1.
Unicameralism
–
In government, unicameralism is the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber. Thus, a parliament or unicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of one chamber or house. Unicameral legislatures exist when there is no widely perceived need for multicameralism, many multicameral legislatures were created to give separate voices to different sectors of society. Multiple chambers allowed for guaranteed representation of different social classes, ethnic or regional interests, where these factors are unimportant, in unitary states with limited regional autonomy, unicameralism often prevails. Unicameral legislatures are also common in official Communist states such as the Peoples Republic of China, similarly, many formerly Communist states, such as Ukraine, Moldova and Serbia, have retained their unicameral legislatures, though others, such as Romania and Poland, adopted bicameral legislatures. Both the former Russian SFSR and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were bicameral, the two chambers were the Soviet of Nationalities and the Soviet of the Union. The Russian Federation retained bicameralism after the dissolution of the USSR, the principal advantage of a unicameral system is more efficient lawmaking, as the legislative process is much simpler and there is no possibility of deadlock. Proponents of unicameralism have also argued that it costs, even if the number of legislators stay the same, since there are fewer institutions to maintain. There is also the risk that important sectors of society may not be adequately represented, approximately half of the worlds sovereign states are currently unicameral, including both the most populous and the least populous. Many subnational entities have unicameral legislatures, and all of the Brazilian states. In the United Kingdom, the devolved Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales, Congress of Deputies of Second Spanish Republic was unicameral between 1931 and 1936. Dissolved at the end of Spanish Civil War, the actual Spanish Parliament is bicameral, Supreme Assembly of Uzbekistan was unicameral before being replaced in 2005 by the current, bicameral Supreme Assembly. National Assembly of Cameroon was unicameral before being replaced in 2013 by the current, chamber of Peoples Representative of Equatorial Guinea was unicameral before being replaced in 2013 by the current, bicameral Parliament of Equatorial Guinea. National Assembly of Kenya was the unicameral legislature before becoming the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Kenya in 2013. National Assembly of Ivory Coast was the unicameral legislature before becoming the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Ivory Coast in 2016. Nebraskas state legislature is also unique in the sense that it is the state legislature that is entirely nonpartisan. In 1999, Governor Jesse Ventura proposed converting the Minnesota Legislature into a unicameral chamber. Although debated, the idea was never adopted, if those constitutional changes had been approved, Puerto Rico could have switched to a unicameral legislature as early as 2015
2.
Communist Party of Cuba
–
The Communist Party of Cuba is the political party that rules in Republic of Cuba, although others exist. It is a Communist party of the Marxist-Leninist model, the Cuban constitution ascribes the role of the Party to be the leading force of society and of the state. Cuba had a number of communist and anarchist organizations from the period of the Republic. The original internationalised Communist Party of Cuba formed in the 1920s, in 1944 it renamed itself as the Popular Socialist Party for electoral reasons. The Communist Party is the recognized political party in Cuba. Other parties, though not illegal, are unable to campaign or conduct any activities on the island that could be deemed counter-revolutionary, for the first fifteen years of its formal existence, the Communist Party was almost completely inactive outside of the Politburo. The 100 person Central Committee rarely met and it was ten years after its founding that the first regular Party Congress was held. In 1969, membership of the party was only 55,000 or 0. 7% of the population, in the 1970s, the partys apparatus began to develop. By 1980 the party had grown to over 430,000 members, apparatuses of the party had grown to ensure that its leading cadres were appointed to key government positions. The Communist Party of Cuba held its first Party Congress in 1975 and has had additional congresses in 1980,1986,1991,1997, and 2011. The Seventh Party Congress took place from April 19 to April 22,2016, around the 55th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Secretariat, however, was re-introduced in 2002. There is also a Central Committee which meets between party congresses, at the Fifth Party Congress the size of the Central Committee was reduced to 150 members from the previous membership of 225. Fidel Castro was the partys First Secretary since its inception, while Raúl Castro was the Second Secretary, upon Fidels 2008 resignation from the Party and Cuban government, Raúl became First Secretary. The 7th Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba was elected by the Central Committee on 19 April 2016 following the 7th Party Congress. The 6th Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba was elected by the Central Committee on 19 April 2011 following the 6th Party Congress. The Communist Party of Cuba has a wing, the Young Communist League which is a member organization of the World Federation of Democratic Youth. It also has a group, the José Martí Pioneer Organization. Their most significant international role was in Angola where the Cuban direction of a joint Angolan/Soviet/Cuban force that was involved in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale and this led to the withdrawal of intervening forces and, in the following peace agreement, the independence of Namibia from South African rule
3.
Two-round system
–
The two-round system is a voting method used to elect a single winner, where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate. The two-round system is used around the world for the election of legislative bodies, for example, it is used in French presidential, legislative, and departmental elections. In Italy, it is used to elect mayors, but also to decide which party or coalition receives a majority bonus in city councils. Historically it was used in the German Empire of 1871–1918, in New Zealand in the 1908 and 1911 elections, the two-round system is known as run-off voting in the United States, where the second round is known as a run-off election. Run-off voting is sometimes used as a generic term to describe any method involving a number of rounds of voting. By this broader definition the system is not the only form of run-off voting. However the subject of article is the two-round system. In Canada, for example, candidates for party leadership. It is like a method, except the one candidate must win a simple majority. Candidates with the fewest votes or candidates who want to move their support to other candidates may move to remove themselves from the next vote. In both rounds of an election conducted using runoff voting, the voter marks a X beside his/her favorite candidate. If no candidate has a majority of votes in the first round. In the second round, because there are two candidates, one candidate will achieve an absolute majority. In the second round, each voter is free to change the candidate he votes for, even if his preferred candidate has not yet been eliminated. Some variants of the system use a different rule for choosing candidates for the second round. Under such methods, it is sufficient for a candidate to receive a plurality of votes to be elected in the second round. Under some variants of runoff voting, there is no rule for eliminating candidates. In both elections, the communist candidate, Ernst Thälmann, did not withdraw and ran in the second round, in 1925, that probably ensured the election of Paul von Hindenburg, rather than Wilhelm Marx, the centrist candidate
4.
