Cuba was a Spanish colony until 1898 when it became independent after the Spanish-American War. In 1959, Fidel Castro led a revolution that established a communist government, aligning with the Soviet Union. Despite economic embargoes, Cuba has maintained strong healthcare and education systems while gradually implementing economic reforms.
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island nation located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet. The archipelago comprises the main island of Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and approximately 4,195 smaller islands, islets, and cays. Covering an area of about 109,884 square kilometers, it is the largest country in the Caribbean by land area. As of 2024, Cuba has a population of approximately 9.75 million people. The capital and largest city is Havana. The official language is Spanish. Cuba operates as a unitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic. The economy is primarily driven by tourism, exports of skilled labor, sugar, tobacco, and coffee. Cuba is a founding member of the United Nations, G77, Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, ALBA, and Organization of American States. The country has a universal health care system and has historically performed better than other countries in the region on several socioeconomic indicators, such as literacy, infant mortality, and life expectancy.
