo - a city in southeastern Cuba; site of a United States naval base Cuban - a native or inhabitant of Cuba |
| 2. | Cuba - the largest island in the West Indies Santiago de Cuba, Santiago - a naval battle in the Spanish-American War (1898); the United States fleet bottled up the Spanish ships in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba and destroyed them when they tried to escape Greater Antilles - a group of islands in the western West Indies Cuba, Republic of Cuba - a communist state in the Caribbean on the island of Cuba San Juan Hill - a hill in eastern Cuba (near Santiago de Cuba) that was captured during the Spanish-American War; "Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders became famous for their charge up San Juan Hill" |
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