Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, the Philippines, and the United States, Havana cigars from Cuba being particularly famous.

Historically, a lector or reader was always employed to entertain the cigar factory Cuban Cigar workers. This practice became obsolete once audio books for portable players became available, but it is still practiced in some Cuban factories. The appellation for the Montecristo cigar brand may have arisen from this practice. (See Cigar Brands).