...Cuba Cuba, officially named "Republic of Cuba", is the largest island in the Caribbean. The capital of Cuba is Havana, and its population is 10.8 million. The main language used by most cubans is spanish and the currency used there is a Cuban Peso, which is equal to one U.S. Dollar. Cuba is a communist state and its president, since December 1976, is Fidel Castro Ruz. The main objective of this paper is to talk about the economic and political side of Cuba during the reign of Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro was born on August 13, 1926 in Oriente. The schools that he attended were Catholic and located in Havana. He entered the University of Havana in 1945 and graduated with a law degree in 1950. In 1948 he married Mirta Diaz Balart but they were soon divorced in 1954. His son Fidel Castro Diaz Balart became the head of Cuba's atomic energy commision. Castro was a very good vocalist and he brought himself national prominence by leading an attack on Moncada army barracks. Due to this attack he was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which only lasted for 2 years. After being in exhile in Mexico, Castro returned with 81 others, including Che Guevera, to Cuba and launched a successful guerrilla war. Castro became a strong leader and many other countries begun to fear him. In Cuba the state is the head of the economy and controls almost all trade between foreign countries. Many reforms have been undertaken by the government so that the labor incentives would...
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...Government: The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba is concurrently President of the Council of State (President of Cuba) and President of the Council of Ministers (sometimes referred to as Premier of Cuba). Members of both councils are elected by the National Assembly of People's Power. Raul Castro 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. Cuba's national legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power, is the supreme organ of power; 609 members serve five-year terms. 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. Cuba is a totalitarian communist state headed by General Raul Castro (2008). Castro replaced his brother Fidel Castro as chief of state, president of Cuba, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces on February 24, 2008. Currency: Cuba has two currencies: the Cuban peso (CUP) but tourists will be given Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC) .The peso is one of two official currencies in use in Cuba, the other being the convertible peso. Cuban state workers receive a portion of their wages in convertible pesos, the rest in national pesos. Shops selling basics, like fruit and vegetables, generally accept only the normal peso. The word "pesos"...
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...Cuba/ Backgroung Info The largest island of the West Indies group (equal in area to Pennsylvania), Cuba is also the westernmost—just west of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and 90 mi (145 km) south of Key West, Fla., at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. The island is mountainous in the southeast and south-central area (Sierra Maestra). It is flat or rolling elsewhere. Cuba also includes numerous smaller islands, Total area: 42,803 sq mi (110,860 sq km) Population (2010 est.): 11,477,459 (growth rate: 0.2%); birth rate: 11.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.72/1000; life expectancy: 77.6; density per sq km: 103 Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Havana, 2,686,000 (metro. area), 2,343,700 (city proper) Other large cities: Santiago de Cuba, 554,400; Camagüey, 354,400; Holguin, 319,300; Guantánamo, 274,300; Santa Clara, 251,800 Monetary unit: Cuban Peso National name: República de Cuba Current government officials Language: Spanish Ethnicity/race: mulatto 51%, white 37%, black 11%, Chinese 1% National Holiday: Triumph of the Revolution, December 10 Religions: predominantly Roman Catholic and Santería (Afro-Cuban syncretic religion) Literacy rate: 99.8% (2002 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2009 est.): $111.1 billion; per capita $9,700 . Real growth rate: 1.4%. Inflation: 4.3%. Unemployment: 1.6%. Arable land: 33%. Agriculture: sugar, tobacco, citrus, coffee, rice, potatoes, beans; livestock. Labor force: 4.82 million; note: state sector 78%, non-state...
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...Entry Upon entry into Cuba, it is recommended that visitors have a return air ticket and evidence of sufficient funds for the duration of their stay. Travellers arriving with "air only" tickets must show that they have sufficient funds to meet their minimum financial needs (equivalent to CUC 50 per day for the duration of the stay). Airport Tax There is a mandatory airport tax of CUC 25 payable only in Cuban convertible pesos. =========================================== When reporting a crime to local police, you should insist on receiving the Comprobante de Denuncia as confirmation that a report has been made. Police officers may speak only Spanish. Passports and Visas A valid Canadian passport is required for Canadians intending to visit Cuba. The passport must be valid for at least one month beyond the date of your expected departure from Cuba. Canadians must also carry a tourist card (or visa), or a business or student visa. The tourist card is generally provided by tour operators or airlines, or can be obtained from a Cuban government office in Canada in the case of privately organized flights. It can also be purchased at certain airports in Canada. Health Insurance Since May 1, 2010, travellers must present proof of health insurance in order to enter the country. Upon arrival, travellers may be required to present an insurance policy, insurance certificate, or medical assistance card valid for the period of their stay in Cuba. Those who do not have...
