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Cuba Overview
- Officially the Republic of Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean
- Comprises the main island plus 4,195 smaller islands and cays
- Convergence of the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic
- Capital: Havana; Population: around 10 million
- Largest country in the Caribbean by area
Historical Background
- Inhabited since the 4th millennium BC by Guanahatabey and Taíno peoples
- Population mainly descends from Taíno, Spanish settlers, and Africans
- Part of the Spanish Empire until the Spanish-American War of 1898
- Gained independence in 1902; experienced a military-led government following a 1933 coup
- Cuban Revolution in 1959 established communist rule under Fidel Castro
Political Changes
- Cold War tensions heightened during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962
- Cuba supported anti-colonial movements from the 1970s to 1980s
- Severe economic downturn in the 1990s post-Soviet Union dissolution
- Raúl Castro succeeded Fidel in 2008; Díaz-Canel became president in 2018
Current State
- Socialist state dominated by the Communist Party with an authoritarian government
- Extensive censorship and repression of independent journalism
- Command economy focused on tourism, exports, and skilled labor
- Universal health care system faces challenges; high extreme poverty rates
- U.S. embargo since 1960 continues to impact the economy