This article is about the country. For other uses see Cuba (disambiguation). Republic of Cuba Repblica de Cuba  (Spanish) Flag Coat of arms Motto: Patria o Muerte (Spanish) "Homeland or Death"1 Anthem: La Bayamesa  ("The Bayamo Song")2 Capital (and largest city) Havana 238N 8223W / 23.133N 82.383W / 23.133; -82.383 Official language(s) Spanish Ethnic groups  65.05% White (Spanish others) 10.08% African 23.84% Mulatto and Mestizo3 Demonym Cuban Government Unitary republic communist state4  -  President Ral Castro  -  First Vice President J. R. M. Ventura  -  PCC First Secretary Ral Castro  -  President of the National Assembly Ricardo Alarcn Independence from Spain   -  Declared October 10 1868   -  Republic declared May 20 1902 from United States   -  Cuban Revolution January 1 1959  Area  -  Total 109886 km2 (105th) 42427 sq mi   -  Water (%) negligible5 Population  -  2009 estimate 112393635 (75th)  -  2002 census 111777435   -  Density 102/km2 (103rd) 265/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2009 estimate  -  Total $111.1 billion6 (62nd)  -  Per capita $9700 (86th) GDP (nominal) 2009 estimate  -  Total $67.26 billion5 (62nd)  -  Per capita $5984 (78th) HDI (2007) 0.8637 (high) (51st) Currency Cuban peso(CUP) Cuban convertible peso8 (CUC) Time zone (UTC5)  -  Summer (DST) (March 11 to November 4) (UTC4) Drives on the right ISO 3166 code CU Internet TLD .cu Calling code +53

The Republic of Cuba (pronounced /kjub/ ( listen); Spanish: Repblica de Cuba pronounced repulika e kua ( listen)) is a socialist state in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba the Isla de la Juventud and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city.910 To the north of Cuba lies the United States and the Bahamas Mexico is to the west the Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south and Haiti and the Dominican Republic are to the southeast.

In 1492 Christopher Columbus found and claimed the island now occupied by Cuba for the Kingdom of Spain. Cuba remained territory of Spain until the SpanishAmerican War ended in 1898 and gained formal independence from the U.S. in 1902. Between 1953 and 1959 the Cuban Revolution occurred removing the dictatorship11 of Fulgencio Batista.

Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is the most populous island nation in the Caribbean as well as the largest by area. Its people culture and customs draw from diverse sources such as the aboriginal Tano and Ciboney peoples the period of Spanish colonialism the introduction of African slaves and its proximity to the United States.

Cuba has a 99.8% literacy rate1213 an infant death rate lower than some developed countries14 and an average life expectancy of 77.64.12 In 2006 Cuba was the only nation in the world which met the WWF's definition of sustainable development; having an ecological footprint of less than 1.8 hectares per capita and a Human Development Index of over 0.8 for 2007.15 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Pre-Columbian era 2.2 Spanish colonization 2.3 Independence wars 2.3.1 Ten Years' War 2.3.2 Period between wars 2.3.3 War of 1895 2.3.4 SpanishAmerican War 2.3.4.1 USS Maine 2.4 Early 20th century 2.5 Revolution 2.6 Recent affairs 3 Human rights 4 Economy 5 Government and politics 5.1 Military 5.2 Foreign relations 6 Geography 6.1 Climate 6.2 Resources 7 Demographics 7.1 Immigration to Cuba 7.2 Current demographics 7.3 Cuban migration 7.4 Languages 8 Education 9 Health 10 Culture 10.1 Music 10.2 Cuisine 10.3 Literature 11 See also 12 References 13 External links Etymology

The name Cuba comes from the Tano language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as where fertile land is abundant (cubao)16 or great place (coabana).17 Scholars who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the ancient town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal.1819 History Main articles: History of Cuba and Timeline of Cuban history Pre-Columbian era Sketch of a Tano woman also known as the Arawak by the Spanish

Cuba was inhabited by Native American people known as the Tano also called Arawak by the Spanish and Guanajatabey and Ciboney people before the arrival of the Spanish. The ancestors of these Native Americans migrated from the mainland of North Central and South America several centuries earlier.20 The native Tainos called the island Caobana.21 The Tano were farmers and the Ciboney were farmers fishers and hunter-gatherers. Spanish colonization

After first landing on an island then called Guanahani on October 12 149222 Christopher Columbus landed on Cuba's northeastern coast near what is now Baracoa on October 2722 or 28.2324 He claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain25 and named Isla Juana after Juan Prince of Asturias.26 In 1511 the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velzquez de Cullar at Baracoa; other towns soon followed including the future capital of San Cristobal de la Habana which was founded in 1515. The Spanish enslaved the approximately 100000 indigenous people who resisted conversion to Christianitycitation needed setting them primarily to the task of searching for gold. Within a century the indigenous people were virtually wiped out due to multiple factors including Eurasian infectious diseases aggravated in large part by a lack of natural resistance as well as privation stemming from repressive colonial subjugation.27 In 1529 a measles outbreak in Cuba killed two-thirds of the natives who had previously survived smallpox.2829 Diego Velzquez de Cullar conquistador of Cuba

Cuba remained a Spanish possession for almost 400 years (15111898) with an economy based on plantation agriculture mining and the export of sugar coffee and tobacco to Europe and later to North America. The work was done primarily by African slaves brought to the island.

The small land-owning elite of Spanish settlers held social and economic powers supported by a population of Spaniards born on the island (Criollos) other Europeans and African-descended slaves. The population in 1817 was 630980 of which 291021 were white 115691 free black and 224268 black slaves.30 Independence wars In the 1820s when the rest of Spain's empire in Latin America rebelled and formed independent states Cuba remained loyal. Although there was agitation for independence the Spanish Crown gave Cuba the motto La Siempre Fidelsima Isla ("The Always Most Faithful Island"). This loyalty was due partly to Cuban settlers' dependence on Spain for trade their desire for protection from pirates and against a slave rebellion and partly because they feared the rising power of the United States more than they disliked Spanish rule.citation needed Ten Years' War Carlos Manuel de Cspedes is known as Father of the Homeland in Cuba having declared the nation's independence from Spain in 1868. Independence from Spain was the motive for a rebellion in 1868 led by Carlos Manuel de Cspedes. De Cspedes a sugar planter freed his slaves to fight with him for a free Cuba. On 27 December 1868 he issued a decree condemning slavery in theory but accepting it in practice and declaring free any slaves whose masters present them for military service.31 The 1868 rebellion resulted in a prolonged conflict known as the Ten Years' War. The United States declined to recognize the new Cuban government although many European and Latin American nations did so.32 In 1878 the Pact of Zanjn ended the conflict with Spain promising greater autonomy to Cuba. In 18791880 Cuban patriot Calixto Garcia attempted to start another war known as the Little War but received little support.33 Period between wars In Cuba a sophisticated and prosperous sugar industry had employed chattel slavery until the final third of the 19th century. Cuba produced 720250 metric tons of sugar 1n 1868 more than forty percent of cane sugar reaching the world market that year. Slavery had been maintained in Cuba however while abolition was underway elsewhere. Abolition in Cuba began the final third of the 19th century and was completed in the 1880s.3435 War of 1895 An exiled dissident named Jos Mart founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party in New York in 1892. The aim of the party was to achieve Cuban independence from Spain.36 In January 1895 Mart traveled to Montecristi and Santo Domingo to join the efforts of Mximo Gmez.36 Mart recorded his political views in the Manifesto of Montecristi.37 Fighting against the Spanish army began in Cuba on 24 February 1895 but Mart was unable to reach Cuba until 11 April 1895.36 Mart was killed in the battle of Dos Rios on 19 May 1895.36 His death immortalized him as Cuba's national hero.37 Around 200000 Spanish troops outnumbered the much smaller rebel army which relied mostly on guerrilla and sabotage tactics. The Spaniards began a campaign of suppression. General Valeriano Weyler military governor of Cuba herded the rural population into what he called reconcentrados described by international observers as "fortified towns". These are often considered the prototype for 20th-century concentration camps.38 Between 200000 and 400000 Cuban civilians died from starvation