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...Assignment 8 1. Despite having a strong base in agriculture the Caribbean has begun to fall behind as competition from the global markets persist. What was a crutch for the economy in the form of tourism has become the main aspect of many Caribbean economies. As great as that may be however, it has its downsides as well. Tourism is something derived from vacationing patrons who enjoy travel in their leisure time. During periods of economic crisis, as seen back in 2008, leisure tends to get put on the back burner as needs tend to eclipse wants during times of struggle. One of the reasons this impacts the Caribbean so hard has a lot to do with its populations. Many of the islands rely so greatly one form of income through tourism that instead of negative impacts being spread across several sectors it is only one that suffers causing many of those employed to suffer as well. Strategies to lessen economic problems in the Caribbean a difficult to devise. Economic diversity is difficult to provide given the limited resources along with them being spread thin as it is. Haiti serves as an example of not diversifying its economic approach, who based its economy on its timber production to the point it clear cut the entire portion of the island it inhabited. Foresight is key to these sort of issues and understanding long term affects to a strategy can decide on whether it is worth doing at all. For the Caribbean, much of what it needs to do is stabilize its economy...
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...Cuba Country Profile International Business Cuba is an island in the Caribbean. (Discuss it's culture) The island is located only 90 miles from Florida and is alligator-shaped. It's the biggest island in the Caribbean. The total population is 11,061.886. It's official language is Spanish, and 95% Cubans are Roman Catholic. The major ethnic groups include mulattos, which consist of 51% of the population. The remaining groups include 37% of white or European decent, 11% black, and 1% Chinese (Aguirrie, 2007). In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the island, and conquered it for Spain. Spain ruled the island until 1902, when it became independent. Cuba's independence was short lived. In 1940, Fulgencio Batista was elected as President. Under Batista's rule, Cuba was a Republic. It had a political system similar to the U.S. It consisted of “three branches, a President, a cabinent, and a Supreme Court.” In 1959, Communist dictator, Fidel Castor, and 11 members of his group, including Ernesto “Che” Guevara, overthrew Cuba's government, resulting in the Cuban Revolution (Crooker, 2002 p. 69) Prior to this revolution, things weren't much better in Cuba's economy. Under Batistas's rule, “Cuba had become like a vacation resort” for many affluent Americans, many of whom would “pass their time doing illegal things like gambling and prostitution” (Crooker, 2002 p. 10). It was a place where organized crime bosses invested...
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...On December 2 1959, Fidel Castro and 81 other soldiers, landed in Cuba begin the revolutionary war against U.S backed regime of Fulgencio Batista. After many more struggles, the revolution’s victory came January 1, 1959. March 10, 1952, Batista led a bloodless attack in Cuba. July 26th, 1953, Fidel Castro led an attack on the Moncada army garrison in Santiago Cuba. After the defeat, Batista’s forces killed more than 50 captured revolutionarys. Che Guevara met Fidel Castro in Mexico. General Alberto Bayo gave classes in military tactics, he became head of personnel. Fidel was captured and the ranch outside of Mexico City. November 25, 1956 at two o’clolk in the morning they left the port of Tuxpan with lights out and bad weather. On November 30 they heard on the radio that Frank Pais had started an uprising in Santiago de Cuba. On December 2nd by the time they reached the beach of Las Coloradas. Exactly ten days after the departure from mexico, they reached a point known, Alegria de Pio. On January 14, 1957 they came acoss the La Plata army barracks. On the 16th the rebel army crossed the shallows of the La Plata, there were 15 soldiers arracks and one of the most notorious foremans were due to ride by. They had 22 weapons for the attack, after initial resistance the rebels took initial control with no casualties on their sides. January 1st 1959 at 2 am Batista and a military junta takes over. On 16th July Castro resigns as prime minister because of Urratias opposition to measures...
