Part of the country series of articles.
TRAVEL ADVISORY: EXERCISE CAUTIONThe Commonwealth advises travellers to exercise caution in this country. Some areas or circumstances may carry elevated risk. Travellers should monitor local conditions and follow the guidance of local authorities.
| Republic of Cuba | |
|---|---|
| Socialist Republic | |
 |
|
| Capital | Havana |
| Languages | Spanish |
| Population | 12,800,000 |
The Republic of Cuba is a socialist republic in the Caribbean, occupying the largest island in the Antilles. It is governed from Havana, which has been the principal Spanish port in the region since the sixteenth century. It has been ruled by the Cuban Communist Party since the revolution in 1959 deposed the previous autocratic, which permanently affected relations with the United States. Today, it maintains close relationships with South America and the Commonwealth and champions an independent Latin American sphere. It benefits from investment by the Soviet Union and China, who compete to influence it, but most of its trade is conducted with Colombia and Venezuela.
Despite its irregular and sometimes wasteful autarky, the country is famous for its exports of sugar, tobacco and nickel (which supplies Soviet steelmaking). It is ironically famous for its intact colonial architecture, tropical modernist city centres and quality of healthcare and education, despite national austerity.