and disease in the camps numbers verified by the Red Cross and United States Senator and former Secretary of War Redfield Proctor. American and European protests against Spanish conduct on the island followed.39 SpanishAmerican War Main article: SpanishAmerican War USS Maine The U.S. battleship Maine arrived in Havana on 25 January 1898 to offer protection to the 8000 American residents on the island but the Spanish saw this as intimidation. On the evening of 15 February 1898 the Maine blew up in the harbor killing 252 crew. Another eight crew members died of their wounds in hospital over the next few days.40 A Naval Board of Inquiry headed by Captain William T. Sampson was appointed to investigate the cause of the explosion on the Maine. Having examined the wreck and taken testimony from eyewitnesses and experts the board reported on 21 March 1898 that the Maine had been destroyed by "a double magazine set off from the exterior of the ship which could only have been produced by a mine."40 The facts remain disputed today although an investigation by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover in 1976 established that the blast was most likely a large internal explosion. Rickover believes the explosion was caused by a spontaneous combustion in inadequately ventilated bituminous coal which ignited gunpowder in an adjacent magazine.4142 The original 1898 board was unable to fix the responsibility for the disaster but a furious American populace fueled by an active press notably the newspapers of William Randolph Hearst concluded that the Spanish were to blame and demanded action.40 The U.S. Congress passed a resolution calling for intervention and President William McKinley complied.43 Spain and the United States declared war on each other in late April. Early 20th century After the Spanish-American War Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris (1898) by which Spain ceded Puerto Rico the Philippines and Guam to the United States for the sum of $20 million.44 Under the same treaty Spain relinquished all claim of sovereignty over Cuba. Theodore Roosevelt who had fought in the Spanish-American War and had some sympathies with the independence movement succeeded McKinley as U.S. President in 1901 and abandoned the treaty. Cuba gained formal independence from the U.S. on May 20 1902 as the Republic of Cuba. Under Cuba's new constitution the U.S. retained the right to intervene in Cuban affairs and to supervise its finances and foreign relations. Under the Platt Amendment the U.S. leased the Guantnamo Bay naval base from Cuba. Following disputed elections in 1906 the first president Toms Estrada Palma faced an armed revolt by independence war veterans who defeated the meager government forces.45 The U.S. intervened by occupying Cuba and named Charles Edward Magoon as Governor for three years. Cuban historians have attributed Magoon's governorship as having introduced political and social corruption.46 In 1908 self-government was restored when Jos Miguel Gmez was elected President but the U.S. continued intervening in Cuban affairs. In 1912 the Partido Independiente de Color attempted to establish a separate black republic in Oriente Province47 but was suppressed by General Monteagudo with considerable bloodshed. The Gran Teatro (left) and Hotel Inglaterra on the Prado facing Parque Central in Havana During World War I Cuba exported considerable quantities of sugar to Britain. Cuba was able to avoid U-boat attacks by the subterfuge of shipping the sugar to Sweden. The Menocal government declared war on Germany very soon after the United States. A constitutional government was maintained until 1930 when Gerardo Machado y Morales suspended the constitution. During Machado's tenure a nationalistic economic program was pursued with several major national development projects which included the Carretera Central and El Capitolio. Machado's hold on power was weakened following a decline in demand for exported agricultural produce due to the Great Depression attacks by independence war veterans and attacks by covert terrorist organizations principally the ABC.citation needed During a general strike in which the Communist Party sided with Machado48 the senior elements of the Cuban army forced Machado into exile. The Party then installed Carlos Manuel de Cspedes y Quesada son of Cuba's founding father (Carlos Manuel de Cspedes) as President. During 45 September 1933 a second coup overthrew Cspedes which led to the formation of the first Ramn Grau government. Notable events in this violent period include the separate sieges of Hotel Nacional de Cuba and Atares Castle. This government lasted 100 days but engineered radical socialist changes in Cuban society and a rejection of the Platt Amendment. In 1934 Fulgencio Batista and the army replaced Grau with Carlos Mendieta. Fulgencio Batista was democratically elected President in the elections of 1940495051 and his administration carried out major social reforms. Several members of the Communist Party held office under his administration52 and established numerous economic regulations and pro-union policies.53 Batista's administration formally took Cuba to the Allies of World War II camp in World War II. Cuba declared war on Japan on December 9 1941 then on Germany and Italy on December 11 1941. Cuban armed forces were not greatly involved in combat during World War II although president Batista suggested a joint U.S.-Latin American assault on Francoist Spain in order to overthrow its authoritarian regime.54 Many so-called yank tanks remain in use from pre-revolutionary days. The balcony above belongs to a casa particular. Ramn Grau won the 1944 elections and in 1948 Carlos Pro Socarrs won the elections. An influx of investment fueled a boom which raised living standards for all segments of society and created a prosperous middle class in most urban areas. The gap between rich and poor became wider and more obvious.55 The 1952 election was a three-way race. Roberto Agramonte of the Ortodoxos party led in all the polls followed by Dr. Aurelio Hevia of the Autntico party and Fulgencio Batista seeking a return to office as a distant third. Both Agramonte and Hevia had decided to name Col. Ramn Barqun to head the Cuban armed forces after the elections. Barqun then a diplomat in Washington DC was a top officer. He was respected by the professional army and had promised to eliminate corruption in the ranks. Batista feared that Barqun would oust him and his followers. When it became apparent that Batista had little chance of winning he staged a coup on 10 March 1952. Batista held on to power with the backing of a nationalist section of the army as a "provisional president" for the next two years. In March 1952 Justo Carrillo informed Barqun in Washington that the inner circles knew that Batista had plotted the coup. They immediately began to conspire to oust Batista and restore democracy and civilian government in what was later dubbed La Conspiracion de los Puros de 1956 (Agrupacion Montecristi). In 1954 Batista agreed to elections. The Partido Autntico put forward ex-President Grau as their candidate but he withdrew amid allegations that Batista was rigging the elections in advance. At the beginning of 1959 United States companies owned about 40 percent of the Cuban sugar lands almost all the cattle ranches 90 percent of the mines and mineral concessions 80 percent of the utilities practically all the oil industry and supplied two-thirds of Cuba's imports. U.S. President John F. Kennedy196056 In April 1956 Batista ordered Barqun to become General and chief of the army but Barqun decided to move forward with his coup to secure total power. On 4 April 1956 a coup by hundreds of career officers led by Barqun was frustrated by Rios Morejon. The coup broke the back of the Cuban armed forces. The officers were sentenced to the maximum terms allowed by Cuban Martial Law. Barqun was sentenced to solitary confinement for eight years. La Conspiracin de los Puros resulted in the imprisonment of the commanders of the armed forces and the closing of the military academies. Cuba had Latin America's highest per capita consumption rates of meat vegetables cereals automobiles telephones and radios though this consumption was largely by the small elite class and foreigners.57 In 1958 Cuba was a relatively well-advanced country by Latin American standards and in some cases by world standards.58 Cuba attracted more immigrants primarily from Europe as a percentage of population than the U.S. The United Nations noted Cuba for its large middle class.citation needed On the other hand Cuba was affected by perhaps the largest labor union privileges in Latin America including bans on dismissals and mechanization. They were obtained in large measure "at the cost of the unemployed and the peasants" leading to disparities.59 Between 1933 and 1958 Cuba extended economic regulations enormously causing economic problems.5160 Unemployment became a problem as graduates entering the workforce could not find jobs.51 The middle class which was comparable to the United States became increasingly dissatisfied