Cuba
–
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and it is south of both the U. S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica. Havana is the largest city and capital, other cities include Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 109,884 square kilometres, prior to Spanish colonization in the late 15th century, Cuba was inhabited by Amerindian tribes. It remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish–American War of 1898, as a fragile republic, Cuba attempted to strengthen its democratic system, but mounting political radicalization and social strife culminated in the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1952. Further unrest and instability led to Batistas ousting in January 1959 by the July 26 Movement, since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. A point of contention during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, a nuclear war broke out during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Culturally, Cuba is considered part of Latin America, Cuba is a Marxist–Leninist one-party republic, where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers have accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses. It is one of the worlds last planned economies and its economy is dominated by the exports of sugar, tobacco, coffee, according to the Human Development Index, Cuba is described as a country with high human development and is ranked the eighth highest in North America. It also ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care, the name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as where fertile land is abundant, authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples of the Americas, the Taíno, the Guanajatabey, and the Ciboney people. The ancestors of the Ciboney migrated from the mainland of South America, the Taíno arrived from Hispanola sometime in the 3rd century A. D. When Columbus arrived they were the dominant culture in Cuba, having a population of 150,000. The name Cuba comes from the native Taíno language and it is derived from either coabana meaning great place, or from cubao meaning where fertile land is abundant. The Taíno were farmers, while the Ciboney were farmers as well as fishers and hunter-gatherers, Columbus claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain and named it Isla Juana after Juan, Prince of Asturias. In 1511, the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa, other towns soon followed, including San Cristobal de la Habana, founded in 1515, which later became the capital
5.
Politics of Cuba
–
Cuba has had, according to the Constitution, a democratic centralist political system since 1959 based on the one state – one party principle. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a Marxist–Leninist socialist state guided by the ideas of Marx, one of the fathers of historical materialism, Engels. The present Constitution also ascribes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the force of society and of the state. Executive power is exercised by the Government, which is represented by the Council of State, legislative power is exercised through the unicameral National Assembly of Peoples Power, which is constituted as the maximum authority of the state. Fidel Castro has ruled from 1959 to 2016 before his brother took the power, Esteban Lazo Hernández is President of the National Assembly. Executive power is exercised by the government, the Ministry of Interior is the principal organ of state security and control. According to the Cuban Constitution Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the President. Cuba has a national legislature, the National Assembly of Peoples Power. The National Assembly convenes twice a year in ordinary periods of sessions, however, it has permanent commissions to look after issues of legislative interest. The National Assembly also has permanent departments that oversee the work of the Commissions, Local Assemblies of the Peoples Power, International Relations, Judicial Affairs and the Administration. Article 88 of the Constitution of Cuba, adopted in 1976, provides for citizen proposals of law, in 2002 supporters of a movement known as the Varela Project submitted a citizen proposal of law with 11,000 signatures calling for a national referendum on political and economic reforms. The Government response was to collect 8.1 million signatures to request that Cubas National Assembly enact an amendment making socialism an unalterable feature of Cuban government. The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution is a network of organizations across Cuba. The organizations are designed to put medical, educational or other campaigns into national effect and it is the duty of the CDR officials to know the activities of each person in their respective blocks. Cuba is a one-party political system, suffrage is non-compulsory and is afforded to Cuban citizens who have resided for two years on the island. Such citizens must be aged sixteen years, must not have been found guilty of a criminal offense. Cubans living abroad are denied the right to vote, the national elections for the 612 members of the National Assembly of Peoples Power are held according to this system and the precepts of the 1976 Constitution. From 1959 to 1976, a legislative branch did not exist, in 1992 the Constitution was reformed to allow direct voting to elect members to the National Assembly
6.
