Cuba is a island nation in the Caribbean that I feel like we generally think of as being one island, but there are actually more than 4,000 islands, islets and cays that are part of the country. Let’s learn more about Cuba!

Cuba Basics

The total land area of Cuba is 42,800 square miles, or 110,860 square kilometers. It has a population around 10 million people, making it the third most populous country in the Caribbean. 

The largest city and the nation’s capital is Havana. The main island is known as Cuba and the second largest island is Isla de la Juventud, or Isle of Youth. The national language is Spanish.

It is about 93 miles/150 km from Key West, Florida; 14 miles/22.5 km from Cay Lobos in the Bahamas; and 130.5 miles/210 km from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Haiti and Jamaica are also close neighbors. 

Humans first settled in the area around 6,000 years ago, with the Taino people inhabiting the region about 1,700 years ago. The Spanish colonized Cuba after Christopher Columbus landed there in 1492, and it struggled for independence through the late 1800s. The nation was a republic from 1902-1959, but this time included revolution and a coup. In 1959 forces led by Fidel Castro took over the country and the country has been under communist control ever since. 

The country has been under an embargo by the United States since 1960, which largely cut off travel and economic support between the countries. The country’s exports are primarily tobacco, sugar and alcohol, and tourism (mostly from Canada and Europe) is a large contributor to the economy. The minimum monthly wage amounts to about $81 US a month. 

Cuban National Symbols

The Cuban flag features three horizontal blue stripes broken up by white stripes, with a red triangle on the left side that has a white five pointed star in the center. The flag was designed in 1849 and officially adopted in 1902. The blue stripes represented the three departments the country was divided into at the time, while white represents purity of the patriots’ cause. The red triangle is for strength and unity. 

The Cuban national anthem is known as La Bayamesa or “el Hymno de Bayamo” (The Bayamo Anthem) and was first performed during the Battle of Bayamo in 1868 as the Cubans fought for independence from Spain. 

The national flower is the white mariposa, or jasmine butterfly, which was a favored flower of national hero and poet Jose Marti. He used the flower as a symbol of Cuban identity in their struggle for independence. 

The royal palm is the national tree, and the national bird is the tocororo or Cuban trogon, which is red, white and blue like the Cuban flag and it’s often said if they are caged they will die. 

Mamey sapote is the national fruit. Its orange flesh is said to taste like a sugary sweet potato.

Cuba Activities for Kids

Peanut Butter Fish Lessons has a free Cuban unit study for homeschool, and the page includes a couple of good videos for kids, too. KidsKonnect also has printable fact sheets and worksheets to use at home or in the classroom.

Global Explorers Club has a great looking paid unit study about Cuba, and you can find tons of resources for kids of all ages at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Want to make some Cuba themed crafts? Check out this collection from Artsy Craftsy Mom. Kindergarten Worksheets and Games also has Cuba coloring pages. Kids Activities Blog also has printable fact sheets you can color, and Puzzles to Print has a Cuba word search.

Play a game of dominoes, considered the national game of Cuba, or watch their national sport, baseball! 

Danzón is considered the national dance, which you can watch on YouTube and learn more about from the Library of Congress.

Try the national dish, ropa vieja, which literally means old clothes and refers to the tender shreds of meat in the stew. This recipe from A Sassy Spoon is a great one (and the blog is full of Cuban recipes if you want to try something else). 

I have a friend whose family is from Costa Rica so I’m excited to share more about this Central American country with you. Officially the Republic of Costa Rica, it borders both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, and has a maritime border with Ecuador, as well as physical borders with Nicaragua and Panama. 

Costa Rica Basics

The country has a population of about five million and a land area of about 19,760 square miles (or 51,180 square kilometers). The capital, San Jose, is also the largest city, with a metropolitan area population of around two million. 

Costa Rica had an indigenous population before Spain colonized it in the 16th century. It became part of the First Mexican Empire, then the Federal Republic of Central America, from which it declared independence in 1847. 

Costa Rica abolished its army in 1949 following a civil war, making it one of the few sovereign nations without a standing army.

The official language is Spanish but other indigenous languages and patois are also recognized. The name means “the rich coast” in Spanish. 

It is a presidential republic with a president and two vice presidents, as well as a legislative assembly. 

Costa Rica has a tropical climate and has a great amount of biodiversity. The country has stopped deforestation and worked to restore habitats that had been destroyed. 

As of 2023, about 95 percent of the nation’s electricity was generated from renewable resources (mostly hydropower).

Costa Rican National Symbols

The Costa Rica flag features blue stripes at the top and bottom, with white stripes next to those and a wider red stripe in the center. The same flag has been used, with minor modifications and changes to the coat of arms, which is shown on some versions of the flag, since 1848. Because the country gained its independence during the French revolution the colors stand for the ideals of that struggle: freedom, equality and brotherhood. 

The colors can also represent the blue sky and perseverance, clear thinking and the sun casting its light of freedom on the people of Costa Rica, among other things. 

The national anthem is “Himno Nacional de Costa Rica,” or “National Anthem of Costa Rica,” also sometimes known by the lyric “Noble patria, tu hermosa bandera” (“noble fatherland your beautiful flag”). It was fist adopted in 1852, but the lyrics have changed through the years and became official in 1949. 

La guaria morada, a purple orchid, is the national flower of Costa Rica. Guanacaste, or elephant ear tree, is the national tree.

The national bird is the Yigüirro or clay-colored thrush, and the white-tailed deer and manatee are considered symbols of the fauna of the country. The two native species of sloths are also considered national symbols. 

The marimba is the national instrument, and the oxcart (la carreta) is considered a national symbol for its historic role in the economic and social development of the country. 

Indigenous stone spheres, recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO, are also a national symbol (more on them below).  

And of course, coffee is recognized as being of national importance to the country’s economic development. 

Costa Rica Activities for Kids

Pull out all your rainforest activities to talk about the animals and plants of Costa Rica. A few to get you started: jungle math from Turner Tots, rainforest animal coloring pages from The Craft Train, rainforest bingo from Precision Roller, and a climbing tree frog craft from Barley & Birch.

Learn about the phrase “pura vida,” which means pure life but is also kind of a way of life in Costa Rica.

Check out how Unremarkable Files studied Costa Rica at home, and learn some cool Costa Rica facts with these printable fact sheets from Kids Activities Blog.

Find Spanish resources for teaching about Costa Rica from Srta Spanish. There are lots of resources in English and Spanish for learning about Costa Rica at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Read some books about Costa Rica like ABCs of Costa Rica or Animals of Costa Rica. 

Listen to some Costa Rican marimba music (that link is to a long playlist of videos to choose from). 

Learn more about the mysterious stone spheres and talk about how and why you think they were made. 

One of the most popular dishes in Costa Rica is gallo pinto, which despite sounding like meat (it literally means spotted rooster) is actually beans and rice. Of course everyone’s abeula has their own recipe but you can try this one from Striped Spatula, which uses black beans, or this one from Pura Vida Moms, which I love because it specifically calls for day old beans and rice.