with the unemployment. The labor unions supported Batista until the very end.4951 Revolution Main article: Cuban Revolution On 2 December 1956 a party of 82 people on the yacht Granma landed in Cuba. The party led by Fidel Castro had the intention of establishing an armed resistance movement in the Sierra Maestra. While facing armed resistance from Castro's rebel fighters in the mountains Fulgencio Batista's regime was weakened and crippled by a United States arms embargo imposed on 14 March 1958. By late 1958 the rebels broke out of the Sierra Maestra and launched a general popular insurrection. After the fighters captured Santa Clara Batista fled from Havana on 1 January 1959 to exile in Portugal. Barqun negotiated the symbolic change of command between Camilo Cienfuegos Che Guevara Ral Castro and his brother Fidel Castro after the Supreme Court decided that the Revolution was the source of law and its representatives should assume command. Fidel Castro's forces entered the capital on 8 January 1959. Shortly afterward a liberal lawyer Dr Manuel Urrutia Lle became president. He was backed by Castro's 26th of July Movement because they believed his appointment would be welcomed by the United States.citation needed Disagreements within the government culminated in Urrutia's resignation in July 1959. He was replaced by Osvaldo Dortics Torrado who served as president until 1976. Castro became prime minister in February 1959 succeeding Jos Mir in that post. Fidel Castro and members of the East German Politburo in 1972 In its first year the new revolutionary government expropriated private property with little or no compensation nationalized public utilities tightened controls on the private sector and closed down the mafia-controlled gambling industry. The CIA conspired with the Chicago mafia in 1960 and 1961 to assassinate Fidel Castro according to documents declassified in 2007.6162 Some of these measures were undertaken by Fidel Castro's government in the name of the program outlined in the Manifesto of the Sierra Maestra.63 The government nationalized private property totaling about USD $25 billion64 of which American property made up around USD $1 billion.6465 By the end of 1960 the coletilla made its appearance and most newspapers in Cuba had been expropriated taken over by the unions or had been abandoned.5766 All radio and television stations were in state control.57 Moderate teachers and professors were purged.57 In any year about 20000 dissenters were imprisoned.57 Some homosexuals religious practitioners and others were sent to labor camps where they were subject to political "re-education".67 One estimate is that 15000 to 17000 people were executed.68 The Communist Party strengthened its one-party rule with Castro as ultimate leader.57 Fidel's brother Ral Castro became the army chief.57 Loyalty to Castro became the primary criterion for all appointments.69 In September 1960 the revolutionary government created a system known as Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR) which provided neighborhood spying.57 In the 1961 New Year's Day parade the administration exhibited Soviet tanks and other weapons.69 Eventually Cuba built up the second largest armed forces in Latin America second only to Brazil.70 Cuba became a privileged client-state of the Soviet Union.71 By 1961 hundreds of thousands of Cubans had left for the United States.72 The 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion (La Batalla de Girn) was an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Cuban government by a U.S.-trained force of Cuban exiles with U.S. military support. The plan was launched in April 1961 less than three months after John F. Kennedy became the U.S. President. The Cuban armed forces trained and equipped by Eastern Bloc nations defeated the exiles in three days. Cuban-American relations were exacerbated the following year by the Cuban Missile Crisis when the Kennedy administration demanded the immediate withdrawal of Soviet missiles placed in Cuba placed in response to U.S. nuclear missiles in Turkey and the Middle East. The Soviets and Americans soon came to an agreement. The Soviets would remove Soviet missiles from Cuba and the Americans would remove missiles from Turkey and the Middle East. Kennedy also agreed not to invade Cuba in the future. Cuban exiles captured during the Bay of Pigs Invasion were exchanged for a shipment of supplies from America.49 By 1963 Cuba was moving towards a full-fledged Communist system modeled on the USSR.73 The U.S. imposed a complete diplomatic and commercial embargo on Cuba and began Operation Mongoose a program of covert CIA operations. In 1965 Castro merged his revolutionary organizations with the Communist Party of which he became First Secretary; Blas Roca was named Second Secretary. Roca was succeeded by Ral Castro who as Defense Minister and Fidel's closest confidant became and remained the second most powerful figure in Cuba until his brother's retirement. Ral's position was strengthened by the departure of Che Guevara to launch unsuccessful insurrections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and then Bolivia where he was killed in 1967. During the 1970s Fidel Castro dispatched tens of thousands troops in support of Soviet-supported wars in Africa particularly the MPLA in Angola and Mengistu Haile Mariam in Ethiopia.74 The standard of living in 1970s was "extremely spartan" and discontent was rife.75 Fidel Castro admitted the failures of economic policies in a 1970 speech.75 By the mid-1970s Castro started economic reforms. Cuba was suspended from the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1962 in support of the U.S. embargo but in 1975 the OAS lifted all sanctions against Cuba with approval of 16 countries including the U.S.76 On 3 June 2009 the OAS adopted a resolution to end the 47-year exclusion of Cuba. The meetings were contentious with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton walking out at one point. However in the end the U.S. delegation agreed with the other members and approved the resolution. Cuban leaders have repeatedly announced they are not interested in rejoining the OAS.77 Recent affairs As of 2002 some 1.2 million persons of Cuban background (about 10% of the current population of Cuba) reside in the U.S.7879 Many of them left the island for the United States often by sea in small boats and fragile rafts. On 6 April 1980 10000 Cubans stormed the Peruvian embassy in Havana seeking political asylum. The following day the Cuban government granted permission for the emigration of Cubans seeking refuge in the Peruvian embassy.citation needed On 16 April 500 Cubans left the Peruvian Embassy for Costa Rica. On 21 April many of those Cubans started arriving in Miami via private boats and were halted byclarification needed the U.S. State Department but the emigration continued because Castro allowed anyone who desired to leave the country to do so through the port of Mariel. Over 125000 Cubans emigrated to the U.S. before the flow of vessels ended on 15 June.citation needed Ral Castro and President Medvedev of Russia Castro's rule was severely tested in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse (known in Cuba as the Special Period) with effects such as food shortages.8081 The government did not accept American donations of food medicines and cash until 1993.80 On 5 August 1994 state security dispersed protesters in a spontaneous protest in Havana.82 Cuba has found a new source of aid and support in the People's Republic of China and new allies in Hugo Chvez President of Venezuela and Evo Morales President of Bolivia both major oil and gas exporters. In 2003 the government arrested and imprisoned a large number of civil activists a period known as the "Black Spring".8384 On July 31 2006 Fidel Castro temporarily delegated his major duties to his brother First Vice President Ral Castro while Fidel recovered from surgery for an "acute intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding".citation needed On 2 December 2006 Fidel was too ill to attend the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Granma boat landing fuelling speculation that he had stomach cancer85 although there was evidence his illness was a digestive problem and not terminal.86 In January 2007 footage was released of Fidel Castro meeting Venezuelan president Hugo Chvez in which Castro "appeared frail but stronger than three months ago".87 In February 2008 Fidel Castro announced his resignation as President of Cuba88 and on 24 February Ral was elected as the new President.89 In his acceptance speech Ral promised that some of the restrictions that limit Cubans' daily lives would be removed.90 In March 2009 Ral Castro removed some of Fidel Castro's officials.91 Human rights The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (April 2011) Main articles: Human rights in Cuba Censorship in Cuba and Cuban dissidents Trinidad Cuba a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 The Cuban government has been accused of numerous human rights abuses including torture arbitrary imprisonment unfair trials and