Constitution of Cuba
–
Cuba has had several constitutions since winning its independence. The current constitution was drafted in 1976 and has since been amended, events in early nineteenth-century Spain, prompted a general concern with constitutions throughout Spains overseas possessions. In 1808, both King Ferdinand VII and his predecessor and father, Charles IV, resigned their claims to the throne in favor of Napoleon Bonaparte, in the ensuing Peninsular War, the Spanish waged a war of independence against the French Empire. The Cortes included representatives from throughout the Spanish Empire, including Cuba, several models of constitutional government were proposed for Cuba. José Agustín Caballero offered a charter for Cuban autonomy under Spanish rule in Diario de la Habana in 1810, the next year, Bayamo attorney Joaquín Infante living in Caracas wrote his Constitutional Project for the Island of Cuba. He reconciled his liberal principles with slavery in Cuba, noting that slavery exited in the United States alongside republican government. Spanish authorities imprisoned him for his writings, in 1821, Félix Varela represented Cuba in the Cortes Generales of Spain during a short period when the Constitution of 1812 was revived. It was nominally in effect from 1869 to 1878 during the Ten Years War against Spain, two ad hoc constitutions were adopted in the course of Cubas fight for independence from Spain. It described relations between civil and military authority and it named key officials and outlined the requirements of a peace treaty with Spain. In September 1897, the met in La Yaya, adopted a new document on 30 October. The 1901 Constitution, was Cubas first as an independent state and it incorporated eight principles set out in the Platt Amendment without which U. S. During the presidency of Federico Laredo Brú, a Constitutional Assembly was elected in November 1939 to write a new constitution, the Assembly debated publicly for six months and adopted the constitution at the Capitol in Havana. It was signed by the delegates on 1 July 1940, and it provided for land reform, public education, universal healthcare, minimum wage and other progressive ideas, many of which were not implemented in practice. Fulgencio Batista suspended parts of this constitution after seizing power in 1952 and it was completely suspended after the Cuban revolution. After 16 years of government from 1959 to 1975, the revolutionary government of Cuba sought to institutionalize the revolution by putting a new constitution to a popular vote. The Constitution of 1976 was adopted by referendum on 15 February 1976, in which it was approved by 99. 02% of voters and it took effect on 24 February 1976. This constitution called for a control of the market and re-committed the state to providing its citizens with access to free education and health care. The state was granted the power to regulate the activities of religious institutions
7.
First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba
–
The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba is the highest office within the Communist Party of Cuba. The first secretary is also the President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers, since 1961, the position of first secretary has been synonymous with leader of Cuba. The current first secretary is Raúl Castro, he is ranked first in the Politburo hierarchy and is the brother of Fidel Castro, his predecessor. The post was named in imitation of the office of First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, list of political parties in Cuba President of Cuba Prime Minister of Cuba
8.
President of Cuba
–
The President of Cuba, officially called from 1976 President of the Council of State, is the head of the Council of State of Cuba. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1976, the President of the Council of State is, at the same time, the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, the head of government. In cases of the absence, illness or death of the President of the Council of State, list of Presidents of Cuba Presidency of Fidel Castro 2006–08 Cuban transfer of presidential duties
9.
Vice President of Cuba
–
Vice President of Cuba is the second highest political position obtainable in Cuba. Currently there is a provision for several Vice Presidents, who are elected in the manner as the President of Cuba. Historically, Vice President of Cuba was elected in the ticket with the President. The position has been in use 1902–1928,1936, 1940–1958, and since 1976
10.
Council of Ministers (Cuba)
–
The Council of Ministers, also referred to as simply the Cabinet of Cuba, is the highest ranking executive and administrative body of the Republic of Cuba, and constitutes the nations government. The Executive Committee is a body, consisting of the President and Vice Presidents of the Council of State, the Secretary. The Council of Ministers is responsible for the implementation of policy agreements authorized by the National Assembly of People’s Power and these are designated to individual ministries. The council also proposes general plans for economic and social development, the Council of Ministers enforces laws authorized by the National Assembly, which are passed by the Council of State. The body currently consists of, List of Prime Ministers of Cuba http, //www. cubagob. cu/ - tag Miembros http, //www. parlamentocubano. cu/index. php. option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=96
11.
Prime Minister of Cuba
–
The Prime Minister of Cuba, officially called from 1976 President of the Council of Ministers, is the head of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1976, fidel Castro assumed the position of Prime Minister in 1959, replacing José Miró Cardona. The office was changed on December 2,1976 following a restructuring of the government. Castro became president of the Council of State and president of the Council of ministers, the Prime Minister of Cuba was also referred to as the Premier. The role of President of the Council of Ministers is sometimes referred to as the prime minister. The role of the Prime Minister was first assigned in 1940 in accordance with the amended Constitution of Cuba, the first Prime Minister of Cuba was Carlos Saladrigas Zayas, the nephew of former President Alfredo Zayas. From 1976, the Prime Ministers office is ruled by the President of Cuba, President of Cuba List of Prime Ministers of Cuba Council of Ministers of Cuba
12.
Elections in Cuba
–
Many governments and international groups have also praised the democratic nature of the Cuban political system. The nature of the participation in Cuba has fostered discussion amongst political writers and philosophers. The Cuban political system is described as undemocratic by human rights groups and academics. Fidel Castro, leader of the Communist Party of Cuba, was in power, first as Prime Minister and then as President, castros brother Raúl Castro was officially designated Fidels successor at a Communist Party congress in October 1997. Fidel Castro officially retired on February 19,2008, leaving his brother as the candidate for president. Elections in Cuba have two phases, election of delegates to the Municipal Assembly, and election of deputies to the Provincial and National Assemblies, Candidates for municipal assemblies are nominated on an individual basis at local levels by the local population at nomination assemblies. Candidates for provincial assemblies and the National Assembly are nominated by the assemblies from lists compiled by national, provincial and municipal candidacy commissions. Suggestions for nominations are made at all levels mainly by organizations, trade unions, peoples councils. Anyone older than 16 other than those mentally incapacitated, imprisoned, or deprived of their rights can vote. No political parties are permitted to campaign, instead, voters can consult candidates biographies and photographs posted on public locations. All elections take place by secret ballot, suffrage is afforded to Cuban citizens resident for two years on the island who are aged over sixteen years and who have not been found guilty of a criminal offense. The election of municipal assembly delegates involves nomination by voters in nomination assemblies, compilation of posting of candidate biographies, voting by secret ballot, Municipal assemblies are elected every two and a half years. Nomination assemblies are held about a month before the election in areas within the electoral districts, during regular elections, from 70% to over 90% of the electorate attend the nomination assemblies. Municipal candidates must be at least 16 years old, Elections were then held in 2010 and 2013. Municipal candidacy commissions submit nominations for provincial delegates to provincial candidacy commissions, the provincial candidacy commissions produce the final list of provincial assembly candidates. Cubas national legislature, the National Assembly of Peoples Power, has 609 members who sit for five-year terms, members of the National Assembly represent multiple-member constituencies, with one Deputy for each 20,000 inhabitants. The provincial and municipal candidacy commissions submit nominations to the National Candidacy Commission. ”At least half of the National Assembly candidates selected must have been elected as delegates to these assemblies. Although there is one candidate per seat, candidates must obtain the support of 50% of voters to be elected
13.
