CUBA:Technology & Employment, Culture,Fabric, Apparel and Fiber production
Technology & Employment:
Hydroelectric plants are used in Cuba to lower dependency on oils and foreign sources. They are located in the southeastern region of the country
The rate of unemployment is much lower than that of most caribbean countries, at 1.60%
The standard work week is 44 hours and the constitution ensures an 8 hour work day and one month of paid vacation a year for government employees.
Self-employed workers are heavily taxed but most Cubans do not pay income tax because they work in government sanctioned professions.
Many Cubans make in-kind contributions to the government by participating in mass organizations, volunteering for agricultural work, or meeting production quotas through overtime.
Culture:
Cuba gained independence from the spaniard colonizers in October of 1868.
Cuba began to be under communist rule in 1959 under the control of the soviet union through dictator Fidel Castro. Before Castro, Cuba was a republic from 1902-1958.
The Soviet Union left Cuba in September of 1991.
Cubans are heavily skilled in various areas of work and create a very unique way of being.
A cultural skill among Cubans that has become a tourist attractor is their ability to keep 1950’s style cars in pristine condition both running and cosmetically wise. It has created a large vintage car market in Cuba.
Only ⅖ to ½ of Cubans have access to dollars.
The typical dishes of Cuba include Pork, various fowl, rice, all cooked with lots of herbs and spices. Some of the most popular foods are moros y cristianos (black beans and rice), Ajiaco (stew meat and vegetables), Lechón asado (roast pork), and cafecito (very dark coffee) or Lager.
Havana hosts one of the largest film festivals in Latin America every year.
A variety of classical and popular musical groups offer weekend performances, and many kinds of music are heard on the streets, especially along the Malecón, Havana’s seaside promenade that remains a magnet for youths, especially in the evenings and on weekends.
Music is also an integral part of the Afro-latinx religion Santería, which has contributed much to the culture of the island.
Fabric, Apparel and Fiber production:
Cuba’s first factory for apparel production was the Textilera de Ariguanabo by Dayton Hedges, an American businessman, in 1931 which produced cotton and rayon fabrics as well as t-shirts, pants, overalls and much more. It was Cuba's largest manufacturing business next to the sugar industry. It began shutting down in the late 90’s and officially closed in 2015.
There is no mass production of textiles, fabric, or apparel currently in Cuba. There are very few clothing retailers from Cuba, and the ones that are there are extremely hard to find. There are only a few small retailers that repurpose certain fabrics from other countries or produce small tourist clothing and then sell them such as Clandestina, created by Idania del Río and Leire Fernández in February 2015.









