Table of Contents

Cuba

Goverment

People

Food and Drink

Recration

Religion

Education

The Arts

Land

Climate

Economy

Castro's Revolution

Important Dates

Cuba links on the web

 

 

Cuba

Pronounced KYOO buh, is an island nation that is the only Communist state in the Americas. It lies about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Key West, Florida. Havana is Cuba's capital and largest city.

Cuba is the largest island and one of the most beautiful islands in the West Indies. Towering mountains and rolling hills cover about a third of the island. The rest of Cuba consists mainly of gentle slopes and broad grasslands. Cuba has a magnificent coastline marked with deep bays, sandy beaches, and colorful coral reefs.

Cuba's geographic location has greatly influenced its history. The island lies at the intersection of major sea routes between the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. The famous explorer Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba in 1492, and the island later became an important strategic outpost of Spain's empire in the New World.

During the late 1700's and early 1800's, sugar cane became Cuba's single most important crop. Sugar cane was grown on large plantations that depended heavily on human labor. The desire for cheap labor for the plantations led to the importation of thousands of African slaves to Cuba.

During the 1800's, many Cubans began to call for independence from Spain. In 1898, the United States helped defeat Spain, which then gave up all claims to Cuba. A U.S. military government ruled Cuba from 1899 until 1902, when the island became a republic. But the United States maintained close ties with Cuba and often intervened in the island's internal affairs. During most of the period from the 1930's to the 1950's, Cuba was controlled by a dictator, Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar.

In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution that overthrew Batista. The rebels later set up a Communist government, with Castro as its head. Relations between Cuba and the United States became tense soon after the revolution. The Castro government developed close ties with the Soviet Union, then the main rival of the United States in a struggle for international power. In 1961, the United States ended diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Today, the government of Cuba is highly centralized, and Castro has strong control. The government provides many benefits for the people, including free medical care and free education. But political and economic freedom is severely limited.

 

Government

According to the Cuban Constitution, which was adopted in 1976, Cuba is a socialist state. It is governed by a single political party-the Partido Comunista de Cuba (Communist Party of Cuba), also known as the PCC. The Constitution established the Communist Party as the leading authority in the government and society. The Central Committee of the PCC is responsible for making the highest levels of policy, and it exercises control over all formal government institutions.

Provincial and local government. Cuba has 14 provinces, which are divided into about 170 municipalities for purposes of local government. Each province and municipality has an assembly. The people elect the members of each municipal assembly. The municipal assemblies of a province elect the members of the provincial assembly. Cuba's largest offshore island, the Isle of Youth, does not belong to any province and is ruled directly by the central government.

Armed forces. Cuba has one of the largest armed forces in Latin America. Approximately 105,000 men and women serve on active duty in the Cuban army, navy, and air force. An additional 135,000 men and women serve in an army reserve. All Cuban men must serve two years of active duty after they reach the age of 16.

 

People

Ancestry and language. Most Cubans are descendants of people who came to the island from Spain and Africa, but specific information about the ancestry of individual Cubans is often unreliable. According to many authorities, however, about 40 percent of the people are white and of Spanish ancestry, and approximately 10 percent are black. About 50 percent of the people are mulattoes-that is, people of mixed white and black ancestry. Cuba also has a small percentage of people of Chinese descent. Spanish is Cuba's official language.

Way of life. The majority of Cuban people live in urban areas. Havana is Cuba's capital, largest city, and commercial and cultural center. Many people in the cities are employed by government agencies or small factories. Some people operate their own small private businesses. Cuba's cities have a severe housing short-age. Many people live in crowded high-rise apartment buildings. In many cases, two or more families share an apartment. Many buildings are in need of repair. Energy shortages at times result in blackouts, the closing of factories, and a reduction in transportation services.

Most of the people in rural areas work on farms. Many rural people live in bohios. Bohios are thatch-roofed dwellings with dirt floors.

Before the 1959 revolution, many rural communities lacked health facilities, schools, adequate transportation and communication, and housing. Since 1959, however, the government has built hospitals, clinics, and schools in the countryside. It has also expanded transportation and communication facilities and increased housing construction. Nevertheless, many rural areas of Cuba continue to have housing shortages and to lack certain necessities.

