festivites
Some of the major festivities and holidays in Cuba are:
1. Carnival: Carnival is celebrated throughout Cuba, but the most famous one is in Santiago de Cuba during July. It is a colorful, lively celebration that includes parades, music, dancing, and elaborate costumes.
2. New Year's Day: Celebrated on January 1st, like most places around the world, it is a day to celebrate new beginnings with family and friends. Cubans often light fireworks to welcome the new year.
3. Three Kings' Day: Also known as Epiphany, this holiday is celebrated on January 6th, and marks the arrival of the three wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus. The day is celebrated with street parades, music, dancing, and gift giving.
4. International Workers' Day: This holiday falls on May 1st and is celebrated by workers all over the world. In Cuba, it is a public holiday where people gather for rallies and marches to promote workers' rights.
5. Revolution Day: On July 26th, Cubans celebrate the anniversary of the start of the Cuban Revolution. There are usually parades, speeches, and other events commemorating the occasion.
6. Christmas: December 25th is celebrated by Cubans as Christmas Day, it is a time for family gatherings, feasting, and gift giving. Although the celebration was suppressed after the revolution, it is now an important holiday again in Cuba.
In general, Cuban holidays are often marked with music, dancing, and food. They are an opportunity for people to come together, celebrate their culture, and enjoy each other's company.
seasons
Cuba has two tourist seasons:
1. High Season (November-April): This is the peak tourism season in Cuba, characterized by warm and dry weather. The busiest months are December to February, when many tourists flock to the country for Christmas and New Year's holidays. It is recommended to book accommodation and transportation well in advance, as prices can be higher and availability limited.
2. Low Season (May-October): This is the off-season in Cuba, also known as the "rainy season" due to the possibility of tropical storms and hurricanes. However, the weather is still generally warm and sunny. Prices for accommodation and transportation tend to be lower during this period, and there are fewer crowds. Visitors should keep an eye on weather forecasts and consider travel insurance that covers cancellations due to bad weather.
It's also worth noting that there may be some regional variations in weather patterns, particularly in mountainous areas. Overall, Cuba can be visited year-round, but visitors should plan accordingly based on their preferences and priorities.
visa
As of my knowledge cutoff date, 2021-09-01, the special VISA rules for visiting Cuba vary depending on the country of citizenship. However, most visitors to Cuba require a tourist visa, also known as a tourist card.
For citizens of some countries, such as Mexico, Canada, and most European Union countries, the tourist card can be obtained upon arrival in Cuba. The cost of the tourist card is approximately $20-25 USD.
For citizens of other countries, including the United States, the tourist card must be obtained prior to travel through a Cuban embassy or consulate. The cost of the tourist card for U.S. citizens was around $50-100 USD depending on the processing method.
It's important to note that these rules may have changed since my knowledge cutoff date, so it's always best to check with the Cuban embassy or consulate in your home country before traveling to Cuba.
souvenirs
Some of the best souvenirs to buy from Cuba include:
1. Cigars: A box of Cuban cigars can cost anywhere from $30 to several hundred dollars depending on the brand and quantity. They can be found at official cigar shops like La Casa del Habano or at markets in cities like Havana.
2. Rum: Cuban rum is a popular souvenir and can be purchased for around $10 to $40 depending on the brand and size. Look for brands like Havana Club or Santiago de Cuba at local liquor stores.
3. Guayabera shirts: These traditional Cuban shirts can be found in many markets throughout the country and cost between $20 and $50, depending on quality and design.
4. Artwork: Cuba has a thriving arts scene, and purchasing artwork is a great way to bring a piece of it home with you. Prices vary widely depending on the artist and medium, but expect to pay several hundred dollars for original pieces.
5. Coffee: Cuban coffee is known for its rich flavor and makes for a great souvenir. Prices range from $5 to $15 for a bag, which can be found at most grocery stores and markets.
6. Handmade crafts: From wooden carvings to embroidered linens, Cuba is home to many skilled artisans who create beautiful handmade crafts. Prices vary depending on the item and quality, but expect to pay around $10 to $50 for most items.
It's always a good idea to shop around and compare prices before making a purchase. Some good places to look for souvenirs include markets, shops near popular tourist attractions, and government-run stores.
