CUBA TO CANADA
This website has been written to help Canadians welcome people who come from Cuba to start a new life in Canada. You may want to find out more about Cubans because you are involved with the HOST Program or because you have Cuban colleagues at work or Cuban students at your school.

 The estimated Cuban population in Canada is about 12,000. Most Cubans, like other immigrants, come to Canada seeking a better life for their families and children. Some are pursuing their education, others are looking for employment opportunities. Some come to join their families. Many Cuban immigrants are political refugees. They come with hopes for a better future, but they leave behind families, friends, communities and a familiar way of life.

Cubans who come to Canada will have many of the same questions that you would have if you moved to a new town or city. They will want to know where to buy food in their new neighbourhood, where their children will go to school, how to find a job and what their new community is like. Your friendship will help them adapt to their new environment.

 Not only is this an opportunity for you to help a Cuban family. It is also an opportunity for you to learn from them. Cuba's history and culture are rich and interesting. You and your new friends have much to offer each other.

  Did you know?
During the 17th century, pirates buried stolen treasure on an island off Cuba called the Isle of Youth. According to legend, this was the famous Treasure Island described in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel. 
Although this cultural profile provides insight into some customs, it does not cover all facets of life. The customs described may not apply in equal measure to all newcomers from Cuba.
 
 
  Summary Fact Sheet

Official Name Republic of Cuba
Capital Havana
Type of Government Socialist Republic
Population 11 million 
Area 110,860 sq. km
Major Ethnic Groups Spanish, Black, mixed ancestry, Chinese
Language Spanish
Religions Christianity, Santerķa (blend of African and Catholic beliefs)
Unit of Currency Cuban peso 
National Flag Five horizontal stripes of blue and white with a red triangle on the left side containing a white star
Date of Independence May 20, 2021

 
 
  Did you know?
About 150 million years ago, Cuba was part of a submerged North American mountain range. Movements of the earth's crust below the sea made the mountain tops appear above the surface of the water. These peaks became the Caribbean islands that we know today.