 

Food and drink

Many Cuban foods are spicy. Rice is the most common Cuban food. It is often served with various kinds of beans, or it is mixed with tomatoes, onions, and green peppers in a dish called arroz con pollo. Another popular dish is picadillo, which consists of ground beef, pork, or veal mixed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and other ingredients. Corn meal is used in tamales and many other dishes. Coffee and rum are popular beverages.

Many types of food are scarce in Cuba. As a result, the government has organized a rationing system for the distribution of food. This system is designed to provide all households with minimum quantities of rice, beans, meat, chicken, eggs, sugar, milk, and coffee.

 

Recreation

Cubans are enthusiastic sports fans. Baseball arrived in Cuba from the United States in the late 1800's and quickly became the island's national pastime. Other popular sports include basketball, boxing, swimming, track and field, and volleyball. Soccer also has a national following.

 

Religion

About 40 percent of the Cuban people are Roman Catholics. Several Protestant groups have widespread membership in Cuba, including Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians. A small Jewish community is concentrated mostly in Havana.

Some Cubans believe in Santeria, a religion that combines certain traditional African religious beliefs and some Roman Catholic ceremonies. Followers of Santeria believe that the Catholic saints correspond to African spirits called orishas.

 

Education

Cuba has one of the most extensive networks of schools in Latin America, from preschool facilities to graduate and professional programs. All Cubans from the ages of 6 to 14 are required to attend school. Education is free. Centers of higher education include the University of Havana, the Central University of Las Villas in Santa Clara, and the University of Oriente in Santiago de Cuba. Nearly all adult Cubans can read and write. For the country's literacy rate, see LITERACY (table).

 

The Arts

Cuba has a distinguished tradition in the arts. The Cuban government strongly supports the arts and sponsors free ballets, plays, and other cultural events for Cubans. The work of the government-sponsored Institute of Cinema Art and Industry has made Cuba a center of the Latin American film industry.

Cuban paintings are known primarily for their strong colors and portrayals of dramatic actions. Armando Menocal, who began painting in the late 1800's, became famous for his murals and depictions of historical events. Well-known Cuban painters of the 1900's include Amelia Pelaez and Wifredo Lam. Pelaez pioneered the introduction of modern art in Cuba. Lam combined both African and Cuban elements in his works.

Jose Marti was the most famous Cuban writer of the 1800's. Marti, who helped lead Cuba's fight for independence from Spain, wrote eloquently on political subjects. He also was a poet. The most prominent Cuban novelists of the early and middle 1900's included Carlos Loveira, Alejo Carpentier, and Jose Lezama Lima. Loveira wrote about social and political injustice. Carpentier produced works in the style of magic realism. Magic realism blends dreams and magic with everyday reality. Lezama published poetry and literary reviews. Guillermo Cabrera Infante became one of Cuba's outstanding novelists and short-story writers of the late 1900's. His innovative works of fiction are filled with puns and other kinds of wordplay.

Cuban popular music has gained worldwide renown. This highly rhythmic music combines African and European, especially Spanish, traditions. Much Cuban music features guitars and such percussion instruments as castanets, maracas, and a variety of drums, including bongo drums. Cuban music has given rise to a number of dances, including the cha-cha-cha, conga, mambo, rumba, son, and Cuban bolero.

 

The Land

Cuba lies about 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Key West, Florida. It consists of a main island (Cuba) surrounded by more than 1,600 smaller islands. The Cuban mainland extends about 710 miles (1,150 kilometers) from northwest to southeast. The mainland and its surrounding islands cover 42,804 square miles (110,861 square kilometers). At its widest point, the island measures 135 miles (217 kilometers). At its narrowest point, it reaches only about 20 miles (32 kilometers).

Cuba consists mainly of three mountainous regions separated by gentle slopes, rolling plains, and wide, fertile farmlands. The three mountainous regions rise in the west, in south-central Cuba, and in the southeast.

