Both places have been historically linked to the rest of North America, in some cases in far stronger ways than with the rest of their Caribbean neighbors. Cuba was the departure point of choice of Spanish explorers and colonizers for expeditions into Mexico and Florida, and the island was lusted after for years by the United States during the late nineteenth century. Though the current embargo keeps Cuba at arm's length from the United States, she has decent diplomatic relations with both Canada and Mexico. The Bahamas pretty much experience economic vitality because of trade and tourism links with the United States. Both nations feature a climate and biodiversity remarkably similar to that of southern Florida. I have been fortunate enough to see this up close and personal in the Bahamas, but my only experience thus far of Cuba has been of a few distant glimpses of a mountainous coast from the Straits of Florida. There are no reasons why we can't occasionally talk about her though, especially since I have some rather controversial posts about language coming up this week. You know, posts about, gasp, that dreaded Spanish language everyone here seems to be afraid of.
Oh, and for those of us wondering, this would be where North America technically ends down south:
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| Thanks USGS! This map and all sorts of fun stuff can be found here. |
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