The National Atlas of Cuba

Summary

This paper reviews the National Atlas of Cuba, published in 1970 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Revolution. Prepared collaboratively by the Cuban and Soviet Academies of Sciences, the atlas features high-quality cartography and provides a comprehensive inventory of Cuba’s physical geography, much neglected by previous governments. The second half addresses post-revolutionary human geography, including land use, state agriculture, industrialization, trade, population, education, health, and history. Map analysis reveals that sugar continues to dominate the economy, with only minor changes such as three new bulk-loading ports. Large estates were transformed into state farms, concentrating private landholdings in the west. Industrialization, though spatially decentralized, suffered from overambitious early plans and import dependence, leading to a scaled-down program after 1963. Trade reliance shifted from the United States to the Soviet bloc, with no mention of an earlier failed diversification attempt. Demographic data for 1967, although uncited, show population growth and internal migration, but the atlas lacks post-revolutionary social structure details. Education achievements are notable: the 1961 literacy campaign reduced illiteracy from 25% to under 4%, and the numbers of schools and teachers roughly doubled and trebled, respectively. Health improvements include expanded rural polyclinics, yet one-third of doctors emigrated and the patient-to-doctor ratio likely deteriorated. The atlas spatially documents many social advances but omits critical analysis of economic dependency, income redistribution, or unconventional policies. Ultimately, it stands as a monument to revolutionary achievements, constrained by its exclusive focus on mappable variables and reflecting the Soviet imprint on Cuban affairs.