Ethnic divisions: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1%
Principal language: Spanish
Principal religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Pentecostal, Baptist
Rank of affluence among U.N. members: 74/183
With its warm climate, rich soil, and large population of African slaves, Cuba was the world's leading sugar producer in the 19th century. It also found itself the object of a tug-of-war between Spain and the United States, which culminated in the short-lived Spanish-American war in 1898 (whose famous motto was "Remember the Maine!").
For the next 60 years a series of inept and frequently oppressive regimes presided over a nominally independent Cuba. Finally, in 1959, Fidel Castro seized power and established the first socialist state in the Americas. Over $1 billion of U.S. landholdings, bank accounts, and businesses were seized; in response, U.S. aid was abruptly cut off and an embargo declared. An embattled Castro turned to the Soviet Union for support. A crisis point was reached in October 1962 when the Soviets attempted to install nuclear missile sites on the island. The world teetered on the brink of nuclear holocaust; then the Soviets backed off.
On the plus side, Cubans gained the best healthcare and educational system in Latin America. As luck would have it, the market for Cuban sugar--the nation's major export product--disintegrated, a victim of a harsh U.S.-imposed trade embargo, artificial sweeteners, and lowered costs elsewhere. Cuban socialism continued to depend on Soviet subsidies. The fall of communism ended the aid and the aging Castro was challenged as never before. With the embargo pinching harder, he reiterated his faith in socialism. Cuba, he said, would survive this "special period." The hundreds of thousands of anti-Castro exiles disagree. With unconcealed impatience, they are waiting for his end.