If you have 1 week
Hello there! I hope you're having a great day in beautiful Cuba. You're in for a treat as this country is full of vibrant culture, stunning scenery, and delicious cuisine. Here's a one-week itinerary that will give you a taste of everything Cuba has to offer:
Day 1: Explore Havana - Start your trip by exploring the capital city of Havana. Take a stroll through Old Havana and marvel at the colorful buildings and historic architecture. Don't miss the opportunity to visit the famous Malecon wall which runs along the coast of the city.
Day 2: Visit Varadero - Head to the beach town of Varadero, located on the northern coast of Cuba. This stunning beach boasts crystal clear waters and soft white sand. Spend the day lounging on the beach or trying out various water sports activities such as snorkeling or jet skiing.
Day 3: Learn about Cuban history - Visit the Museum of the Revolution in Havana and learn about Cuba's fascinating history. The museum showcases the country's revolutionary past from the pre-Columbian era to modern times.
Day 4: Explore Vinales Valley - Take a day trip to Vinales Valley and explore the picturesque rural landscapes, tobacco farms, and limestone cliffs. Experience the local life and culture by taking a horseback ride tour and visiting the village of Vinales.
Day 5: Discover Trinidad - Take a trip to the charming town of Trinidad and immerse yourself in its colonial beauty. Walk around the cobblestone streets, admire the colorful houses, and visit the Plaza Mayor. Don't forget to try some traditional Cuban food such as Ropa Vieja or Yuca con Mojo.
Day 6: Go hiking - Take a hike in the beautiful Topes de Collantes National Park, located in the Escambray Mountains. The park boasts lush greenery, waterfalls, and natural pools. It's the perfect place to unwind and connect with nature.
Day 7: Experience Cuban nightlife - End your trip by experiencing the vibrant nightlife of Cuba. Head to a local bar or club and dance the night away to the sounds of salsa, reggaeton, and other popular Cuban music genres.
I hope you enjoy this itinerary and have an amazing time exploring Cuba. Remember to take lots of pictures and create unforgettable memories!
If you have 2 weeks
Excellent, Cuba is an amazing country with a rich history and culture. If you want to experience the best of Cuba in two weeks, here is my itinerary:
Week 1:
Day 1-3: Havana - You should start your trip by visiting the capital city, Havana. Explore Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can see colonial-era buildings, narrow streets, and historic plazas. Visit the famous El Morro Castle and Museum of the Revolution to learn about Cuban history. At night, enjoy the live music and dance performances at the Buena Vista Social Club or Tropicana Cabaret.
Day 4-5: Vinales Valley - Take a break from the bustling city and head to the countryside. Vinales Valley is known for its picturesque landscapes, tobacco plantations, and limestone rock formations called mogotes. You can go on horseback rides, hike through the hills and caves, and even try cigar rolling with the locals.
Day 6-7: Trinidad - Travel to the south-central coast to visit Trinidad, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This colonial town has colorful houses, cobblestone streets, and charming plazas. Visit Museo Romantico or Palacio Brunet to see how the wealthy families lived during the 19th century. Relax at Playa Ancon, a beautiful beach nearby.
Week 2:
Day 8-9: Santiago de Cuba - Fly to the eastern part of the island to see the second-largest city, Santiago de Cuba. This city is known for its Afro-Cuban culture, music, and festivals. Visit the Castillo del Morro fortress, Moncada Barracks, and Casa de la Trova to experience the local history and music scene.
Day 10-11: Baracoa - Head to the most eastern point of Cuba, Baracoa, a small town surrounded by mountains and the sea. You can go hiking in Alejandro de Humboldt National Park or surfing at Maguana Beach. Don't forget to try the local chocolate, coconut candy, and seafood.
Day 12-14: Varadero - End your trip by relaxing at a stunning beach in Varadero. This resort town has white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and plenty of water activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving, and parasailing. You can also visit the Bellamar Caves or the Josone Park for some nature sightseeing.
I recommend this itinerary because it covers the major attractions and diverse landscapes of Cuba. From urban cities to rural towns, from colonial history to Afro-Cuban culture, from mountainous terrains to beach paradises, you will experience the true essence of Cuba in just two weeks. Enjoy your trip!