The westernmost mountainous region of Cuba consists of two mountain ranges-the Sierra de los Organos and the Sierra del Rosario. The south-central mountainous region is known as the Sierra de Escambray. It includes the Sierra de Trinidad and the Sierra de Sancti Spiritus ranges. The southeastern mountainous zone has several ranges. Among them is the Sierra Maestra range, which rises abruptly from the southeastern coast. The highest point in Cuba, the Pico Turquino, stands 6,542 feet (1,994 meters) high in the Sierra Maestra.

Cuba has more than 200 rivers and streams. Most of them are short, narrow, and shallow. Few inland waterways on the island can be navigated for any great distances. The longest river, the Cauto, flows about 150 miles (240 kilometers) through southeastern Cuba. It is navigable for only about 40 miles (65 kilometers).

The coastline of Cuba measures approximately 2,100 miles (3,380 kilometers) long. It is marked with deep bays and sandy beaches. Much of the southern shoreline of Cuba in the west consists of a band of low marshland that is broken up into hundreds of coral keys and mangrove swamps. Coral keys are low islands that form when coral growths build up above the water. Mangrove swamps are created when the spreading roots of mangrove trees catch and hold soil. West of Cienfuegos lies the Zapata Peninsula, a vast swampland.

Cuba has over 200 natural harbors along its shoreline. The larger harbors have narrow entrances, which protect the inner area against winds and waves. Important northern harbors include Antilla, Cabanas, Cardenas, Gibara, Havana, Honda, Manati, Mariel, Matanzas, Nuevitas, and Puerto Padre. The chief southern harbors include Cienfuegos, Guantanamo, and Santiago de Cuba.

 

Climate

Cuba lies within the northern tropics and has a semitropical climate. Cool ocean breezes during the summer and warm breezes in the winter give the island a mild climate throughout the year. Average daily temperatures in Cuba range from about 70 °F (21 °C) in winter to about 80 °F (27 °C) in summer. The interior has a greater temperature range than the coastal regions. Temperatures on the island rarely fall below 40 °F (4 °C) or rise above 100 °F (38 °C). Frosts sometimes occur in the mountains.

Cuba has a dry season and a rainy season. The dry season lasts from November through April, and the rainy season runs from May through October. Cuba has an average annual rainfall of more than 50 inches (125 centimeters). Thunderstorms occur almost daily in the rainy season.

Hurricanes frequently strike the island. Hurricane season lasts from June to November. The strong winds from hurricanes occasionally destroy buildings and crops and create high waves that flood the coastal lowlands. Earthquakes also occasionally hit Cuba. They occur most frequently and most severely along the southeastern coast.

 

Economy

Cuba has a gross domestic product (GDP) of about $15 billion. A country's GDP is the total value of all goods and services the country produces in a year. Cubans have a per capita (per person) income of about $1,300.

From 1961 to the early 1990's, government planning dominated the key economic decisions of the country. During that time, the Cuban economy declined. The country relied heavily on aid from, and trade with, the Soviet Union and the nations of the Communist bloc of Eastern Europe.

Communism collapsed in Eastern Europe during the late 1980's, and the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991. These political changes resulted in a loss of economic aid for Cuba. To combat the severe economic crisis brought on by this loss of aid, the Cuban government somewhat loosened its control over the economy. Foreign investment, which had previously been discouraged by the government, began to return to the island, principally in tourism. In 1993, some private enterprise was gradually permitted. Many Cubans began to open small businesses, including restaurants and clothing stores.

Manufacturing centers on sugar production. Cuba has more than 100 sugar mills throughout the country. The manufacture of cigars is also important. Cuba is famous for fine hand-rolled cigars made from high-quality tobacco. Most cigar factories are in Havana. Other important industrial activities in Cuba include oil refining and the production of fertilizer, food products, cement products, textiles, paper and wood products, and leather goods.

Agriculture. Sugar cane has long been Cuba's most important crop by far, and Cuba is one of the world's leading producers of sugar. Sugar cane is grown throughout the island. Tobacco and coffee are also important crops.

Through the years, the government has promoted at-tempts to grow other crops as a way for the country to supply more of its own food. As part of these efforts, the government has tried to increase the production of bananas, citrus fruits, corn, rice, potatoes, and tomatoes. The government has also attempted to increase the production of livestock farming, particularly the raising of beef and dairy cattle, hogs, and chickens.

