Cuba

Cuba is a country comprising the islands of Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos in the Caribbean Sea. The capital and largest city Havana is 227 miles from Miami, Florida, and geographically it is part of North America. Culturally, Cuba is considered part of Latin America.

Social Demographics
Since the Cuban thaw in December 2014, more Americans have visited Cuba, and more Cubans trying to reach America, concerned that preferential treatment for Cuban migrants may end. Under Cold War-era laws, Cubans were welcomed without a visa and given residency with relative ease. Since detente, Cuban overland arrivals to the United States soared nearly 80% while the number arriving by sea more than doubled. Restrictions on travel have meant that U.S. visits to Cuba climbed more than 70%, with 138,000 arrivals in the first 11 months of 2015.

United States
After winning re-election, President Obama resolved to make Cuba a priority for his second term and authorized communications. On December 17, 2014, the two countries restored full diplomatic relations and opened an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than a half-century. The surprise announcement came at the end of 18 months of secret talks that produced a prisoner swap negotiated with the help of Pope Francis. A year after the Cuban thaw,