Trying to cover the history of Cuba in just a few pages is not only a fanciful notion but a futile exercise. Our history is so rich that some periods have yet to be sufficiently explored, much less addressed with the objectivity that the passing of the years provides to specialists devoted to these matters. With this brief look at the main events, divided into three periods — colonial, neocolonial and revolutionary — we shall attempt to familiarize our reader in a very general way with the long process of the formation of our nationality. Here, too, you will find the main geographical characteristics of the island, its 15 provinces, and the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.