Cuban parliamentary election, 2008
–
A parliamentary election to the National Assembly of Peoples Power was held in Cuba on 20 January 2008. According to the Cuban electoral system, one candidate was nominated for each of the 614 seats in the Assembly, the final list of candidates is drawn up by the National Candidature Commission taking into account criteria such as candidates merit, patriotism, ethical values and revolutionary history. The date of the election was announced on 20 November 2007, since his illness began in 2006, Raúl Castro had been acting President. María Esther Reus, the President of the National Electoral Commission and Minister of Justice, turnout in the election was placed at 96. 89%, with 8,231,365 voters participating,95. 24% of the votes cast were valid. 91% of voters cast a ballot for all candidates, while 9% chose to vote only for certain candidates. Of the invalid votes,3. 73% were blank and 1. 04% were spoiled, the newly elected Assembly met for the first time on 24 February. Raúl Castro was re-elected from the 2nd Eastern Front with 99. 37% of the vote, vice-President Carlos Lage and President of the Assembly Ricardo Alarcón respectively won their seats with 92. 40% and 93. 92% of the vote
14.
Cuban parliamentary election, 2013
–
Parliamentary elections were held in Cuba on 3 February 2013. The 612 members of the National Assembly of Peoples Power were elected in single-member constituencies, candidates had to obtain at least 50% of the valid votes in a constituency to be elected. If no candidate passed the 50% threshold, the seat was left vacant unless the Council of State chose to hold a by-election, only one candidate stood in each constituency, having been approved by the National Candidature Commission
15.
Administrative divisions of Cuba
–
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is a country comprising the island of Cuba as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean where the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and it is south of both the U. S. state of Florida and the Bahamas, west of Haiti, and north of Jamaica. Havana is the largest city and capital, other cities include Santiago de Cuba. Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 109,884 square kilometres, prior to Spanish colonization in the late 15th century, Cuba was inhabited by Amerindian tribes. It remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish–American War of 1898, as a fragile republic, Cuba attempted to strengthen its democratic system, but mounting political radicalization and social strife culminated in the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1952. Further unrest and instability led to Batistas ousting in January 1959 by the July 26 Movement, since 1965, the state has been governed by the Communist Party of Cuba. A point of contention during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States, a nuclear war broke out during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Culturally, Cuba is considered part of Latin America, Cuba is a Marxist–Leninist one-party republic, where the role of the vanguard Communist Party is enshrined in the Constitution. Independent observers have accused the Cuban government of human rights abuses. It is one of the worlds last planned economies and its economy is dominated by the exports of sugar, tobacco, coffee, according to the Human Development Index, Cuba is described as a country with high human development and is ranked the eighth highest in North America. It also ranks highly in some metrics of national performance, including health care, the name Cuba comes from the Taíno language. The exact meaning of the name is unclear but it may be translated either as where fertile land is abundant, authors who believe that Christopher Columbus was Portuguese state that Cuba was named by Columbus for the town of Cuba in the district of Beja in Portugal. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Cuba was inhabited by three distinct tribes of indigenous peoples of the Americas, the Taíno, the Guanajatabey, and the Ciboney people. The ancestors of the Ciboney migrated from the mainland of South America, the Taíno arrived from Hispanola sometime in the 3rd century A. D. When Columbus arrived they were the dominant culture in Cuba, having a population of 150,000. The name Cuba comes from the native Taíno language and it is derived from either coabana meaning great place, or from cubao meaning where fertile land is abundant. The Taíno were farmers, while the Ciboney were farmers as well as fishers and hunter-gatherers, Columbus claimed the island for the new Kingdom of Spain and named it Isla Juana after Juan, Prince of Asturias. In 1511, the first Spanish settlement was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa, other towns soon followed, including San Cristobal de la Habana, founded in 1515, which later became the capital
16.
Provinces of Cuba
–
Administratively, Cuba is divided into 15 provinces and a special municipality thats not included in any province. The last modification was approved in August 2010, splitting Havana province into two new provinces, Artemisa and Mayabeque, the new provinces started functioning from January 1,2011. Havana City Province recovered its original name, La Habana, Isla de la Juventud was known until the 1970s as the Isla de Pinos. The provinces were created in 1879 by the Spanish colonial government, from 1879 to 1976, Cuba was divided into 6 provinces, which maintained with little changes the same boundaries and capital cities, although with modifications in official names. These historical provinces are the following, Pinar del Río La Habana, included the city of Havana, current Mayabeque, some municipalities of current Artemisa Province, oriente, contained the present-day provinces of Las Tunas, Granma, Holguín, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo Pop. Source, Cuba census 2002 Presidents of the Provincial Assemblies of Peoples Power in each province in the country
17.
