Use the context clues in the passage to determine which word means "before" or "previous."

Cuba is a nation located south of the United States in the Caribbean Sea. Prior to 1492, only native tribes lived there. But following Christopher Columbus’s arrival in 1492, the Cuban population began to change. Today Cuba has a mix of native, Spanish, African, and French cultures.
1. Prior
2.only
3. But following
4. began