Culture
Cuban culture is influenced by its melting pot of cultures, primarily those of Spain, Africa and the indigenous Taínos of Cuba. After the 1959 revolution, the government started a national literacy campaign, offered free education to all and established rigorous sports, ballet, and music programs.
Cuban cuisine is a fusion of Spanish and Caribbean cuisines. Cuban recipes share spices and techniques with Spanish cooking, with some Caribbean influence in spice and flavor. Food rationing, which has been the norm in Cuba for the last four decades, restricts the common availability of these dishes. The traditional Cuban meal is not served in courses; all food items are served at the same time.
The typical meal could consist of plantains, black beans and rice, ropa vieja (shredded beef), Cuban bread, pork with onions, and tropical fruits. Black beans and rice, referred to as moros y cristianos (or moros for short), and plantains are staples of the Cuban diet. Many of the meat dishes are cooked slowly with light sauces. Garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves are the dominant spices.
Cuban literature began to find its voice in the early 19th century. Dominant themes of independence and freedom were exemplified by José Martí, who led the Modernist movement in Cuban literature. Writers such as Nicolás Guillén and José Z. Tallet focused on literature as social protest. The poetry and novels of Dulce María Loynaz and José Lezama Lima have been influential. Romanticist Miguel Barnet, who wrote Everyone Dreamed of Cuba, reflects a more melancholy Cuba.
Alejo Carpentier was important in the magic realism movement. Writers such as Reinaldo Arenas, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, and more recently Daína Chaviano, Pedro Juan Gutiérrez, Zoé Valdés, Guillermo Rosales and Leonardo Padura have earned international recognition in the post-revolutionary era, though many of these writers have felt compelled to continue their work in exile due to ideological control of media by the Cuban authorities. However, several Cuban writers continue living and writing in Cuba, including Miguel Barnet, Nancy Morejón, Marta Rojas, Fina García Marruz, and Carilda Oliver Labra.
Cuban music is very rich and is the most commonly known expression of Cuban culture. The central form of this music is son, which has been the basis of many other musical styles like "Danzón de nuevo ritmo", mambo, cha-cha-chá and salsa music. Rumba ("de cajón o de solar") music originated in the early Afro-Cuban culture, mixed with Spanish elements of style. The Tres was invented in Cuba from Spanish cordophone instruments models (the instrument is actually a fusion of elements from the Spanish guitar and lute). Other traditional Cuban instruments are of African origin, Taíno origin, or both, such as the maracas, güiro, marímbula and various wooden drums including the mayohuacán.
Popular Cuban music of all styles has been enjoyed and praised widely across the world. Cuban classical music, which includes music with strong African and European influences, and features symphonic works as well as music for soloists, has received international acclaim thanks to composers like Ernesto Lecuona. Havana was the heart of the rap scene in Cuba when it began in the 1990s.
During that time, reggaetón grew in popularity. In 2011, the Cuban state denounced reggaetón as "degenerate", directly reducing "low-profile" airplay of the genre (not banning it entirely), and banned the song "Chupi Chupi" by Osmani García, characterizing its description of sex as "the sort which a prostitute would carry out." In December 2012, the Cuban government officially banned sexually explicit reggaeton songs and music videos from radio and television.
Recognized Cuban artists include Los Van Van orchestra, known as "the music machinery of Cuba", pianists Chucho Valdés and Frank Fernández (the latter won the Golden title at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory), and Omara Portuondo, member of the Buena Vista Social Club. Many Cuban artists have won Grammy Awards. Between the youth, Buena Fe is a popular group.
Cuban culture encompasses a wide range of dance forms. Danzón was the official musical genre and dance of Cuba. Mambo music and dance developed originally in Cuba, with further significant developments by Cuban musicians in Mexico and the US. The cha-cha-cha is another dance of Cuban origin, while the Cuban bolero originated in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century. Concert dance is supported by the government and includes internationally renowned companies such as the Ballet Nacional de Cuba.
Salsa dancing originated in Cuba and Cuban salsa is danced around the world.
Due to historical associations with the United States, many Cubans participate in sports that are popular in North America, rather than sports traditionally played in other Latin American nations. Baseball is the most popular. Other popular sports include volleyball, boxing, athletics, wrestling, basketball and water sports. Cuba is a dominant force in amateur boxing, consistently achieving high medal tallies in major international competitions. Cuban boxers are not permitted to turn professional by their government. Boxers Rances Barthelemy and Erislandy Lara defected to the U.S. and Mexico respectively. Cuba also provides a national team that competes in the Olympic Games. Jose R. Capablanca was a Cuban world chess champion from 1921 to 1927.