extrajudicial executions (also known as "El Paredn").9293 The Human Rights Watch alleges that the government "represses nearly all forms of political dissent" and that "Cubans are systematically denied basic rights to free expression association assembly privacy movement and due process of law".94 Cuba had the second-highest number of imprisoned journalists of any nation in 2008 (the People's Republic of China had the highest) according to various sources including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) an international NGO and Human Rights Watch.9596 As a result of ownership bans computer ownership rates are among the world's lowest.97 The right to use the Internet is granted only to selected people and they are monitored.9798 Connecting to the Internet illegally can lead to a five-year prison sentence. Cuban dissidents face arrest and imprisonment. In the 1990s Human Rights Watch reported that Cuba's extensive prison system one of the largest in Latin America consists of some 40 maximum-security prisons 30 minimum-security prisons and over 200 work camps.99 According to Human Rights Watch political prisoners along with the rest of Cuba's prison population are confined to jails with substandard and unhealthy conditions.99 Citizens cannot leave or return to Cuba without first obtaining official permission.94 Economy Main articles: Economy of Cuba Tourism in Cuba Rationing in Cuba and Sociolismo Tobacco plantation Pinar del Ro The Cuban state adheres to socialist principles in organizing its largely state-controlled planned economy. Most of the means of production are owned and run by the government and most of the labor force is employed by the state. Recent years have seen a trend towards more private sector employment. By 2006 public sector employment was 78% and private sector 22% compared to 91.8% to 8.2% in 1981.100 Capital investment is restricted and requires approval by the government. The Cuban government sets most prices and rations goods. Any firm wishing to hire a Cuban must pay the Cuban government which in turn will pay the employee in Cuban pesos.101 Cubans can not change jobs without government permission.51 The average wage at the end of 2005 was 334 regular pesos per month ($16.70 per month) and the average pension was $9 per month.102 Cuba relied heavily on trade with the Soviet Union. From the late 1980s Soviet subsidies for Cuban goods started to dry up. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union Cuba depended on Moscow for substantial aid and sheltered markets for its exports. The removal of these subsidies sent the Cuban economy into a rapid depression known in Cuba as the Special Period. In 1992 the United States tightened the trade embargo hoping to see democratization of the sort that took place in Eastern Europe. Like some other Communist and post-Communist states following the collapse of the Soviet Union Cuba took limited free market-oriented measures to alleviate severe shortages of food consumer goods and services. These steps included allowing some self-employment in certain retail and light manufacturing sectors the legalization of the use of the US dollar in business and the encouragement of tourism. Cuba has developed a unique urban farm system (the organopnicos) to compensate for the end of food imports from the Soviet Union. In recent years Cuba has rolled back some of the market oriented measures undertaken in the 1990s. In 2004 Cuban officials publicly backed the Euro as a "global counter-balance to the US dollar" and eliminated U.S. currency from circulation in its stores and businesses.citation needed Tourism was initially restricted to enclave resorts where tourists would be segregated from Cuban society referred to as "enclave tourism" and "tourism apartheid".103 Contacts between foreign visitors and ordinary Cubans were de facto illegal until 1997.104105 In 1996 tourism surpassed the sugar industry as the largest source of hard currency for Cuba. Cuba has tripled its market share of Caribbean tourism in the last decade; as a result of significant investment in tourism infrastructure this growth rate is predicted to continue.106 1.9 million tourists visited Cuba in 2003 predominantly from Canada and the European Union generating revenue of $2.1 billion.107 The rapid growth of tourism during the Special Period had widespread social and economic repercussions in Cuba and led to speculation about the emergence of a two-tier economy.108 The Medical tourism sector caters to thousands of European Latin American Canadian and American consumers every year. The communist agricultural production system was ridiculed by Ral Castro in 2008.109 Cuba now imports up to 80% of food used for rations.109 Before 1959 Cuba boasted as many cattle as people. For some time Cuba has been experiencing a housing shortage because of the state's failure to keep pace with increasing demand.110 The government instituted food rationing policies in 1962 which were exacerbated following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the tightening of the U.S. embargo. Studies have shown that as late as 2001 the average Cuban's standard of living was lower than before the downturn of the post-Soviet period. Paramount issues have been state salaries failing to meet personal needs under the state rationing system chronically plagued with shortages. The variety and quantity of available rationed goods declined. Under Venezuela's Mission Barrio Adentro Hugo Chvez has supplied Cuba with up to 80000 barrels (13000 m3) of oil per day in exchange for 30000 doctors and teachers. In 2005 Cuba had exports of $2.4 billion ranking 114 of 226 world countries and imports of $6.9 billion ranking 87 of 226 countries.111 Its major export partners are China 27.5% Canada 26.9% Netherlands 11.1% Spain 4.7% (2007).6 Cuba's major exports are sugar nickel tobacco fish medical products citrus and coffee;6 imports include food fuel clothing and machinery. Cuba presently holds debt in an amount estimated to be $13 billion112 approximately 38% of GDP.113 According to the Heritage Foundation Cuba is dependent on credit accounts that rotate from country to country.114 Cuba's prior 35% supply of the world's export market for sugar has declined to 10% due to a variety of factors including a global sugar commodity price drop that made Cuba less competitive on world markets.115 At one time Cuba was the world's most important sugar producer and exporter. As a result of diversification underinvestment and natural disasters Cuba's sugar production has seen a drastic decline. In 2002 more than half of Cuba's sugar mills were shut down. Cuba holds 6.4% of the global market for nickel116 which constitutes about 25% of total Cuban exports.117 A 2005 US Geological Survey report estimates that the North Cuba Basin could contain 4.6 billion barrels of oil and 9.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.118 In 2010update Cubans were allowed to build their own houses. According to Raul Castro they will be able to improve their houses with this new permission but the government will not endorse these new houses or improvements.119 Government and politics Main articles: Politics of Cuba Provinces of Cuba and Municipalities of Cuba Revolution Square: Jos Mart Monument designed by Enrique Luis Varela sculpted by Juan Jos Sicre and finished in 1958.120 The Constitution of 1976 which defined Cuba as a socialist republic was replaced by the Constitution of 1992 which is guided by the ideas of Jos Mart Marx Engels and Lenin.121 The constitution describes the Communist Party of Cuba as the "leading force of society and of the state".121 The first secretary of the Communist Party is concurrently President of the Council of State (President of Cuba) and President of the Council of Ministers (sometimes referred to as Prime Minister of Cuba).122 Members of both councils are elected by the National Assembly of People's Power.121 The President of Cuba who is also elected by the Assembly serves for five years and there is no limit to the number of terms of office.121 The Supreme Court of Cuba serves as the nation's highest judicial branch of government. It is also the court of last resort for all appeals against the decisions of provincial courts. Cuba's national legislature the National Assembly of People's Power (Asamblea Nacional de Poder Popular) is the supreme organ of power; 609 members serve five-year terms.121 The assembly meets twice a year; between sessions legislative power is held by the 31 member Council of Ministers. Candidates for the Assembly are approved by public referendum. All Cuban citizens over 16 who have not been convicted of a criminal offense can vote. Article 131 of the Constitution states that voting shall be "through free equal and secret vote".121 Article 136 states: "In order for deputies or delegates to be considered elected they must get more than half the number of valid votes cast in the electoral districts".121 Votes are cast by secret ballot and counted in public view. Nominees are chosen at local gatherings from multiple candidates before gaining approval from election committees. In the