History of Cuba History of Cuba The island of Cuba was inhabited by various Mesoamerican cultures prior to the arrival of the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492. After Columbus' arrival, Spain conquered Cuba and appointed Spanish governors to rule in Havana. In 1762, Havana was briefly occupied by Great Britain, before being returned to Spain in exchange for Florida. A series of rebellions during the 19th century failed to end the Spanish rule. However, the Spanish–American War resulted in a Spanish withdrawal from the island in 1898, and following three-and-a-half years of subsequent US military rule, Cuba gained formal independence in 1902.
Santiago de Cuba the harbour, this was completely rebuilt in 1997. The city of Santiago is also crossed by the Carretera Central highway and by the southern section of the A1 motorway, largely unbuilt, that will link it with Havana as for the final project. The main tertiary education institution is the University of Santiago de Cuba ("Universidad de Oriente - Santiago de Cuba", UO). Santiago de Cuba is twinned with: Santiago de Cuba Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city of Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast