A Map Of Cuba

For my map project, I wanted it to symbolize something more than just a map. I chose to do a map of Cuba and the countries that surround it. I have always grown up with a Cuban lifestyle and speaking the Spanish Language, so I have a strong connection with my family and the country. This is why I chose for it to stick out more than any other countries that surround it, including the United States (represented by the tip of Florida at the top of the map), because Cuba has been the most influential country to my upbringing and because it is also insulated  and isolated in comparison to many other countries around the world. I also wanted to incorporate how and why Cuba became what it is today, and that I figured had mostly to do with the people who controlled and ran Cuba throughout the decades. From the left side of the island to the right shows a timeline of he most important people that came and affected the country in one way or another. It starts with the foundation and the discovery of Cuba with Christopher Columbus, and ends with Raul Castro who recently took reign over the country after his brother, Fidel. The people who ruled in Cuba dramatically chose the lifestyle and how the country should be seen in terms of every aspect from all other countries. The fact that Cuba is still very old-fashioned and not completely changed with modern times shows a lot of what a person in power can do for a country. Finally, the last detail that I tried to incorporate into the map is how old Cuba is, and how much history it holds as a country. This is why I chose to make a collage and use old newspaper as the background as well as gold speckles. I think this brings out an antique feeling and reminds the viewer how much Cuba has been through and how much is still yet to come for the ever-growing country.