Breaking Down the Walls

Violent hurricanes often hit the western part of our island during August, September, and October.

The best soil for farming is in the center of the main island. Farmers grow citrus fruits, vegetables, sugar cane, and rice. Sugar cane is our most important crop and tobacco is the second.

Hello! My name is Elena Martinez, I am 12 years old, and live in Havana, Cuba. My country is made up of one main island and many smaller islands and is located in the West Indies, just south of

Florida. My country is considered one of the most beautiful islands in the area. I am just one of the 2.12 million people in Havana, our capital city. I live out in the country in a house called a bohios, that's a traditional Cuban house. It's made of wood and thatched with palm. It's usually very hot in Cuba- the average temperature is 77 degrees.

Like most of the people in Cuba, I am white and come from Spanish ancestors. Like everyone else, I speak Spanish, but I am also learning to speak English. Here in Cuba we go to school for at least six years. After that, we decide if we want to continue at one of the universities or if we want to go to work. Tomorrow I will go to church. Like many families here, we belong to the Roman Catholic Church.

The things we eat might sound strange to you but they sure are good to me! We usually eat congri ( black beans with rice) or arroz moro (kidney beans with rice), with either fried bananas or an avocado salad. My favorite foods are congri with fried Cuban Food bananas and yuca (a local root vegetable). My mom usually cooks on a gas stove but sometimes she has to use a kerosene stove.

I ride my bicycle to school every day, and I go to secondary school. All the schools (except nursery schools) have uniforms. Mine is yellow and my sister Beatritz's is red. She's 5 years old and goes to primary school. My favorite subject is chemistry because there are a lot of "hands on" activities. In am expected to do my homework everyday. I like school very much.

My family likes to celebrate a lot of holidays and sometimes we get together for no reason just because we love each other very much. My favorite holiday is on October 10th, which is the anniversary of the beginning of the War of Independence in 1868.

A lot of days are very busy so a lot of days my favorite time is bedtime. I hope you've enjoyed learning about my wonderful country!