During the 1960's, nearly all farmland came under state control. Most farms were run as state farms, owned and operated by the government. Some farms were reorganized and operated as farm cooperatives, which were owned jointly by the government and groups of farmers. Some small farms remained under the control of individual owners. In all cases, farmers were required to sell their products to the state at prices set by the government. In 1994, however, the government authorized farmers to sell their surplus production on the open market after certain quotas had been met. Soon, small farmers' markets sprang up across the island and sold directly to the public a variety of products, including fruits, vegetables, and other foods.

Mining. Cuba's mines produce chromium, cobalt, copper, iron ore, manganese, and nickel. Most of the country's nickel mines are on the eastern end of the island. Cuba also produces small quantities of petroleum, mostly for its own use.

Fishing industry. State-owned Cuban fishing fleets range over the Caribbean Sea and parts of the North Atlantic Ocean. The chief fish caught include tuna and such shellfish as lobsters and shrimp. Caibarien, Cienfuegos, and Havana are among the important fishing ports.

Early years. The famous explorer Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba in 1492. At the time of Columbus's arrival, three groups of Indians inhabited the island: the Guanahatabey, the Ciboney, and the Taino. Estimates of the size of the Indian population at the time of European arrival vary widely-from as few as 16,000 to as many as 600,000.

Spanish soldiers and priests arrived in Cuba in 1511. The Indians resisted the Spanish effort to take over the island but were soon defeated. The Spaniards then forced the Indians to work in agriculture and mining. Many Indians died from diseases and harsh treatment. By the mid-1500's, only a few thousand Indians remained. As the Indian population declined, the Spaniards began to import African slaves. The first African slaves arrived in Cuba in the 1520's.

The island became strategically important to the Spanish colonial system in the New World. Control of Cuba offered Spain command of sea routes to Mexico, the Gulf Coast, western Florida, and Central America, as well as the chief sea lanes of the Caribbean. In 1564, Spain officially introduced its fleet system. Under this system, its merchant vessels, carrying treasure from the New World, sailed together in groups called convoys, which were protected by warships. Havana became the gathering place for the treasure ships before they set sail in convoys for Spain. Havana soon emerged as the political, administrative, economic, and cultural hub of the country.

In 1762, the British seized Havana during the Seven Years' War, known in the United States as the French and Indian War. During their occupation, the British introduced reforms and established new trade ties between Cuba and the British colonies of North America.

The British returned control of Havana to Spain in 1763. In the years after the restoration of Spanish rule, Spain eased trade restrictions, abolished all duties on Cuban imports, and opened Cuban ports to unlimited free trade in slaves. These actions helped the Cuban economy flourish.

In the late 1700's, a rebellion of black slaves in the French colony of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) destroyed the production of sugar and coffee on that island. About the same time, the world price of these products soared. In response to this situation, Cuban producers soon launched coffee production in eastern Cuba and expanded sugar cane cultivation throughout the island, beginning in the west.

Through the years, sugar emerged as the most important Cuban export. Expanding sugar production led to the desire for more cheap labor. As a result, tens of thousands of African slaves were brought onto the island. Many owners treated their slaves brutally. In 1812, a group of slaves, headed by Jose Antonio Aponte, planned a revolt. The Spaniards discovered the plot and hanged Aponte and his followers.

Struggle against Spain. By the mid-1820's, nearly all of Spain's colonies in Latin America had won their independence. During the 1800's, various Cuban groups sought to end Spanish rule of their country as well.

During the mid-1800's, some Cubans and Americans supported a movement to annex (join) Cuba to the United States. The annexation movement received much support from Cuban and American slaveholders. These people feared that ongoing unrest among the slaves on the island would lead Spain to end slavery in Cuba. Other groups in Cuba and the United States favored American control of the island for economic and military reasons. The United States made several offers to buy Cuba, but Spain rejected them.

