Cuba

Cuba is a socialist island republic off the southern coast of the United States. Cuba has enjoyed a long history since the 4th century B.C. that’s seen the country change hands from indigenous control, Spanish colonization, and United States occupation, before it achieved independence in 1902.

Much of the Cuban economy is government-controlled, and only 13% of workers are officially employed by private businesses; that in itself is an improvement since Cuba used to have 91% of the economy controlled by the state.

Although the country of 11 million has opened up to the world, it still maintains its antique charm, with Baroque Spanish-colonial architecture, vintage cars, exotic carnivals, and specialty coffee species like the Cafecito, Colada, Cortadito, and Café con leche.

Government intervention has set back the Cuban economy in the health, education, finance, and manufacturing industries, mainly because of a massive brain drain. Since the Cuban Revolution of 1959, over 1.5 million Cubans have fled the country for asylum in the United States.

After years of economic sanctions since the days of the Cold War, Cuba has warmed up to the west. But there’s still a long way to go before the country can claw its way back to the west. Although the United Kingdom and the EU have taken steps towards normalizing relations with Cuba, the United States still imposes sanctions on American individuals and businesses conducting trade with Cuba.

In recent times, Cuba has over 2.3 million youths below age 18. Among that are a significant number of experts and professionals who are eager to work remotely with global brands without leaving home.