The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony during the next several centuries. Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations and Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico and Peru. Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions that were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule. Subsequently the 1901 Platt Amendment to the Cuban constitution authorized the US to intervene in Cuba in the event of instability. The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence from the US in 1902 after which the island experienced a string of governments mostly dominated by the military and corrupt politicians. Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his authoritarian rule held the subsequent regime together for nearly five decades. He stepped down as president in February 2008 in favor of his younger brother Raul CASTRO. Cuba's communist revolution with Soviet support was exported throughout Latin America and Africa during the 1960s 1970s and 1980s.
The country faced a severe economic downturn in 1990 following the withdrawal of former Soviet subsidies worth $4-6 billion annually. Cuba at times portrays the US embargo in place since 1961 as the source of its difficulties. Illicit migration to the US - using homemade rafts alien smugglers air flights or via the US's southern border - is a continuing problem. In FY 2014 the US Coast Guard interdicted 2,111 Cuban nationals at sea the highest number since FY 2008. Also in FY 2014 24,289 Cuban migrants presented themselves at various land border ports of entry throughout the US. As a result of efforts begun in December 2014 by President OBAMA to re-establishment diplomatic relations with the Cuban government which were severed in January 1961 the United States and Cuba reopened embassies in their respective countries on 20 July 2015. Over the past decade there has been growing communication with the Cuban government to address national interests.

arable land: 33.8%
permanent crops: 3.6%
permanent pasture: 22.9%

urban: 96.4% of population
rural: 89.8% of population
total: 94.9% of population
urban: 3.6% of population
rural: 10.2% of population
total: 5.1% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 94.4% of population
rural: 89.1% of population
total: 93.2% of population
urban: 5.6% of population
rural: 10.9% of population
total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

$128.5 billion (2014 est.)
$126.9 billion (2013 est.)
$123.5 billion (2012 est.)

1.3% (2014 est.)
2.7% (2013 est.)
3% (2012 est.)

$10,200 (2010 est.)
$10,000 (2009 est.)
$10,000 (2008 est.)

13.2% of GDP (2014 est.)
12.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
13.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

2.7% (2014 est.)
3.3% (2013 est.)

32.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
32% of GDP (2013 est.)

5.3% (2014 est.)
6% (2013 est.)

$965.2 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$13.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$24.63 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$24.08 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.996 billion (2014 est.)
-$1.042 billion (2013 est.)

$5.187 billion (2014 est.)
$5.566 billion (2013 est.)

$14.7 billion (2014 est.)
$14.77 billion (2013 est.)

$11.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$11.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$25.21 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$24.65 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Cuban pesos (CUP) per US dollar -
22.7 (2014 est.)
22.7 (2013 est.)
1 (2012 est.)
0.9847 (2011 est.)
0.9259 (2010 est.)