subsequent election there is only one candidate for each seat who must gain a majority to be elected. No political party is permitted to nominate candidates or campaign on the island though the Communist Party of Cuba has held five party congress meetings since 1975. In 1997 the party claimed 780000 members and representatives generally constitute at least half of the Councils of state and the National Assembly. The remaining positions are filled by candidates nominally without party affiliation. Other political parties campaign and raise finances internationally while activity within Cuba by opposition groups is minimal and illegal. The country is subdivided into 15 provinces and one special municipality (Isla de la Juventud). These were formerly part of six larger historical provinces: Pinar del Ro Habana Matanzas Las Villas Camagey and Oriente. The present subdivisions closely resemble those of the Spanish military provinces during the Cuban Wars of Independence when the most troublesome areas were subdivided. The provinces are divided into municipalities. Pinar del Ro Artemisa Havana Mayabeque Matanzas Cienfuegos Villa Clara Sancti Spritus Ciego de vila Camagey Las Tunas Granma Holgun Santiago de Cuba Guantnamo Isla de la Juventud Military Main article: Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces Cuban MiG-29UB Cuba devoted 913% of its GDP to military expenditures.123 Castro built up the second largest armed forces in Latin America; only Brazil's were larger.70 From 1975 until the late 1980s Soviet military assistance enabled Cuba to upgrade its military capabilities. Since the loss of Soviet subsidies Cuba has scaled down the numbers of military personnel from 235000 in 1994 to about 60000 in 2003.124 Cuba is secretive about its military spending.123 Foreign relations Main article: Foreign relations of Cuba From its inception the Cuban Revolution defined itself as internationalist joining Comecon in 1972. Cuba was a major contributor to Soviet-supported wars in Africa Central America and Asia. In Africa the largest war was in Angola where Cuba sent tens of thousands of troops. Cuba was a friend of the Ethiopian leader Mengistu Haile Mariam.125 In Africa Cuba supported 17 leftist governments. In some countries it suffered setbacks such as in eastern Zaire but in others Cuba had significant success. Major engagements took place in Algeria Zaire Yemen126 Ethiopia Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique. The Cuban government's military involvement in Latin Americamostly with the aim of overthrowing U.S. backed right wing regimes many of them dictatorialhas been extensive. One of the earliest interventions was the Marxist militia led by Che Guevara in Bolivia in 1967 though a modicum of funds and troops were sent. Lesser known actions include the 1959 missions to the Dominican Republic127 and Panama.citation needed In the former the Cuban government provided military assistance to a group of Dominican exiles with the intention of overthrowing the tyrannical dictator Rafael Trujillo. Although the expedition failed and most of its members were murdered by the government today they are recognized as heroes and a prominent monument was erected in their memory in Santo Domingo by the Dominican government. The Museo Memorial de la Resistencia Dominicana ("Memorial Museum of the Dominican Resistance") where the heroes of 1959 feature prominently is being built by the Dominican Government.128 The socialist government in Nicaragua was openly supported by Cuba and can be considered its greatest success in Latin America.citation needed Cuba is a founding member of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas. More than 30000 Cuban doctors currently work abroad in countries such as Venezuela and Zimbabwe.129 The membership of Cuba in the United Nations Human Rights Council has received criticism.130 The European Union in 2003 accused the Cuban government of "continuing flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms".131 In 2008 the EU and Cuba agreed to resume full relations and cooperation activities.132 The United States continues an embargo against Cuba "so long as it continues to refuse to move toward democratization and greater respect for human rights".133 United States President Barack Obama stated on April 17 2009 in Trinidad and Tobago that "the United States seeks a new beginning with Cuba"134 and reversed the Bush Administration's prohibition on travel and remittances by Cuban-Americans from the United States to Cuba.135 Geography Main article: Geography of Cuba Alejandro de Humboldt National Park in eastern Cuba Cuba is an archipelago of islands located in the northern Caribbean Sea at the confluence with the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between latitudes 19 and 24N and longitudes 74 and 85W. The United States lies to the north-west the Bahamas to the north Haiti to the east Jamaica and the Cayman Islands to the south and Mexico to the west. Cuba is the principal island surrounded by four smaller groups of islands: the Colorados Archipelago on the northwestern coast the Sabana-Camagey Archipelago on the north-central Atlantic coast the Jardines de la Reina on the south-central coast and the Canarreos Archipelago on the southwestern coast. The main island is 1199 km (745 mi) long constituting most of the nation's land area (105006 km2 (40543 sq mi)) and is the largest island in the Caribbean and 16th-largest island in the world by land area. The main island consists mostly of flat to rolling plains apart from the Sierra Maestra mountains in the southeast whose highest point is Pico Turquino (1975 m (6480 ft)). The second-largest island is Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth) in the Canarreos archipelago with an area of 3056 km2 (1180 sq mi). Cuba has a total land area of 110860 km2 (42803 sq mi). Climate Main article: Climate of Cuba Beach on Cayo Largo del Sur in the Canarreos archipelago The local climate is tropical moderated by northeasterly trade winds that blow year-round. In general (with local variations) there is a drier season from November to April and a rainier season from May to October. The average temperature is 21 C (69.8 F) in January and 27 C (80.6 F) in July. The warm temperatures of the Caribbean Sea and the fact that Cuba sits across the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico combine to make the country prone to frequent hurricanes. These are most common in September and October. Resources The most important mineral resource is nickel of which Cuba has the world's second largest reserves (after Russia).136 Sherritt International of Canada operates a large nickel mining facility in Moa. Cuba is the world's fifth-largest producer of refined cobalt a byproduct of nickel mining operations.136 Recent oil exploration has revealed that the North Cuba Basin could produce approximately 4.6 billion barrels (730000000 m3) to 9.3 billion barrels (1.48109 m3) of oil. In 2006 Cuba started to test-drill these locations for possible exploitation.137 Demographics Main articles: Demographics of Cuba Religion in Cuba and Spanish immigration to Cuba Official 18992002 Cuba Census3138139 Race % 1899 1907 1919 1931 1943 1953 1981 2002 White 66.9 69.7 72.2 72.1 74.3 72.8 66.0 65.05 Black 14.9 13.4 11.2 11.0 9.7 12.4 12.0 10.08 Mulatto 17.2 16.3 16.0 16.2 15.6 14.5 21.9 24.86 Asian 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.1   Immigration to Cuba Between 1882 and 1898 a total of 508455 people left Spain and more than 750000 Spanish immigrants left for Cuba between 1899 and 1923 with many returning to Spain.140 Current demographics According to the census of 2002 the population was 111777433 including 5597233 men and 5580510 women. The racial make-up was 7271926 whites 1126894 blacks and 2778923 mulattoes (or mestizos).141 The population of Cuba has very complex origins and intermarriage between diverse groups is general. There is disagreement about racial statistics. The Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami says that 62% is black142 whereas statistics from the Cuban census state that 65.05% of the population was white in 2002. The Minority Rights Group International says that "An objective assessment of the situation of Afro-Cubans remains problematic due to scant records and a paucity of systematic studies both pre- and post-revolution. Estimates of the percentage of people of African descent in the Cuban population vary enormously ranging from 33.9 per cent to 62 per cent".143 The Cathedral of Saint Christopher in Havana Immigration and emigration have played a prominent part in the demographic profile of Cuba during the 20th century. During the 18th 19th and the early part of the 20th century large waves of Canarian Catalan Andalusian Galician and other Spanish people immigrated to Cuba. Between 1900 and 1930 close to a million Spaniards arrived from Spain. Other foreign immigrants include: French144 Portuguese Italian Russian Dutch Greek British Irish and other ethnic groups including a small number of descendants of U.S. citizens who arrived in Cuba in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Cuba