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...collapse of the Soviet Union. It was the last year of normality, and total imports to Cuba fell by 75%. 2. The Sugar production in Cuba has fallen by 50% (3 years) in recent years because Cuba’s fertilizer imports fell. Cuba also went through fuel shortages which caused the workers to use one their hands instead of machines to harvest the crop. 3. The disappearance of the Soviet Union from Cuba and the inability to receive medical supplies has led to the decline in the much vaunted medical care system in Cuba. Since the Soviet Union supported them heavily, Cuba lacked medical equipment and medicine in their medical system. 4. After the summer of 1993 it has been legal for Cubans to have dollars. Having easier access to dollars from tourism, open exile money pocket books. Family in America sending back money to their people in Cuba. The Cuban government decided to legalize them because they were being sold on the black market. 5. The professionals who supported the Cuban revolution the most suffered economically because they supported the Cuban revolution they are unlikely to have contact with relatives in the exile community. 6. The average Cuban yearly salary was about 2400 pesos which equals about 24 dollars. 7. According to Jesse Jackson, the American policy towards Cuba has driven the US to its limits with Cuba. ESSAY: In some ways the US embargo and known as "the blockade" helped Cuba along with also helping themselves. For example, even though the US planned the embargo...
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...The Culture Of Cuba Andrew Mengel Moravian College The Culture of Cuba Cuba has a complex but rich culture that has been broadening in all aspects in its society. Its semi-forbidden access to Americans makes it a curious destination for adventitious people. The largest island in the Caribbean, Cuba has been inhabited since the mid-1400s by various Mesoamerican tribes, until 1492 when Christopher Columbus invaded the island and took it over. It remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish-American war in 1898, and briefly became a colony of the United States. A few years later, Cuba than gained nominal independence from America in 1902 and functioned under a democratic republic, despite weak leaders in their national government. (CIA.gov) With increasing social and political turmoil, Cuba, looking for administrative leadership, fell under the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1952. However, Batista could not gain the popularity of the people and was ousted from the government in 1959. (PBS.org) The government than again shifted to a new type of regime and has continued with the same political lens ever since. Switching to socialist fundamentals and following the lead of Fidel Castro, Cuba has and currently is, governed as a single-party state under the Communist party. Now steadily ruled, Cuba prospers in music, food and their plush agriculture. Cuba’s Spanish integrated philosophy creates a unique and passionate society that cannot be found anywhere else around...
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...were told that someone had already bought them, so they were okay. The day of the trip arrived and the tickets were nowhere to be found. Yordani and his wife had to sell some of their own things in order for them to buy the tickets because now, another problem had arisen. If they do not leave the county using the visa, they will never have the opportunity to obtain another visa again, so they had to sell many of their own things (TV, bicycle, etc.) in order to get the money to buy the tickets. The issue here is not the tickets, the issue here is that the person who invited them, (Peter), at the last minute, decided not to buy their tickets anymore because he had made alternate plans. Yordani knew my father because my father had visited Cuba several years before. Yordani called and explained a little bit of what was happening and my father told him that he was welcome to come and stay with us. When they arrived here, they explained more in detail what had happened. While they explained the story, they were crying, “Why would Peter all of sudden call of the plans without notice?” they asked. When I heard that, I felt very bad and I could not understand how Peter could do something like that. Yordani and his wife were asking themselves, “Why did we come to the U.S.?” Now, not only they were suffering, but their two children as well because they had to get rid of many things that belonged to their...