Cuba's struggle against Spanish rule led to the out-break of the Ten Years' War in 1868. Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, a landowner, headed a revolutionary group largely made up of poor whites, mulattoes, free blacks, and slaves. The group demanded independence from Spain, the establishment of a republic, and the emancipation of the slaves. Spain rejected the group's demands, and bitter fighting followed. The war ended with the signing of the Pact of Zanjon in 1878. This treaty provided for political reforms and for the liberation of slaves who had joined the rebel army. Slavery was abolished in Cuba in 1886.

By the early 1890's, Cubans were again preparing to fight for independence. Largely as a result of the efforts of the writer Jose Marti, the separatists organized the Cuban Revolutionary Party. In 1895, they launched a new war for the independence of the island.

President William McKinley of the United States claimed that the fighting on the island threatened American interests. He told the Spanish government to either change its policy toward Cuba or give up the island completely. In February 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine, which had been sent to Havana to protect Americans in Cuba, exploded mysteriously. The United States blamed Spain for the explosion and, in April, declared war on Spain. This war became known in the United States as the Spanish-American War. In Cuba, the war that was fought from 1895 to 1898 is called the Spanish-Cuban-American War.

The U.S. intervention delivered the final blow to the Spanish army in Cuba. The Spanish army in Cuba surrendered in July 1898, and an armistice in August ended the fighting. Under the Treaty of Paris, which was signed on December 10, Spain gave up all rights to the island. The United States then set up a military government in Cuba. Consequently, the Cubans did not achieve the independence they had hoped to gain. Instead, Cuba was occupied by another foreign country-the United States.

The Platt Amendment. In 1901, Cuba adopted a constitution. The United States insisted that the Constitution include a set of provisions called the Platt Amendment. The amendment limited Cuban independence by permitting the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs. It also limited the Cuban government's power to make treaties with other governments. The amendment required Cuba to allow the United States to buy or lease land for naval bases on the island. Under a treaty with Cuba in 1903, the United States received a permanent lease on Guantanamo Bay and began to build a large naval base there.

The government of Cuba from 1902 to 1934, except for the years 1906 to 1909, is sometimes called the Platt Amendment Republic or the Plattist Republic. The period of the Plattist Republic was marked by political instability, public corruption, and popular protest. During this period, the United States gained increasing control over the economic affairs of Cuba. The United States began to dominate Cuban trade.

In 1901, the Cuban people elected Tomas Estrada Palma as the first president of the Republic of Cuba. American troops left the country. In 1906, violent protests broke out in Cuba over the disputed outcome of a presidential election. United States troops then returned to Cuba. A government headed by Charles E. Magoon of the United States ruled Cuba from 1906 to 1909. The United States returned control of the country to the Cubans in 1909. American forces left the country, but the United States retained naval bases on the island.

A black uprising broke out in Cuba in 1912. The pro-testers objected to the lack of political opportunity for blacks in Cuba. In 1917, a revolt protesting electoral fraud broke out. During both uprisings, the United States sent military forces into the country.

The Cuban people elected Gerardo Machado president in 1924. During his campaign, Machado had attacked the Platt Amendment and had promised reforms. But after becoming president, he ruled as a dictator. In August 1933, a general strike and an army revolt forced Machado out of office. A month later, an army sergeant named Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar and a group of university students and professors led a military revolt that overthrew the new government. They named a five-man government, headed by a former university professor named Ramon Grau San Martin, to rule Cuba.

The Grau government wanted to reduce U.S. influence in Cuba and make far-reaching changes. The government passed a number of measures, including laws that established an eight-hour workday and required all Cuban businesses to employ Cubans for at least half of their total work force. The United States and many Cubans refused to recognize the Grau government.

The Batista era. Batista forced Grau to resign from office in 1934. Until 1940, Batista ruled Cuba as dictator through presidents who served in name only. The United States recognized and supported Batista's government. In 1934, the United States and Cuba signed a treaty that canceled the Platt Amendment, except for the Guantanamo Bay lease. United States investments in Cuba continued to expand during the 1940's and 1950's. For example, American interests eventually controlled more than 90 percent of Cuba's telephone and electrical services and about 40 percent of its sugar production. The United States also continued to be Cuba's most important trading partner.