has a sizable number of Asian people who comprise 1% of the population. They are primarily of Chinese descent (see Chinese Cubans) followed by Filipino Koreans and Vietnamese people. They are descendants of farm laborers brought to the island by Spanish and American contractors during the 19th and early 20th century.citation needed Afro-Cubans are descended primarily from the Kongo people.citation needed as well as several thousand North African refugees most notably the Sahrawi Arabs of Western Sahara under Moroccan occupation since 1976.145 Cuba's birth rate (9.88 births per thousand population in 2006)146 is one of the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Its overall population increased continuously from around 7 million in 1961 to over 11 million now but the increase has stopped in the last few decades and a decrease began in 2006 with a fertility rate of 1.43 children per woman.147 This drop in fertility is among the largest in the Western Hemisphere.148 Cuba has unrestricted access to legal abortion and an abortion rate of 58.6 per 1000 pregnancies in 1996 compared to an average of 35 in the Caribbean 27 in Latin America overall and 48 in Europe. Contraceptive use is estimated at 79% (in the upper third of countries in the Western Hemisphere).149 Cuba is officially a secular state. After having long maintained that churches were fronts for subversive political activity the government reversed course in 1992 amending the constitution to characterize the state as secular instead of atheist.citation needed It has many faiths representing the widely varying culture. Roman Catholicism was the largest religion; it was brought to the island by the Spanish and remains the dominant faith114 with 11 dioceses 56 orders of nuns and 24 orders of priests. In January 1998 Pope John Paul II paid a historic visit to the island invited by the Cuban government and Catholic Church. The religious landscape of Cuba is also strongly marked by syncretisms of various kinds. Catholicism is often practiced in tandem with Santera a mixture of Catholicism and other mainly African faiths that include a number of cults. La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (the Virgin of Cobre) is the Catholic patroness of Cuba and a symbol of Cuban culture. In Santera she has been syncretized with the goddess Oshun. Official Cuban migration to the U.S.138139 Year of Immigration White Black Other Asian Number 195964 93.3 1.2 5.3 0.2 144732 196574 87.7 2.0 9.1 0.2 247726 197579 82.6 4.0 13.3 0.1 29508 1980 80.9 5.3 13.7 0.1 94095 198189 85.7 3.1 10.9 0.3 77835 199093 84.7 3.2 11.9 0.2 60244 19942000 85.8 3.7 10.4 0.7 174437 Total 87.2 2.9 10.7 0.2 828577 Three hundred thousand Cubans belong to the island's 54 Protestant denominations. Pentecostalism has grown rapidly in recent years and the Assemblies of God alone claims a membership of over 100000 people. Cuba has small communities of Jews Muslims and members of the Bah' Faith.150 Most Jewish Cubans are descendants of Polish and Russian Ashkenazi Jews who fled pogroms at the beginning of the 20th century. There is a sizeable number of Sephardic Jews in Cuba who trace their origin to Turkey. Most of these Sephardic Jews live in the provinces although they maintain a synagogue in Havana. Cuban migration In the last half-century several hundred thousand Cubans of all social classes have emigrated to the United States151 Spain the United Kingdom Canada Mexico and other countries. On 9 September 1994 the U.S. and Cuban governments agreed that the U.S. would grant at least 20000 visas annually in exchange for Cuba's pledge to prevent further unlawful departures on boats.152 Languages The official language of Cuba is Spanish and the vast majority of Cubans speak it. Spanish as spoken in Cuba is known as Cuban Spanish and is a form of Caribbean Spanish. Lucumi a dialect of the West African language Yoruba is also used as a liturgical language by practitioners of Santera153 and so only as a second language.154 Haitian Creole is the second largest language in Cuba and is spoken by Haitian immigrants and their descendants.155 Other languages spoken by immigrants include Catalan and Corsican.156 Education Main article: Education in Cuba University of Havana founded in 1728 The University of Havana was founded in 1728 and there are a number of other well-established colleges and universities. In 1957 just before Castro came to power the literacy rate was fourth in the region at almost 80% according to the United Nations higher than in Spain.58157 Castro created an entirely state-operated system and banned private institutions. School attendance is compulsory from ages six to the end of basic secondary education (normally at age 15) and all students regardless of age or gender wear school uniforms with the color denoting grade level. Primary education lasts for six years secondary education is divided into basic and pre-university education.158 Higher education is provided by universities higher institutes higher pedagogical institutes and higher polytechnic institutes. The Cuban Ministry of Higher Education operates a scheme of distance education which provides regular afternoon and evening courses in rural areas for agricultural workers. Education has a strong political and ideological emphasis and students progressing to higher education are expected to have a commitment to the goals of Cuba.158 Cuba has provided state subsidized education to a limited number of foreign nationals at the Latin American School of Medicine.159160 Internet access is limited.161 The sale of computer equipment is strictly regulated. Internet access is controlled and e-mail is closely monitored.98 Health The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (January 2011) Main article: Healthcare in Cuba Historically Cuba has ranked high in numbers of medical personnel and has made significant contributions to world health since the 19th century.58 Today Cuba has universal health care and although shortages of medical supplies persist there is no shortage of medical personnel.162 Primary care is available throughout the island and infant and maternal mortality rates compare favorably with those in developed nations.162 Post-Revolution Cuba initially experienced an overall worsening in terms of disease and infant mortality rates in the 1960s when half its 6000 doctors left the country.163 Recovery occurred by the 1980s.49 The Communist government asserted that universal health care was to become a priority of state planning and progress was made in rural areas.164 Like the rest of the Cuban economy Cuban medical care suffered from severe material shortages following the end of Soviet subsidies in 1991 followed by a tightening of the U.S. embargo in 1992.165 Challenges include low pay of doctors (only $15 a month166) poor facilities poor provision of equipment and frequent absence of essential drugs.167 Cuba has the highest doctor-to-population ratio in the world and has sent thousands of doctors to more than 40 countries around the world.168 According to the UN the life expectancy in Cuba is 78.3 years (76.2 for males and 80.4 for females). This ranks Cuba 37th in the world and 3rd in the Americas behind only Canada and Chile and just ahead of the United States. Infant mortality in Cuba declined from 32 infant deaths per 1000 live births in 1957 to 10 in 199095.169 Infant mortality in 20002005 was 6.1 per 1000 live births (compared to 6.8 in the United States). The quality of public healthcare offered to citizens is regarded as the "greatest triumph" of Cuba's socialist system.170 Culture Main articles: Culture of Cuba and Sport in Cuba Cuban culture is influenced by its melting pot of cultures primarily those of Spain and Africa. Sport is Cuba's national passion. Due to historical associations with the United States many Cubans participate in sports which are popular in North America rather than sports traditionally promoted in other Spanish-speaking nations. Baseball is by far the most popular; other sports and pastimes include basketball volleyball cricket and athletics. Cuba is a dominant force in amateur boxing consistently achieving high medal tallies in major international competitions. Music Main article: Music of Cuba A local musical house Casa de la Trova in Santiago de Cuba Cuban music is very rich and is the most commonly known expression of culture. The central form of this music is Son which has been the basis of many other musical styles like salsa rumba and mambo and an upbeat derivation of the rumba the cha-cha-cha. Rumba music originated in early Afro-Cuban culture. The Tres was also invented in Cuba but other traditional Cuban instruments are of African origin Tano origin or both such as the maracas giro marimba and various wooden drums including the mayohuacan. Popular Cuban music of all styles has been enjoyed and praised widely across the world. Cuban classical music which includes music with strong African and European influences and features symphonic works as well as music for soloists has received international acclaim thanks to composers like Ernesto Lecuona. Havana