Religion
In 2010, the Pew Forum estimated that religious affiliation in Cuba is 59.2% Christian, 23% unaffiliated, 17.4% folk religion (such as santería), and the remaining 0.4% consisting of other religions. In a 2015 survey sponsored by Univision, 44% of Cubans said they were not religious and 9% did not give an answer while only 34% said they were Christian.
Cuba is officially a secular state. Religious freedom increased through the 1980s, with the government amending the constitution in 1992 to drop the state's characterization as atheistic.
Roman Catholicism is the largest religion, with its origins in Spanish colonization. Despite less than half of the population identifying as Catholics in 2006, it nonetheless remains the dominant faith. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba in 1998 and 2011, respectively, and Pope Francis visited Cuba in September 2015. Prior to each papal visit, the Cuban government pardoned prisoners as a humanitarian gesture.
The government's relaxation of restrictions on house churches in the 1990s led to an explosion of Pentecostalism, with some groups claiming as many as 100,000 members. However, Evangelical Protestant denominations, organized into the umbrella Cuban Council of Churches, remain much more vibrant and powerful.
The religious landscape of Cuba is also strongly defined by syncretisms of various kinds. Christianity is often practiced in tandem with Santería, a mixture of Catholicism and mostly African faiths, which include a number of cults. La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (the Virgin of Cobre) is the Catholic patroness of Cuba, and a symbol of Cuban culture. In Santería, she has been syncretized with the goddess Oshun. A breakdown of the followers of Afro-Cuban religions showed that most practitioners of Palo Mayombe were black and dark brown-skinned, most practitioners of Vodú were medium brown and light brown-skinned, and most practitioners of Santeria were light brown and white-skinned.
Cuba also hosts small communities of Jews (500 in 2012), Muslims, and members of the Baháʼí Faith.
Several well-known Cuban religious figures have operated outside the island, including the humanitarian and author Jorge Armando Pérez.
Demographics
According to the official census of 2010, Cuba's population was 11,241,161, comprising 5,628,996 men and 5,612,165 women. Its birth rate (9.88 births per thousand population in 2006) is one of the lowest in the Western Hemisphere. Although the country's population has grown by about four million people since 1961, the rate of growth slowed during that period, and the population began to decline in 2006, due to the country's low fertility rate (1.43 children per woman) coupled with emigration.
Immigration and emigration have played a prominent part in Cuba's demographic profile. Between the 18th and early 20th century, large waves of Canarian, Catalan, Andalusian, Galician, and other Spanish people immigrated to Cuba. Between 1899 and 1930 alone, close to a million Spaniards entered the country, though many would eventually return to Spain. Other prominent immigrant groups included French, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Greek, British, and Irish, as well as small number of descendants of U.S. citizens who arrived in Cuba in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As of 2015, the foreign-born population in Cuba was 13,336 inhabitants per the World Bank data.
Post-revolution Cuba has been characterized by significant levels of emigration, which has led to a large and influential diaspora community. During the three decades after January 1959, more than one million Cubans of all social classes—constituting 10% of the total population—emigrated to the United States, a proportion that matches the extent of emigration to the U.S. from the Caribbean as a whole during that period. Prior to 13 January 2013, Cuban citizens could not travel abroad, leave or return to Cuba without first obtaining official permission along with applying for a government-issued passport and travel visa, which was often denied. Those who left the country typically did so by sea, in small boats and fragile rafts.
On 9 September 1994, the U.S. and Cuban governments agreed that the U.S. would grant at least 20,000 visas annually in exchange for Cuba's pledge to prevent further unlawful departures on boats. As of 2013 the top emigration destinations were the United States, Spain, Italy, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Following a tightening of U.S. sanctions and damage to the tourist industry by the COVID-19 pandemic, emigration has accelerated. In 2022, more than 2% of the population (almost 250,000 Cubans out of 11 million) migrated to the United States, and thousands more went to other countries, a number "larger than the 1980 Mariel boatlift and the 1994 Cuban rafter crisis combined", which were Cuba's previous largest migration events.