In 1940, Cubans adopted a new constitution and elected Batista president. The Constitution prevented Batista from seeking reelection in 1944, and Grau became president again. Carlos Prio Socarras won the 1948 election.

In 1952, Batista overthrew Prio's government and be-came dictator again. Batista stressed the development of light industry and encouraged foreign companies to build businesses in Cuba. He also improved public works. But many Cubans remained unemployed and in poverty, and political conflict expanded across the island. Strikes and demonstrations became common.

 

The Castro revolution

On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro, a young lawyer, tried to start a revolution against Batista by attacking the Moncada army barracks in Santiago de Cuba. Castro was captured and imprisoned. Many of his followers were either imprisoned or murdered. Castro was released from prison in 1955 and went to Mexico. In 1956, he organized the 26th of July Movement, which was named after the date of his first revolt. Castro's forces landed in Oriente Province in December 1956. Most of the rebels were imprisoned or killed. However, Castro and about a dozen of his followers escaped to the Sierra Maestra.

In 1957, Castro's forces began to wage a guerrilla war against the Cuban government. The same year, university students stormed the presidential palace in an attempt to assassinate Batista. Attempts by the government to crush the revolution increased the people's support of the rebels. Continued poor economic conditions also led to growing support for the rebels, particularly among workers, peasants, students, and the middle class. By mid1958, Batista's government had lost the support and confidence of both the United States and the Cubans.

On Jan. 1, 1959, Batista fled the country. Castro's forces then took control of the government. Later, Castro became prime minister of Cuba. The revolutionary leaders did away with the political and military structure of Batista's government. Many former political officials and military officers were tried and executed. A large number of middle- and upper-class Cubans went into exile in Florida.

The new Cuban government immediately set out to change Cuban relations with the United States. In particular, it sought to reduce U.S. influence on Cuban national affairs. In 1960, for example, the Cuban government seized U.S.-owned businesses, including sugar estates. As a result, relations between Cuba and the United States quickly became strained.

As relations with the United States declined, Cuba developed stronger ties with the Soviet Union and became a Communist country. In early 1960, Castro's government signed a broad economic pact with the Soviet Union.

In June 1960, the Castro government took over American and British oil refineries in Cuba after the refineries refused to process crude oil imported from the Soviet Union. The United States then stopped buying sugar from Cuba. Over the next few months, the Castro government took over all the remaining American businesses in Cuba and accepted Soviet military assistance. In October, the United States placed an economic embargo on Cuba, which banned all U.S. exports except medicines and some food products. In January 1961, the United States ended diplomatic relations with Cuba.

The Bay of Pigs invasion. In April 1961, Cuban exiles sponsored by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs on the south coast. Castro's forces crushed the invasion and captured most of the exiles. Castro later released many of the exiles to the United States in exchange for nonmilitary supplies.

The Cuban missile crisis. Cuban leaders feared another direct U.S. invasion. The Soviet Union offered military aid to Cuba, and Cuba agreed to let the Soviet Union send missiles and materials to build launch sites. In October 1962, the United States learned that Cuba had nuclear missiles in place that could be launched toward American cities. President John F. Kennedy ordered a naval blockade to halt the further shipment of arms. He demanded that the Soviet Union remove all missiles from the island and dismantle the remaining missile bases. For several days, the world stood on the brink of nuclear war. Finally, the Soviet Union removed the weapons under protest from Castro. The Soviet action came after Kennedy privately agreed not to invade Cuba. Kennedy also agreed to remove U.S. nuclear missiles from Turkey, which the Soviets considered to be a threat.

Social programs. The Castro government built many new schools and improved old ones, and school enrollments and literacy rates increased dramatically. The government also improved medical and dental care facilities across the country and built new ones. The number of doctors and other health professionals increased. Health conditions improved, and life expectancy increased. Social reforms also led to more opportunities for minorities. Women began attending universities in greater numbers. Larger numbers of women joined the labor force. Blacks also received increased educational, employment, and political opportunities.

On the other hand, many opponents of the government were jailed, and Cuba came under sharp criticism from international human rights groups. In addition, the Cuban people were denied many political and economic freedoms. The Cuban economy declined under Castro, and the people suffered from shortages of food and housing.