was the heart of the rap scene in Cuba when it began in the 1990s. During that time reggaetn was growing in popularity. Dance in Cuba has taken a major boost over the 1990s. Cuisine Main article: Cuban cuisine A traditional meal of ropa vieja (shredded flank steak in a tomato sauce base) black beans yellow rice plantains and fried yuca with beer Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish cooking with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. Food rationing which has been the norm in Cuba for the last four decades restricts the common availability of these dishes.171 The traditional Cuban meal is not served in courses; all food items are served at the same time. The typical meal could consist of plantains black beans and rice ropa vieja (shredded beef) Cuban bread pork with onions and tropical fruits. Black beans and rice referred to as Platillo Moros y Cristianos (or moros for short) and plantains are staples of the Cuban diet. Many of the meat dishes are cooked slowly with light sauces. Garlic cumin oregano and bay leaves are the dominant spices. Literature Main article: Cuban literature Cuba has produced more than its fair share of literature. Cuban literature began to find its voice in the early 19th century. Dominant themes of independence and freedom were exemplified by Jos Mart who led the Modernist movement in Cuban literature. Writers such as Nicols Guilln and Jose Z. Tallet focused on literature as social protest. The poetry and novels of Dulce Mara Loynaz and Jos Lezama Lima have been influential. Romanticist Miguel Barnet who wrote Everyone Dreamed of Cuba reflects a more melancholy Cuba.172 Writers such as Reinaldo Arenas Guillermo Cabrera Infante and more recently Dana Chaviano Pedro Juan Gutirrez Zo Valds Guillermo Rosales and Leonardo Padura have earned international recognition in the post-revolutionary era though many of these writers have felt compelled to continue their work in exile due to ideological control of media by the Cuban authorities. See also Cuba portal Outline of Cuba Index of Cuba-related articles Television Serrana References "Cuban Peso Bills". Central Bank of Cuba. http://www.bc.gov.cu/English/cubanbills.asp. Retrieved 2009-09-07.  "National symbols". Government of Cuba. http://mipais.cuba.cu/caten.phpidcat91&idpadre83&nivel2. Retrieved 2009-09-07.  a b c "Census of population and homes" (in Spanish). Government of Cuba. 16 September 2002. http://www.cubagob.cu/otrasinfo/censo/tablashtml/ii3.htm. 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Meyer Lanskyunreliable source Familia Chibs > Raul Antonio Chibs > Manifiesto Sierra Maestraunreliable source a b Lazo Mario (1970). American Policy Failures in CubaDagger in the Heart. New York NY: Twin Circle Publishing. pp. 198200 240.  Faria Miguel A. Cuba in RevolutionEscape from a Lost Paradise 2002 Hacienda Publishing Macon Georgia pp.105182248 Philip Bonsal (1971). Cuba Castro and the United States. University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 140. ISBN 9780822932253. http://books.google.com/booksidtzyj2oOqZFkC&pgPA140. Retrieved 2011-01-11.  Katherine Hirschfeld. Health Politics and Revolution in Cuba Since 1898. ISBN 0765803445.  Black Book of Communism. p. 664. a b Clifford L. Staten. The history of Cuba. ISBN 0313316902.  a b "Cuban armed forces and the Soviet military presence". http://www.disam.dsca.mil/pubs/Vol%205-2/Cuban.pdf.  Edward Gonzalez Kevin F. McCarthy (2004). 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Comision Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. April 7 1967. http://www.cidh.org/countryrep/Cuba67sp/indice.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  Bureau of Public Affairs (25 March 2010). "Cuba". United States Department of State. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2886.htm. Retrieved 1 April 2011.  a b "Cuba". Human Rights Watch. 2006. http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/01/18/cuba12207.htm.  "CPJ's 2008 prison census: Online and in jail". Committee to Protect Journalists. http://cpj.org/reports/2008/12/cpjs-2008-prison-census-online-and-in-jail.php.  Human Rights Watch (2008). World Report 2008: Events of 2007. Seven Stories Press. p. 207. ISBN 9781583227749.  a b "Going online in Cuba: Internet under surveillance". Reporters Without Borders. 2006. http://www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/rapportgbmd1.pdf.  a b "Internet in Cuba". Reporters Without Borders. http://arabia.reporters-sans-frontieres.org/article.php3idarticle10611.  a b "Cuba's Repressive Machinery: Human Rights Forty Years After the Revolution". 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"Cuba 'apartheid' as Castro pulls in the tourists". London: The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/cuba/1396643/Cuba-apartheid-as-Castro-pulls-in-the-tourists.html.  Corbett Ben (2004). This Is Cuba: An Outlaw Culture Survives. Westview Press. p. 33. ISBN 0813338263.  Crespo Nicols; Negrn Santos (79 August 1997). "Cuban tourism in 2007: economic impact". Cuba in Transition (Miami Florida: Association for the Study of the Cuban Economy University of Texas at Austin) 7. http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/asce/cuba7/crespo.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  "Background Note: Cuba". U.S. Department of State. December 2005. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2886.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  Facio Elisa; Maura Toro-Morn and Anne R. Roschelle (Spring 2004). "Tourism in Cuba During the Special Period". Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems (University of Iowa College of Law) 14: 119. http://www.uiowa.edu/ifdebook/conferences/cuba/TLCP/Volume%201/Facio.pdf.  a b "Cuban leader looks to boost food production". CNN. 17 April 2008. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/16/cuba.farming/index.html. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  Eric Driggs (14 October 2004). "Deteriorating living conditions in Cuba". Focus on Cuba. Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies University of Miami. http://ctp.iccas.miami.edu/FOCUSWeb/Issue59.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-13.  "Rank Order Exports". The World Factbook. CIA. June 29 2006. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2078rank.html. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  Calzon Frank (13 March 2005). "Cuba makes poor trade partner for Louisiana". Center for a Free Cuba. http://www.cubacenter.org/media/calzon/cubamakespoortrade.html. Retrieved 2009-09-07.  "Rank Order GDP (purchasing power parity)". CIA Fact Book. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  a b David Einhorn (31 March 2006). "Catholic church in Cuba strives to re-establish the faith". National Catholic Reporter. http://natcath.org/NCROnline/archives2/2006a/033106/033106o.php. Retrieved 2009-09-07.  "Cuba's Sugar Industry and the Impact of Hurricane Michele". International Agricultural Trade Report. 6 December 2001. http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/highlights/2001/IATR/cubaiatr.pdf. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  "Global Nickel Mine Production 2002". 2002. Archived from the original on 2006-08-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20060823090044/http://www.em.csiro.au/em/commodities/nickel/nickelproduction/images/globalmineprod.gif. Retrieved 2006-08-23.  Frank Marc (December 18 2002). "Cuba's 2002 nickel exports top 70000 tonnes". Center for International Policy. http://www.ciponline.org/cuba/cubainthenews/newsarticles/rt121802frank.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-09. dead link Smith-Spark Laura (11 September 2006). "Cuba oil prospects cloud US horizon". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5321594.stm. Retrieved 2006-12-09.  "Gobierno de Castro otorga a cubanos permiso para construir viviendas "por esfuerzo propio" en". Noticias24.com. http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/152868/gobierno-de-castro-otorga-a-cubanos-permiso-para-construir-viviendas-por-esfuerzo-propio/. Retrieved 2010-11-07.  "Jos Mart and Juan Jos Sicre: The Model and the Artist". The LatinAmericanist (University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies) 37 (2). Fall/Winter 2006. http://www.latam.ufl.edu/News/content/fall2006.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-13.  a b c d e f g "The Constitution of the Republic of Cuba". National Assembly of People's Power. http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/ingles/constitution.html. Retrieved 2007-01-29.  "Country profile: Cuba". BBC News. 20 August 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/countryprofiles/1203299.stm. Retrieved 2009-09-07.  a b "Cuban Military Expenditures: Concepts Data and Burden Measures". http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/asce/cuba6/23perlopez.fm.pdf.  Cuban army called key in any post-Castro scenario Anthony Boadle Reuters 2006unreliable source Samuel M. Makinda (1987). Superpower diplomacy in the Horn of Africa. Beckenham Kent: Croom Helm Ltd. p. 207. ISBN 0709946627. http://books.google.com/id5cYOAAAAQAAJ&pgPA207&lpgPA207. