Cuba:
A lot of Canadians know Cuba as a Caribbean island where you can have a cheap, all-inclusive vacation soaking up the sun, snorkelling and scuba diving, fishing, and living like kings and queens in beach resorts.
There are also a number of tour companies that will take you on bicycling trips, or on hiking trips in the national parks. For instance, the Zapata Penninsula is a wildlife refuge full of one-of-a-kind birds and plants, and is home to more than a few crocodiles.
Cuba is also the only Communist country in the Western hemisphere. Because the Americans hate that, they've placed a trade embargo on Cuba. This, and the withdrawal of aid from Russia, has caused a major decline in the living standard, and shortages of goods and products abound.
Still, the land is fertile, and people who live in the countryside can grow their own food, so no-one is starving. The cities are rundown, though, and a lot of Cubans are living a hard life.
Fans of Cuba point out that everyone gets an education there, and everyone enjoys free, expert health care. Castro and his regime, however, are criticized for human rights abuses, and for holding a one-party state that everyone is supposed to adore and look up to without any opposition. The number of Cuban dissidents jailed dropped in the 1990s, but in January, 2000, there were 344 political prisoners, up from 324 the previous January.
Books: Trading with the Enemy: a Yankee Travels through Castro's Cuba, by Tom Miller
This page last updated November 15, 2003.