Municipalities of Cuba
–
The provinces of Cuba are divided into 168 municipalities or municipios. The municipalities are listed below, by province, Source, Population from 2004 Census, Artemisa Province is sub-divided into 11 municipalities. Artemisa was created in 2011 as a split of the former La Habana province, camagüey Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities. Ciego de Ávila Province is sub-divided into 10 municipalities, cienfuegos Province is sub-divided into 8 municipalities. Granma Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities, guantánamo Province is sub-divided into 10 municipalities. Havana, the capital, is sub-divided into 15 municipalities. Holguín Province is sub-divided into 14 municipalities, labeled as special municipality, Isla de la Juventud is administered as a single administrative unit. Nueva Gerona is the municipal capital, las Tunas Province is sub-divided into 8 municipalities. As for 2011 Matanzas Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities, since Varadero municipality was abrogated, mayabeque Province is sub-divided into 11 municipalities. Mayabeque was created in 2011 as a split of former La Habana province, as for 2011 Pinar del Río Province is sub-divided into 11 municipalities, since the three most eastern municipalities were transferred to Artemisa Province. Sancti Spíritus Province is sub-divided into 8 municipalities, santiago de Cuba Province is sub-divided into 9 municipalities. Villa Clara Province is sub-divided into 13 municipalities, the maps below show the municipal subdivision of each province, in yellow, within Cuba. Each provincial capital is shown in red.1 Note, Provinces of Cuba List of cities in Cuba List of places in Cuba Statoids
18.
Committees for the Defense of the Revolution
–
Not to be confused with Committees for the Defense of the Revolution Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, or CDR, are a network of neighborhood committees across Cuba. The organizations, described as the eyes and ears of the Revolution, exist to promote social welfare, as of 2010,8.4 million Cubans of the national population of 11.2 million were registered as CDR members. It is considered to be a police organization. The CDR system was formed by Fidel Castro on September 28,1960, following the 1959 Cuban Revolution, the slogan of the CDR is, ¡En cada barrio, Revolución. CDR officials have the duty to monitor the activities of person on their respective blocks. There is a file kept on each block resident, some of which reveal the internal dynamics of each household. Even after its 54-year existence, CDR activity remains contentious, the CDRs also take an active role in vaccination campaigns, blood banks, recycling, practicing evacuations for hurricanes, and backing up the government in its fight against corruption. However, a 2006 Amnesty International report noted CDR involvement in repeated human rights violations that included verbal as well as physical violence. Critics also contend that the CDRs are a tool, giving the government a heads-up about dissident activities on the micro-local level. Elizardo Sánchez, a Cuban dissident, described the CDR as a tool for the systematic and mass violation of rights, for ideological. They assist the police and the service, whereas Lazaro Sanchez. If we have to act, we are going to act and our streets cannot belong to criminals, or to counterrevolutionaries. Empire has the FBI, the Revolution has its CDRs, blockleiter Mass surveillance Informal collaborators Official CDR−Committees for the Defense of the Revolution website— Recent news about the CDR— +
19.
Foreign relations of Cuba
–
Cubas foreign policy has been fluid through history depending on world events and other variables, including relations with the United States. The United States used to stick to a policy of isolating Cuba until December 2014, the European Union accuses Cuba of continuing flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Cuba has developed a relationship with the Peoples Republic of China. In all, Cuba continues to have relations with 160 nations. More than one million exiles have escaped to foreign countries, Cubas present foreign minister is Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. Cuba is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and hosted its September 2006 summit, in addition as a member of the Association of Caribbean States, Cuba was re-appointed as the chair- of the special committee on transportation issues for the Caribbean region. Following a meeting in November 2004, several leaders of South America have attempted to make Cuba either a full or associate member of the South American trade-bloc known as Mercosur, prior to achieving its independence, Cuba was a colony of Spain. Prior to the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, Cuba maintained strong economic, from 1902 until its abrogation in 1934, the Platt Amendment authorized the US to use military force to preserve Cubas independence. In 1917, Cuba entered World War I on the side of the allies, Cuba joined the League of Nations in 1920. In 1941, Cuba declared war on Italy, Germany, Cuba joined the United Nations in 1945. Cuba joined the Organization of American States in 1948, during the Presidency of Fulgencio Batista, Cuba did not initially face trade restrictions. In mid-1958, the United States imposed an embargo on the Batista administration. As early as September 1959, Vadim Kotchergin, a KGB agent, was seen in Cuba, following the establishment of diplomatic ties to the Soviet Union, and after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Cuba became increasingly dependent on Soviet markets and military and economic aid. Castro was able to build a military force with the help of Soviet equipment. Castros alliance with the Soviet Union caused something of a split between him and Guevara, in 1966, Guevara left for Bolivia in an ill-fated attempt to stir up revolution against the countrys government. On August 23,1968, Castro made a gesture to the USSR that caused the Soviet leadership to reaffirm their support for him. Two days after Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia to repress the Prague Spring, Castro took to the airwaves, Castro warned the Cuban people about the Czechoslovakian counterrevolutionaries, who were moving Czechoslovakia towards capitalism and into the arms of imperialists. He called the leaders of the rebellion the agents of West Germany, the relationship between the Soviet Unions KGB and the Cuban Intelligence Directorate was complex and marked by times of extremely close cooperation and times of extreme competition
20.