As of 2022 Cuba's fertility rate is 1.582 births per woman. Cuba's drop in fertility is among the largest in the Western Hemisphere and is attributed largely to unrestricted access to legal abortion: Cuba's abortion rate was 58.6 per 1000 pregnancies in 1996, compared to an average of 35 in the Caribbean, 27 in Latin America overall, and 48 in Europe. Similarly, the use of contraceptives is also widespread, estimated at 79% of the female population (in the upper third of countries in the Western Hemisphere).
Cuba's population is multiethnic, reflecting its complex colonial origins. Intermarriage between diverse groups is widespread, and consequently there is some discrepancy in reports of the country's racial composition: whereas the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami determined that 62% of Cubans are black using the one drop rule, the 2002 Cuban census found that a similar proportion of the population, 65.05%, was white.
In fact, the Minority Rights Group International determined that "An objective assessment of the situation of Afro-Cubans remains problematic due to scant records and a paucity of systematic studies both pre- and post-revolution. Estimates of the percentage of people of African descent in the Cuban population vary enormously, ranging from 34% to 62%".
A 2014 study found that, based on ancestry informative markers (AIM), autosomal genetic ancestry in Cuba is 72% European, 20% African, and 8% Indigenous. Around 35% of maternal lineages derive from Cuban Indigenous People, compared to 39% from Africa and 26% from Europe, but male lineages were European (82%) and African (18%), indicating a historical bias towards mating between foreign men and native women rather than the inverse.
Asians make up about 1% of the population, and are largely of Chinese ancestry, followed by Japanese and Filipino. Many are descendants of farm laborers brought to the island by Spanish and American contractors during the 19th and early 20th century. The current recorded number of Cubans with Chinese ancestry is 114,240.
Afro-Cubans are descended primarily from the Yoruba people, Bantu people from the Congo basin, Kalabari tribe and Arará from the Dahomey as well as several thousand North African refugees, most notably the Sahrawi Arabs of Western Sahara.
In 2010, the Pew Forum estimated that religious affiliation in Cuba is 59.2% Christian, 23% unaffiliated, 17.4% folk religion (such as santería), and the remaining 0.4% consisting of other religions. In a 2015 survey sponsored by Univision, 44% of Cubans said they were not religious and 9% did not give an answer while only 34% said they were Christian.
Cuba is officially a secular state. Religious freedom increased through the 1980s, with the government amending the constitution in 1992 to drop the state's characterization as atheistic.
Roman Catholicism is the largest religion, with its origins in Spanish colonization. Despite less than half of the population identifying as Catholics in 2006, it nonetheless remains the dominant faith. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba in 1998 and 2011, respectively, and Pope Francis visited Cuba in September 2015. Prior to each papal visit, the Cuban government pardoned prisoners as a humanitarian gesture.
The government's relaxation of restrictions on house churches in the 1990s led to an explosion of Pentecostalism, with some groups claiming as many as 100,000 members. However, Evangelical Protestant denominations, organized into the umbrella Cuban Council of Churches, remain much more vibrant and powerful.
The religious landscape of Cuba is also strongly defined by syncretisms of various kinds. Christianity is often practiced in tandem with Santería, a mixture of Catholicism and mostly African faiths, which include a number of cults. La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (the Virgin of Cobre) is the Catholic patroness of Cuba, and a symbol of Cuban culture. In Santería, she has been syncretized with the goddess Oshun. A breakdown of the followers of Afro-Cuban religions showed that most practitioners of Palo Mayombe were black and dark brown-skinned, most practitioners of Vodú were medium brown and light brown-skinned, and most practitioners of Santeria were light brown and white-skinned.
Cuba also hosts small communities of Jews (500 in 2012), Muslims, and members of the Baháʼí Faith.
Several well-known Cuban religious figures have operated outside the island, including the humanitarian and author Jorge Armando Pérez.
The official language of Cuba is Spanish and the vast majority of Cubans speak it. Spanish as spoken in Cuba is known as Cuban Spanish and is a form of Caribbean Spanish. Lucumí, a dialect of the West African language Yoruba, is also used as a liturgical language by practitioners of Santería, and so only as a second language. Haitian Creole is the second-most spoken language in Cuba, and is spoken by Haitian immigrants and their descendants. Other languages spoken by immigrants include Galician and Corsican.
