When Columbus sailed in 1492 from Europe to America, one of the first islands he landed on was Cuba. Ever since, Cuba's history has been the subject of study for its rich traditions, culture and food. Read on for an in-depth look at Cuba.
哥倫布一四九二年由歐洲航向美洲時，首座登陸的島嶼之一即為古巴。自此，古巴的歷史就一直是當地豐富文化傳統與食物的研究主題。就讓我們一起來深度探索古巴。
PHOTO: EPA
A closer look 說古論今
Cuba was originally inhabited by two Native American tribes: the hunter-gatherer Ciboney, and the agricultural Taino. In fact, the word Cuba comes from cubanacan, which means "a central place" in the Taino language. The Spanish ruled Cuba for almost 400 years between 1492 and 1868, when the Cubans rebelled and after a long struggle won their independence. The Communist Party, now in charge of Cuba, seized power in 1958.
The main crop of Cuba is tobacco, and specifically cigars. Cuban cigars are traditionally among the very best in the world. People in the US cannot buy these cigars, however, due to the embargo they have on Cuban goods and travel. Other important exports include sugar, fish, medical products and coffee. In recent years, more and more tourists have started going to Cuba for its beautiful beaches, mountains and forests.
Like here in Taiwan, Cubans are huge fans of baseball and the Cubans play very well. In the last four Olympic games, Cuba has won three gold and one silver medal. They also won the Intercontinental Cup in Taiwan this year.
Culturally, Cuba is very mixed. There are descendants of African slaves and Spanish colonials, and mixed children living there. This has lead to diverse food. One simple, famous dish from Cuba is black beans and yellow rice, topped with onion. The meal is simple and delicious!
古巴最早的居民是兩族美洲原住民︰獵食為生的西布尼人，與務農為主的泰諾人。事實上，「cuba」這個字源自於古巴方言，在泰諾語中意指「中樞之地」。自一四九二年起，西班牙人統治古巴將近四百年，一八六八年古巴人反抗，歷經長期抗爭終於獲得獨立。古巴共產黨於一九五八年獲取政權，統治古巴迄今。
古巴最主要的作物是菸草，尤其是製成雪茄。古巴的雪茄一向是世界頂級雪茄。不過，由於美國對古巴進行的貿易制裁與旅遊限制，美國境內人買不到這種雪茄。古巴其他重要的出口品包括糖、魚類、醫藥品與咖啡。近幾年來，愈來愈多的遊客開始到古巴造訪其美麗的海灘與山林。
如同台灣一樣，古巴人熱愛棒球，也相當擅長打棒球。過去四屆的奧運中，古巴人就囊括三面金牌與一面銀牌。今年古巴也在台灣舉行的洲際盃棒球賽中封王。
古巴融合多元文化。居民包括非洲黑奴後裔、西班牙移民與混血孩童。這也創造出多元的食物。其中一道簡單又遠近馳名的料理就是上頭灑著洋蔥的黑豆黃飯。這道餐點既簡單又美味！ （翻譯：賴美君）
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