Cuban passport
–
Cuban passports are issued to citizens of Cuba to facilitate international travel. They are valid for 6 years from the date of issuance, the cost of this passport is about US$500 for every two years if one person lives in the United States. Now the passport is the only document required to leave the country, previously the cost of a passport, exit permit, and associated paperwork added up to around US$300, the equivalent of 15 months of average state salary. Passports of many countries contain a message, nominally from the official who is in charge of passport issuance, in Cuban passports, the message is in Spanish, French and English. In addition to colored fibers in all pages, Cuban passports feature a UV-reaction-based mark of the Cuban flag
21.
Spanish language
–
Spanish —also called Castilian —is a Romance language that originated in the Castile region of Spain, with hundreds of millions of native speakers around the world. It is usually considered the worlds second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese and it is one of the few languages to use inverted question and exclamation marks. Spanish is a part of the Ibero-Romance group of languages, which evolved from several dialects of Vulgar Latin in Iberia after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century. Beginning in the early 16th century, Spanish was taken to the colonies of the Spanish Empire, most notably to the Americas, as well as territories in Africa, Oceania, around 75% of modern Spanish is derived from Latin. Greek has also contributed substantially to Spanish vocabulary, especially through Latin, Spanish vocabulary has been in contact from an early date with Arabic, having developed during the Al-Andalus era in the Iberian Peninsula. With around 8% of its vocabulary being Arabic in origin, this language is the second most important influence after Latin and it has also been influenced by Basque as well as by neighboring Ibero-Romance languages. It also adopted words from languages such as Gothic language from the Visigoths in which many Spanish names and surnames have a Visigothic origin. Spanish is one of the six languages of the United Nations. It is the language in the world by the number of people who speak it as a mother tongue, after Mandarin Chinese. It is estimated more than 437 million people speak Spanish as a native language. Spanish is the official or national language in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, speakers in the Americas total some 418 million. In the European Union, Spanish is the tongue of 8% of the population. Spanish is the most popular second language learned in the United States, in 2011 it was estimated by the American Community Survey that of the 55 million Hispanic United States residents who are five years of age and over,38 million speak Spanish at home. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 uses the term castellano to define the language of the whole Spanish State in contrast to las demás lenguas españolas. Article III reads as follows, El castellano es la lengua española oficial del Estado, las demás lenguas españolas serán también oficiales en las respectivas Comunidades Autónomas. Castilian is the official Spanish language of the State, the other Spanish languages as well shall be official in their respective Autonomous Communities. The Spanish Royal Academy, on the hand, currently uses the term español in its publications. Two etymologies for español have been suggested, the Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary derives the term from the Provençal word espaignol, and that in turn from the Medieval Latin word Hispaniolus, from—or pertaining to—Hispania
22.
Legislature
–
A legislature is a deliberative assembly with the authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country or city. Legislatures form important parts of most governments, in the separation of model, they are often contrasted with the executive. Laws enacted by legislatures are known as legislation, legislatures observe and steer governing actions and usually have exclusive authority to amend the budget or budgets involved in the process. The members of a legislature are called legislators, each chamber of legislature consists of a number of legislators who use some form of parliamentary procedure to debate political issues and vote on proposed legislation. There must be a number of legislators present to carry out these activities. Some of the responsibilities of a legislature, such as giving first consideration to newly proposed legislation, are delegated to committees made up of small selections of the legislators. The members of a legislature usually represent different political parties, the members from each party generally meet as a caucus to organize their internal affairs, the internal organization of a legislature is also shaped by the informal norms that are shared by its members. Legislatures vary widely in the amount of power they wield, compared to other political players such as judiciaries, militaries. In 2009, political scientists M. Steven Fish and Matthew Kroenig constructed a Parliamentary Powers Index in an attempt to quantify the different degrees of power among national legislatures, such a system renders the legislature more powerful. Legislatures will sometime delegate their legislative power to administrative or executive agencies, legislatures are made up of individual members, known as legislators, who vote on proposed laws. For example, a legislature that has 100 seats has 100 members, by extension, an electoral district that elects a single legislator can also be described as a seat, as, for, example, in the phrases safe seat and marginal seat. In parliamentary systems of government, the executive is responsible to the legislature which may remove it with a vote of no confidence, names for national legislatures include parliament, congress, diet and assembly. A legislature which operates as a unit is unicameral, one divided into two chambers is bicameral, and one divided into three chambers is tricameral. In bicameral legislatures, one chamber is considered the upper house. In federations, the upper house typically represents the component states. This is a case with the legislature of the European Union. Tricameral legislatures are rare, the Massachusetts Governors Council still exists, tetracameral legislatures no longer exist, but they were previously used in Scandinavia. Legislatures vary widely in their size, among national legislatures, Chinas National Peoples Congress is the largest with 2987 members, while Vatican Citys Pontifical Commission is the smallest with 7
23.