Foreign relations. From the 1960's to the 1980's, Castro tried to spread revolution throughout Latin America, mainly by supplying military aid to guerrilla groups in a number of Latin American countries. Cuba also sent troops and civilian military advisers to aid certain groups in Angola and several other African countries. The Soviet Union provided most of the military supplies for Cuba's African operations.

Relations between Cuba and the United States remained strained, despite occasional signs of improvement. The United States kept its embargo, first imposed in 1960, in place. During the 1990's, the United States passed legislation, including the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, to broaden trade sanctions against Cuba. In 2000, however, Congress passed legislation allowing sales of U.S. food and medicine to Cuba.

Another serious issue between Cuba and the United States involved the immigration of Cubans to the United States. After the revolution, hundreds of thousands of Cubans left the country because of their opposition to Castro or because of dissatisfaction with their social and economic conditions. Most of these people settled in the United States, which had a policy of providing political asylum to all Cubans who reached its shores. Other Cuban exiles settled in such Spanish-speaking countries as Mexico and Spain.

An especially large immigration wave took place between April and September of 1980, when more than 125,000 Cubans moved to the United States. This event became known as the Mariel boat lift because the refugees left from the Cuban port of Mariel. After another large immigration in 1994, Cuba and the United States reached an immigration agreement. The United States said it would admit at least 20,000 new immigrants from Cuba annually. In return, Cuba pledged to do more to prevent illegal departures.

Recent developments. In the late 1980's, the Soviet Union and other European Communist countries began programs to give their people more political and economic freedom. Castro criticized these reform efforts. Non-Communist governments replaced Communist governments in most of the Eastern European countries during the late 1980's. In December 1991, the Soviet Union was dissolved, its Communist government was replaced, and Cuba lost its most important source of aid. Cuba's economy suffered severely as a result.

Cuba soon took a number of steps aimed at easing its economic crisis. For example, it undertook limited reforms that loosened state control over parts of the country's economy. It also sought to improve relations with other countries, particularly Canada and European and Latin American nations, in an attempt to stimulate foreign investment in Cuba.

 

Important dates in Cuba

· 1492 Christopher Columbus landed in Cuba and claimed the island for Spain.

· 1520's The first African slaves arrived in Cuba.

· 1762 The British seized Havana. They returned it to Spanish control in 1763.

· 1868-1878 Cuban revolutionaries fought Spanish rule in the Ten Years' War. Under the Pact of Zanjon, which ended the war, Spain promised reforms.

· 1886 Slavery was abolished in Cuba.

· 1895 A revolution, led by Jose Marti, broke out in Cuba against Spanish rule.

· 1898 The United States, supporting the Cuban rebels, defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War. Spain gave up all claims to Cuba.

· 1898-1902 A U.S. military government controlled Cuba.

· 1901 Cuba adopted a constitution that included as set of provisions called the Platt Amendment. The amendment allowed the United States to intervene in Cuban affairs.

· 1902 Tomas Estrada Palma became the first president of the Republic of Cuba.

· 1906-1909 United States forces again occupied Cuba.

· 1933 A revolutionary group led by Fulgencio Batista y Zaldivar took control of the government.

· 1934 The United States and Cuba signed a treaty that canceled the Platt Amendment.

· 1959 Fidel Castro's forces overthrew Batista's government, and Castro became ruler of the country.

· 1961 Cuban exiles sponsored by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) invaded Cuba at the Bay of Pigs and were quickly defeated by Castro's army.

· 1962 The Soviet Union agreed to U.S. demands that it remove its missiles from Cuba and dismantle the remaining missile bases on the island.

· 1976 Cuba adopted a new constitution that established the Communist Party as the leading authority in the government and society.

· 1991 The Soviet Union, which had been an important source of economic aid to Cuba, was dissolved. Cuba's economy suffered greatly as a result.

· 1993 Cuba instituted economic reforms that allowed some workers to start private businesses.

 

Cuba Links on the Web

· Cuba Junky
· Cuba resourses
· Music in Havana
· History of Havana

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