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  Ramazani Rouhollah K. (1975). The Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. 3. Netherlands: Sijthoff & Noordhoof. ISBN 9028600698.  "AP 1950 Invasion Wiped Out Says Trujillo". Waterloo Iowa: Waterloo Daily Courier. 1959-06-24. p. 7. unreliable source 2dead link Christopher P. Baker (2006). Moon Cuba. Avalon Travel Publishing. p. 636. ISBN 1566918022.  Hoge Warren (2006-02-03). "Human Rights Council is now on UN agenda". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/03/world/americas/03iht-rights.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  "EU-Cuba relations". European Communities. 2003-09-04. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.douriOJ:C:2004:076E:0384:0386:EN:PDF. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  "Joint declarations concerning areas and modalities provisionally identified for cooperation". European Commission. 2008-11-26. http://ec.europa.eu/development/icenter/repository/EU-Cuba-Joint%20declaration-261108EN.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  "Cuban Democracy Act". U.S. Department of State. 1992. http://www.state.gov/www/regions/wha/cuba/democact1992.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  "Obama Says U.S. Cuba Taking Critical Steps Toward a New Day". Bureau of International Information Programs U.S. Department of State. 2009-04-21. http://www.america.gov/st/peacesec-english/2009/April/20090421102201dmslahrellek0.4116632.htmlCP.rsstrue. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  "U.S. Administration Announcement on U.S. Policy Toward Cuba". Bureau of International Information Programs U.S. Department of State. 2009-04-13. http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2009/April/20090413170610eaifas0.2033502.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  a b Ivette E. Torres (1997). "The Mineral Industry of Cuba". U.S. Geological Survey. http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/1997/9509097.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  Wayne S. Smith (1 November 2006). "After 46 years of failure we must change course on Cuba". London: Guardian News and Media. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0193618600.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  a b "Cuba 1953 UN Statistics; Ethnic composition. Page: 260. May take time to load page" (PDF). http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dybsets/1956%20DYB.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-07.  a b Pedraza Silvia (2007). Political disaffection in Cuba's revolution and exodus. New York NY: Cambridge University Press. p. 156. ISBN 9780521867870. http://books.google.com/idQCSJ61F4j34C&pgPA156. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  "La inmigracin entre 1902 y 1920". Tau.ac.il. http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/IV2/bejarano.htm. Retrieved 2010-11-07.  DePalma Anthony (July 5 1998). "Cuban Site Casts Light on an Extinct People". New York Times. http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/41/310.html. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  "A barrier for Cuba's blacks". Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/multimedia/news/afrolatin/part4/index.html.  "World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples Cuba: Afro-Cubans". http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/49749d342c.html.  Etat des proprits rurales appartenant des Franais dans l'le de Cuba from http://www.cubagenweb.org Cuban Genealogy Center "Sahrawi children inhumanely treated in Cuba former Cuban official". MoroccoTimes.com. 31 March 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20061125161820/http://www.moroccotimes.com/Paper/article.aspidr2&id13816. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  (archived from the original on 2006-11-25) thepeninsulaqatar.comdead link Population Decrease Must be Reverteddead link "United Nations World Fertility Patterns 1997". United Nations. 1997. http://www.un.org/esa/population/pubsarchive/fer/ffer.htm. Retrieved 2006-07-09.  Stanley K. Henshaw Susheela Singh and Taylor Haas. "The Incidence of Abortion Worldwide". International Family Planning Perspectives 1999 25(Supplement):S30 S38. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/25s3099.html. Retrieved May 11 2006.  "Government officials visit Baha'i center". Baha'iWorldNewsService.com. June 13 2005. http://news.bahai.org/story.cfmstoryid377.  Pedraza Silvia (2007). Political disaffection in Cuba's revolution and exodus. New York NY: Cambridge University Press. p. 5. ISBN 9780521867870. http://books.google.com/idQCSJ61F4j34C&pgPA5. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  "CUBA: U.S. Response to the 1994 Cuban Migration Crisis". U.S. General Accounting Office. September 1995. http://www.gao.gov/archive/1995/ns95211.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  George Brandon (1997-03-01). Santeria from Africa to the New World. Indiana University Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780253211149. http://books.google.com/idTndbo3yLEdcC&dqlucumi+language.  "Lucumi: A Language of Cuba (Ethnologue)". http://www.ethnologue.com/showlanguage.aspcodeluq. Retrieved 10 March 2010.  "Cuban Creole choir brings solace to Haitis children". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10130814. Retrieved 10 March 2010.  "Languages of Cuba". http://www.ethnologue.com/showcountry.aspnameCU. Retrieved 31 October 2010.  "Still Stuck on Castro How the press handled a tyrant's farewell". http://www.reason.com/news/show/125095.html. unreliable source a b "The Cuban Education System: Lessons and Dilemmas. Human Development Network Education. World Bank." (PDF). http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1099079877269/547664-1099080026826/TheCubaneducationsystemlessonsEn00.pdf. Retrieved 2010-11-07.  "Students graduate from Cuban school Americas MSNBC.com". MSNBC. 2007-07-25. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19942866/. Retrieved 2010-11-07.  "Cuba-trained US doctors graduate". BBC News. 25 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6914265.stm. Retrieved 2009-09-07.  Resolucin 120 del 2007 del Ministro del MIC la cual est vigente desde el 0 de Septiembre de 2007 a b Whiteford Linda M.; Branch Laurence G. (2008). Primary Health Care in Cuba: The Other Revolution. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 2. ISBN 0742559947. http://books.google.com/idlJe7uc7X3pYC&pgPA2. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  Cuba: A Different America By Wilber A. Chaffee Gary Prevost Rowland and Littlefield 1992 p. 106 Lundy Karen Saucier. Community Health Nursing: Caring for the Public's Health. Jones and Bartlett: 2005 p. 377. Whiteford Linda M.; Manderson Lenore eds (2000). Global Health Policy Local Realities: The Fallacy of the Level Playing Field. Boulder Col.: Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 69. ISBN 1555878741. http://books.google.com/idgYcLgzsRDMC&pgPA69. Retrieved 2009-09-14.  Jacob Laksin. "Castros Doctors Plot". http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspxGUIDC2F78A4B-8F88-4E8C-97CE-16C9CFE35473. unreliable source Cuban Health Care Systems and its implications for the NHS Plan. Select Committee on Health. Mignonne Breier; Angelique Wildschut; Education Science and Skills Development Research Programme (2007). Doctors in a Divided Society: The Profession and Education of Medical Practitioners in South Africa. HSRC Press. pp. 16 81. ISBN 9780796921536. http://books.google.com/idWtuiTYThR7sC&pgPP1.  World population Prospects: The 2006 Revision: Highlights United Nations. Foreign Affairs July/August 2010. Jos Alvarez (2001). "Rationed Products and Something Else: Food Availability and Distribution in 2000 Cuba". Cuba in Transition. University of Texas at Austin. pp. 305322. http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/asce/pdfs/volume11/alvarez.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-06.  Costa Rica Journey into the Tropical Garden of Eden Tobias Hauser.unreliable source External links Find more about Cuba on Wikipedia's sister projects: Definitions from Wiktionary Images and media from Commons Learning resources from Wikiversity News stories from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Source texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Government of Cuba Wikimedia Atlas of Cuba Cuba travel guide from Wikitravel Chief of State and Cabinet Members Cuba entry at The World Factbook Cuba from UCB Libraries GovPubs Cuba at the Open Directory Project Map of Cuba (Political) 1994 C.I.A./Univ. of Texas Austin Welcome To Cuba slideshow by Life magazine fotopedia.com Selected photos of Cuba v d e Topics related to Cuba History Timeline  Colonial heads of Cuba  Ten Years' War  Spanish-American war  Platt amendment  Revolution  1932 Cuba Hurricane  La Coubre explosion  Bay of Pigs Invasion  Cuban Missile Crisis  War Against the Bandits  Cubana Flight 455  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