Parliament
–
In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative, elected body of government. Generally a modern parliament has three functions, representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government, historically, parliaments included various kinds of deliberative, consultative, and judicial assemblies. The term is derived from Anglo-Norman parlement, from the verb parler talk, the meaning evolved over time, originally any discussion, conversation, or negotiation, through various kinds of deliberative or judicial groups, often summoned by the monarch. By 1400, it had come to mean in Britain specifically the British supreme legislature, various parliaments are claimed to be the oldest in the world, under varying definitions. The Sicilian Parliament, whose first assembly was convened in 1097, the Icelandic Althing, year 930, but only including the main chiefs. Since ancient times, when societies were tribal, there were councils or a headman whose decisions were assessed by village elders, some scholars suggest that in ancient Mesopotamia there was a primitive democratic government where the kings were assessed by council. The same has been said about ancient India, where some form of deliberative assemblies existed, however, these claims are not accepted by most scholars, who see these forms of government as oligarchies. Ancient Athens was the cradle of democracy, the Athenian assembly was the most important institution, and every citizen could take part in the discussions. However, Athenian democracy was not representative, but rather direct, the Roman Senate controlled money, administration, and the details of foreign policy. Some Muslim scholars argue that the Islamic shura is analogous to the parliament, however, others highlight what they consider fundamental differences between the shura system and the parliamentary system. England has long had a tradition of a body of men who would assist, under the Anglo-Saxon kings, there was an advisory council, the Witenagemot. The name derives from the Old English ƿitena ȝemōt, or witena gemōt, the first recorded act of a witenagemot was the law code issued by King Æthelberht of Kent ca. 600, the earliest document which survives in sustained Old English prose, however, the Witan, along with the folkmoots, is an important ancestor of the modern English parliament. As part of the Norman Conquest of England, the new king, William I, did away with the Witenagemot, membership of the Curia was largely restricted to the tenants in chief, the few nobles who rented great estates directly from the king, along with ecclesiastics. William brought to England the feudal system of his native Normandy and this is the original body from which the Parliament, the higher courts of law, and the Privy Council and Cabinet descend. Of these, the legislature is formally the High Court of Parliament, only the executive government is no longer conducted in a royal court. Most historians date the emergence of a parliament with some degree of power to which the throne had to defer no later than the rule of Edward I, like previous kings, Edward called leading nobles and church leaders to discuss government matters, especially finance. A meeting in 1295 became known as the Model Parliament because it set the pattern for later Parliaments, in 1307, Edward I agreed not to collect certain taxes without the consent of the realm
24.
Speaker (politics)
–
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer. The title was first used in 1399 in England, the speakers official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the powers to members who break the procedures of the chamber or house. The speaker often also represents the body in person, as the voice of the body in ceremonial, the title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerford in the Parliament of England. By convention, speakers are normally addressed in Parliament as Mister Speaker, if a man, or Madam Speaker, in other cultures other styles are used, mainly being equivalents of English chairman or president. Many bodies also have a pro tempore, designated to fill in when the speaker is not available. The Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives is the officer of the Australian House of Representatives. The President of the Australian Senate is the officer of the Australian Senate. Now constitutional community highlights changes also in this role, in Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the individual elected to preside over the House of Commons, the elected lower house. The speaker is a Member of Parliament and is elected at the beginning of new parliament by fellow MPs. The Speakers role in presiding over Canadas House of Commons is similar to that of speakers elsewhere in countries that use the Westminster system. The Speaker does not vote except in the case of a tie, by convention, if required to vote, the Speaker will vote in favour of continuing debate on a matter, but will not ultimately vote for a measure to be approved. The Speaker of the Senate of Canada is the officer of the Senate of Canada. The Speaker represents the Senate at official functions, rules on questions of procedure and parliamentary privilege. The Speaker of the Senate is appointed by the Governor General of Canada from amongst sitting senators upon the advice of the Prime Minister, the Speaker has a vote on all matters. In the event of a tie, the matter fails, at the provincial level, the presiding officer of the provincial legislatures is called the Speaker in all provinces except Quebec, where the term President is used. The presiding officer fulfills the role as the Speaker of the House of Commons. In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the elected to preside over the elected House of Commons
25.
Economy of Cuba
–
Cuba has a planned economy dominated by state-run enterprises. Most industries are owned and operated by the government and most of the force is employed by the state. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party encouraged the formation of worker co-operatives, in the year 2000, public sector employment was 76% and private sector employment, mainly composed of self-employment, was 23% compared to the 1981 ratio of 91% to 8%. Investment is restricted and requires approval by the government, the government sets most prices and rations goods to citizens. In 2009, Cuba ranked 51st out of 182 countries with a Human Development Index of 0.863, in 2012, the countrys public debt was 35. 3% of GDP, inflation was 5. 5%, and GDP growth was 3%. Housing and transportation costs are low, Cubans receive free education, health care and food subsidies. Corruption is common, although lower than in most of Latin America, the country achieved a more even distribution of income since the Cuban Revolution, which was followed by an economic embargo by the United States. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cubas GDP declined by 33% between 1990 and 1993, partially due to loss of Soviet subsidies and to a crash in prices in the early 1990s. Cuba retains high levels of healthcare and education, although Cuba belonged to the high-income countries of Latin America since the 1870s, income inequality was high, accompanied by capital outflows to foreign investors. The countrys economy had grown rapidly in the part of the century. Its income per capita in 1929 was reportedly 41% of the US, thus higher than in Mississippi and its proximity to the United States made it a familiar holiday destination for wealthy Americans. Their visits for gambling, horse racing and golfing made tourism an important economic sector, tourism magazine Cabaret Quarterly described Havana as a mistress of pleasure, the lush and opulent goddess of delights. According to Perez, Havana was then what Las Vegas has become, the dictator Fulgencio Batista had plans to line the Malecon, Havana’s famous walkway by the water, with hotels and casinos to attract even more tourists. Today Hotel Havana Riviera is the hotel that was built before the revolutionary government took control. Cuba had an economy whose domestic market was constricted. Its population was characterized by unemployment and deep poverty. United States monopolies like Bethlehem Steel Corporation and Speyer gained control over national resources. The banks and the entire financial system, all electric power production
26.
