US sanctions that were initially intended to depose Fidel Castro as president of Cuba have lasted decades.
It also disproved theories that it wouldn't endure the fall of the Soviet Union.
Cuba has been a one-party state run by Mr. Castro and his successors since the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista's US-backed dictatorship in 1959.
He was able to build reputable health and educational systems for decades by taking advantage of the Cold War and relying on strong Soviet support, including $4–5 billion in annual subsidies.
2014 will see the start of the normalization of relations between the US and Cuba.
Miguel Diaz-Canel serves as president.
After the Castro family had ruled for six decades, Miguel Diaz-Canel took office as president in April 2018.
A former engineer who was born after the revolution that put Fidel Castro in power, Mr. Diaz-Canel was 57 years old at the time of his inauguration.
After being elected president by parliament, he has pledged to keep the island's one-party system in place.
According to Freedom House, the media landscape in Cuba is the most oppressive in the Americas. State-owned entities control almost all traditional media.
Access to the internet is expensive and subject to strict regulations. The "Package" is a compilation of digital content that is widely used in Cuba.
Dates that are significant in Cuban history include:.
1898 . Cuba is turned over to the US. which, in a war, defeated Spain.
1902 . - With US protection, Cuba gains its independence.
1933 . - Sergeant Fulgencio Batista stages a coup and takes control.
1959 . - Batista is forced to leave Havana as Fidel Castro commands a guerrilla army into the city.
1961 . - The US severing diplomatic ties in response to the nationalization of US-owned properties, followed by the imposition of a full commercial embargo.
1961 . - US-supported Cuban exiles attempt to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs but are repulsed.
1962 . - After the US learns that the Soviet Union has nuclear missiles on Cuba, the US and the Soviet Union engage in a confrontation that nearly sparks war.
1975 . Castro sends troops to Angola to aid in the suppression of rebels supported by South Africa. 300,000 Cubans will fight in a war that will last 15 years.
1991 . - Cuba's largest benefactor, the Soviet Union, collapses, causing an economic crisis.
2006 . - In 2008, Raul Castro, Fidel Castro's brother, takes over as president provisoally.
2014 . Presidents Castro and Barack Obama announce steps to normalize their diplomatic relations.
2018 . - Miguel Diaz-Canel, a senior Communist Party figure, is elected president, ending the Castro family's 60-year rule.
