1. Cuba

3. Capital is Havana 93 miles from the United States Largest island in the Caribbean Second largest population (11 million) after Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic)

5. Cuba Cuba was inhabited by American Indian people known as Taino Christopher Columbus landed on Cuba in 1492 and claimed it for the country of Spain Native Taino were wiped out due to disease (small pox, influenza) and harsh working conditions

6. Cuba Cuba gained formal independence in 1902 (Republic of Cuba) Under the Platt Amendment, the US leased the Guantanamo Bay Navel Base from Cuba In 1959, Fidel Castro was sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba Castro legalized the Communist party which eroded the relationship with the United States

8. Cuba 1960, President Eisenhower gave approval to arm and train a group of Cuban Refugees to overthrow the Castro regime Invasion was know as the Bay of Pigs Invasion took place in 1961 This attempt failed and made the relationship between Cuba and the United States even worse

9. Cuba In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred It was a 13-day confrontation the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba It was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war

12. Cuba By 1963, Cuba moved towards a full-fledged communist system modeled on the Soviet Union The United States started a long history of embargos against the country, prohibiting any trade with the country (large influence)

13. Cuba In 2008, Fidel Castro announced his resignation as the President of Cuba Replaced by his brother Raul Castro (who will step down in 2018)

14. Cuba In July 2013, the average monthly wages is 466 Cuban Pesos ($19) Main exports are sugar, nickel and tobacco it is estimated that more than 1 million people have emigrated from Cuba to the United States since 1959 Between 30,000 and 80,000 have died trying to flee Cuba

15. Cuba Baseball is the most popular sport Cuba’s literacy rate is 99.8% (US-99%) Cuba’s graduation rate is 94% (US-80%) In 2014, President Obama asked Congress to lift the embargos on Cuba