Healthcare in Cuba
–
The Cuban government operates a national health system and assumes fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of all its citizens. There are no hospitals or clinics as all health services are government-run. The present Minister for Public Health is Roberto Morales Ojeda, like the rest of the Cuban economy, Cuban medical care suffered following the end of Soviet subsidies in 1991, the stepping up of the US embargo against Cuba at this time also had an effect. Modern Western medicine has been practiced in Cuba by formally trained doctors since at least the beginning of the 19th century, during the period of U. S presence yellow fever was essentially eliminated due to the efforts of Clara Maass and surgeon Jesse William Lazear. In the 1950s the number of doctors per thousand of the population ranked above Britain, France, in Latin America it ranked in third place after Uruguay and Argentina. Most of Cubas doctors were based in the prosperous cities and regional towns. The mortality rate was the third lowest in the world, according to the World Health Organization, the island had the lowest infant mortality rate of Latin America. Following the Revolution and the subsequent United States embargo against Cuba, the new Cuban government asserted that universal healthcare was to become a priority of state planning. Beginning in 1960, the Ministry of Public Health began a program of nationalization and regionalization of medical services, in 1965, cuba became the first Latin American country to legalize abortion. In 1976, Cubas healthcare program was enshrined in Article 50 of the revised Cuban constitution which states Everyone has the right to health protection, all the population cooperates in these activities and plans through the social and mass organizations. Cubas doctor to patient ratio grew significantly in the half of the 20th century, from 9.2 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in 1958. In the 1960s the government implemented a program of almost universal vaccinations, other campaigns included a program to reduce the infant mortality rate in 1970 directed at maternal and prenatal care. As of 2012, infant mortality in Cuba had fallen to 4.83 deaths per 1,000 live births compared with 6.0 for the United States and just behind Canada with 4.8. Experts have however noted that statistics may reflect heavy-handed treatment of pregnant patients or that the statistics may be falsified. One expert, for instance, notes that pregnant women may be forced to undergo abortions if fetal abnormalities are detected or forcibly placed under monitoring, doctors also have incentives to falsify statistics, as a spike in infant mortality will cost them their jobs. Cuba does not allow for independent verification of its health data, chinese medicine has also been practiced in Cuba. Its most famous practitioner was the 19th century doctor Cham Bom Biam or “El Medico Chino”, the loss of Soviet subsidies brought food shortages to Cuba in the early 1990s. The regime did not accept donations of food, medicines and money from the US until 1993, according to Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist Manuel Franco, malnutrition created epidemics, but it had positive effects too
27.
Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces
–
The armed forces has long been the most powerful institution in Cuba and high-ranking generals are believed to play crucial roles in all conceivable succession scenarios. The military controls 60 percent of the economy through the management of hundreds of enterprises in key economic sectors, the military is also Raúl Castros base. In numerous speeches, Raúl Castro has emphasized the role as a peoples partner. From 1966 until the late 1980s, Soviet Government military assistance enabled Cuba to upgrade its military capabilities to one in Latin America. The first Cuban military mission in Africa was established in Ghana in 1961, Cubas military forces appeared in Algeria, in 1963, when a military medical brigade came over from Havana to support the regime. The Soviet Union gave both military and financial aid to the Cubans, the tonnage of Soviet military deliveries to Cuba throughout most of the 1980s exceeded deliveries in any year since the military build-up during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. This judgment is known in Cuba as Causa 1, ochoa and Antonio de la Guardia were executed. Cuban military power has been reduced by the loss of Soviet subsidies. Today, the Revolutionary Armed Forces number 39,000 regular troops, Cuba also adopted a war of the people strategy that highlights the defensive nature of its capabilities. On September 14,2012, a Cuban senior general agreed to further military cooperation with China during a visit to Beijing. He said that Cuba was willing to enhance exchanges with the Chinese military and strengthen cooperation in personnel training. In 1984, according to Janes Military Review, there were three major commands, Western, Central, and Eastern. In 1999 the Revolutionary Army represented approximately 70 percent of Cubas regular military manpower, in addition, there is an air defense artillery regiment and a surface-to-air missile brigade. Each of the three territorial armies is believed to be assigned at least one armored brigade-usually attached to the armys headquarters-as well as a infantry brigade. As well, it is known that the Border Brigade in Guantanamo and at least one artillery regiment. In 1996, according to Janes Information Group, the army was organized into three Territorial Military Commands with three Armies, one army for each command, at the time, there were an estimated 38,000 army personnel. During that time Cuba sent jet fighters and transports for deployment in conflict zones such as Angola, in 1990, Cubas Air Force was the best equipped in Latin America. In all, the modern Cuban Air Force imported approximately 230 fixed-wing aircraft, although there is no exact figure available, Western analysts estimate that at least 130 of these planes are still in service spread out among the thirteen military airbases on the island
.svg)