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...For over 50 years the United States of America and Cuba have had a negative relationship. In 1959, Fidel Castro and a group of revolutionists overthrew the Cuban government, changing it to a Communist country, which then created a strong relationship between Cuba and Soviet Union. During this time, the United States was at a stalemate war with the Soviet Union, now known as the Cold War. As Cuba’s relationship grew with the Soviet Union, their relationship with the United States quickly faded. As communism grew it began to ruin the United States’ idea of containment, which caused havoc within the economy. Cuba then became an enemy of the United States. Since that pivotal moment in history, the relationship between the United States and Cuba have experienced turmoil, which the current U.S. president Barack Obama, and the Cuban leader Raul Castro, have been trying to end the disorder between the two countries. In 1953 Fidel Castro and a group of 130 revolutionaries attempted to overthrow the dictatorship of Cuba but ended in a failure and later led to Castro’s imprisonment. The current dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista, pardoned Castro, which was a major mistake. In 1956 Castro lead another revolt and promised the people of Cuba that he would replace Batista’s dictatorship with free elections and also promised that he would end the corruption in the Cuban government. (Dowling) Castro wanted to overthrow Batista because of his corruption and violence. Batista was known as a cruel...
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...Cuba Food Security World Food Program: Cuba, with a population of a little over 11 million people, imports about 80% of its domestic food requirements. A number of measures are being taken to increase food production, chief among which is the allocation of fallow land to private individuals and groups, as well as the reduction of the amount of land devoted to sugar cane cultivation, but the country’s vulnerability to hurricanes and droughts, coupled with the increase in global food prices and the financial crisis, makes the path to national food security difficult. The eastern region of Cuba – encompassing the provinces of Guantánamo, Granma, Santiago de Cuba, Las Tunas, Holguín, and Camagüey — is the most vulnerable to food insecurity. Cuba’s education and health system are admirable and have put the country well on the path to achievement of four of the eight MDGs. The main public health problem is anaemia, with a prevalence in the east of 56.7% among children under the age of 24 months and 20,1% amongst those between the ages of 2 and 5. There are a number of reasons for this, the main ones being: i) inadequate food intake; ii) parasitic or infectious diseases; iii) dearth of iron-rich food; iv) difficulties in access to food; v) insufficient knowledge of anemia; vi) inadequate use of dietary supplements; vii) deficiencies in water and sanitation; y viii) inadequate hygiene practices, which inhibits iron absorption. Collapse and Revival In 1989, as a...
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...In Cuba from 1900 through 1906 many events occurred that changed how the Island is today. In the early 1900's the island had a breakout of yellow fever that affected hundreds of people throughout the country. After multiple years of research an American military doctor, Dr. Walter Reed led a commission that determined that the disease was caused by mosquitos. During this same time period The United States and Cuba both agreed and signed the Platt amendment which was put in place after the Spanish-American war. In the year 1900 the yellow fever disease had an outbreak and began to spread throughout Cuba. In 1901 U.S. Army doctor Walter Reed who at the time had recently studied a case of malaria in Washington Dc, went to Cuba and led a 4-team commission that started in May of 1901 and it eventually led to the verification that Yellow Fever was caused by Mosquitos. Also during the same time period in the early...
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...the crisis. Avoiding a world war, which would possibly include nuclear weapons, is a fact that will show the succession of the negotiations during the crisis. Discussion There are several parties that concerned by the Cuban Missile Crisis directly or indirectly. The significant ones are the United States and the Soviet Union which were directly involved in the crisis and actively participated in the negotiations. Additionally, Cuba and Turkey concerned by the crisis because of their role of holding the missiles of the Soviet Union and the United States in their own soil; and Germany was indirectly concerned because of the possible attack of the USSR to Berlin (1). At the outbreak of the crisis, the most important and deterministic positions were the United States’ and the Soviet Union’s ones. The Soviet Union decided to start a deployment of nuclear weapons (MRBMs and IRBMs) in Cuba which was accepted and found “interesting” by Fidel Castro ; later in the crisis period Premier Khrushchev would define the weapons as defensive precautions. While Cuba and the Soviet...
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...The United States and Cuba have had a complicated relationship. Months after Fidel Castro took over power, he made a visit to Washington in April 1959. Castro met with the president, Richard Nixon and then was photographed as if he were admiring the president. For the next half century, the U.S/Cuba relations were all down hill. The standoff outlived 10 U.S. presidents, a fizzled intrusion, an atomic emergency and incalculable boatloads of Cuban shelter seekers. Meanwhile,, the Castros continued running Cuba continuously. President Obama, the 11th president to deal with the Castros, said in December 2014 it was time for a change."We cannot keep doing the same thing and expect a different result," the president said as he announced plans to normalize relations, including embassies in both capitals....
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