The University of Havana was founded in 1728 and there are a number of other well-established colleges and universities. In 1957, just before Castro came to power, the literacy rate was as low as fourth in the region at almost 80% according to the United Nations, yet higher than in Spain. Castro created an entirely state-operated system and banned private institutions. School attendance is compulsory from ages six to the end of basic secondary education (normally at age 15), and all students, regardless of age or gender, wear school uniforms with the color denoting grade level. Primary education lasts for six years, secondary education is divided into basic and pre-university education. Cuba's literacy rate of 99.8 percent is the tenth-highest globally, largely due to the provision of free education at every level. Cuba's high school graduation rate is 94 percent.
Higher education is provided by universities, higher institutes, higher pedagogical institutes, and higher polytechnic institutes. The Cuban Ministry of Higher Education operates a distance education program that provides regular afternoon and evening courses in rural areas for agricultural workers. Education has a strong political and ideological emphasis, and students progressing to higher education are expected to have a commitment to the goals of Cuba. Cuba has provided state subsidized education to a limited number of foreign nationals at the Latin American School of Medicine.
According to the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, the top-ranking universities in the country are Universidad de la Habana (1680th worldwide), Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría (2893rd) and the University of Santiago de Cuba (3831st).
After the revolution, Cuba established a free public health system.
Cuba's life expectancy at birth is 79.64 years (77.29 for males and 82.14 for females). This ranks Cuba 59th in the world and 4th in the Americas, behind Canada, Chile and the United States. Infant mortality declined from 32 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 1957, to 10 in 1990–95, 6.1 in 2000–2005 and 5.13 in 2009. Historically, Cuba has ranked high in numbers of medical personnel and has made significant contributions to world health since the 19th century. Today, Cuba has universal health care and despite persistent shortages of medical supplies, there is no shortage of medical personnel. Primary care is available throughout the island and infant and maternal mortality rates compare favorably with those in developed nations. That an impoverished nation like Cuba has health outcomes rivaling the developed world is referred to by researchers as the Cuban Health Paradox. Cuba ranks 30th on the 2019 Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, which is the only developing country to rank that high.
Disease and infant mortality increased in the 1960s immediately after the revolution, when half of Cuba's 6,000 doctors left the country. Recovery occurred by the 1980s, and the country's health care has been widely praised. The Communist government stated that universal health care was a priority of state planning and progress was made in rural areas. After the revolution, the government increased rural hospitals from one to 62. Like the rest of the Cuban economy, medical care suffered from severe material shortages following the end of Soviet subsidies in 1991, and a tightening of the U.S. embargo in 1992.
Challenges include low salaries for doctors, poor facilities, poor provision of equipment, and the frequent absence of essential drugs.
Cuba has the highest doctor-to-population ratio in the world and has sent thousands of doctors to more than 40 countries around the world. According to the World Health Organization, Cuba is "known the world over for its ability to train excellent doctors and nurses who can then go out to help other countries in need". , there are around 50,000 Cuban-trained health care workers aiding 66 nations. Cuban physicians have played a leading role in combating the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. Preventative medicine is very important within the Cuban medical system, which provides citizens with easy to obtain regular health checks.
Import and export of pharmaceutical drugs is done by the Quimefa Pharmaceutical Business Group (FARMACUBA) under the Ministry of Basic Industry (MINBAS). This group also provides technical information for the production of these drugs. Isolated from the West by the US embargo, Cuba developed the successful lung cancer vaccine, Cimavax, which is now available to US researchers for the first time, along with other novel Cuban cancer treatments. The vaccine has been available for free to the Cuban population since 2011. According to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center CEO Candace Johnson: "They've had to do more with less, so they've had to be even more innovative with how they approach things. For over 40 years, they have had a preeminent immunology community." During the thaw in Cuba–U.S. relations starting in December 2014 under the Obama administration, a growing number of U.S. lung cancer patients traveled to Cuba to receive vaccine treatment. The end of the thaw under the Trump Administration has resulted in a tightening of travel restrictions, making it harder for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba for treatment.
In 2015, Cuba became the first country to eradicate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, a milestone hailed by the World Health Organization as "one of the greatest public health achievements possible".
Cities:
