A motorist passes a local gathering spot for the Cuban exile community in Miami, following news of Fidel Castro's resignation, Feb. 19, 2008. (J. Pat Carter/Associated Press)

Cuba has had a somewhat spotty relationship with political democracy over its long history. Not the least of which was Fidel Castro's overthrowing of the government on New Year's Day 1959, which propelled Cuba into 50 years of a sometimes dangerous, sometimes placid, but never cordial economic and political relationship with its huge neighbour, the United States.

Cuba's 50 years as the largest – and last remaining – western hemisphere dalliance with Communism is only the most recent of its noteworthy political landmarks. The island-nation-state's political troubles date much farther back.

European colonization after the arrival of Christopher Columbus 500 years ago rapidly wiped out the local indigenous population. Fields of sugar cane yielding bumper crops, tended by slaves, allowed an elite class of plantation owners to grow wealthy.

Cuba was held by the Spanish, the British and then the Spanish again, until it gained independence in 1898 after a three-year war with Spain. It ended months after the United States entered on the side of Cuba.

Various governments – mostly seen as corrupt – held power for the next few decades. By 1931, a young soldier was rising through the military ranks. In 1933, Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar and his "Revolt of the Sergeants" overthrew the liberal government of Gerardo Machado. It marked the beginning of the army's influence over the government.

On Jan. 14, 1934, Batista forced provisional president Ramón Grau San Martín to resign. He appointed Carlos Mendieta to the presidency. Within five days, the U.S. recognized Cuba's new government. Cuba became a very friendly place for Americans to do business, and the U.S. became Batista's best friend.

Batista became president in 1940, in the first general election under a new national constitution. He opened the doors to large-scale gambling in Havana, to the point where the capital became known as the Latin Las Vegas. Cuba became a playground for the rich, most of whom were American.

There was little tolerance for opposition to the government.

Cuban President Fidel Castro salutes during a speech in Havana, Cuba, in this May 2005 photo. Castro temporarily relinquished his presidential powers to his brother on July 31 and told Cubans he will undergo surgery. (Jorge Rey/Associated Press)

In 1953, a small band of revolutionaries led by a young lawyer named Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada Army Barracks in Santiago. The attack failed and most of Castro's force was killed. Castro was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was released after two. He left Cuba and was welcomed by Mexico in 1955.

In Cuba, Batista tightened his grip on the country, suspending constitutional guarantees and clamping down on the press. By late 1955, student protests and popular demonstrations against Batista became frequent.

Castro's Revolution

The next year, Castro and his growing band of revolutionaries returned from Mexico, marking the beginning of the armed conflict that would eventually convince Batista to seek asylum in the United States.

Castro triumphantly entered Havana on Jan. 1, 1959 and formed a new government. His band of 800 guerrilla fighters had defeated Batista's Cuban army of thousands of soldiers.

It didn't take long for relations with the United States to deteriorate. Castro's Marxist government nationalized many American-owned businesses. Within a year, Cuba and the Soviet Union began developing close ties. The Soviets spent billions of dollars a year subsidizing Cuba, paying inflated prices for sugar and selling oil at bargain rates. This was critical to Cuba's survival in the wake of Washington's attempt to impose a trade embargo on the island.

The next two years saw relations between Cuba and the United States hit new lows. The American-backed Bay of Pigs invasion by 1,300 Cuban exiles was easily repelled by Cuban troops in 1961. A year later, U.S. President John F. Kennedy threatened all-out nuclear retaliation against the Soviet Union after Soviet nuclear missiles were detected on Cuba.

Over the years, there have been rumours that the CIA targeted Castro for assassination, resorting to techniques as crude as an exploding cigar. No matter how hard the Americans tried to isolate Castro, the more his popularity seemed to grow at home. It didn't hurt that his government provided free medical care, education and housing to a population that had known poverty under previous governments that seemed to be friendly to wealthy foreigners.

On Jan. 26, 1976, then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau became the first Canadian leader to pay an official visit to Cuba. The trip was widely criticized – mainly for its timing. Cuba had been denounced for sending troops to fight in a civil war in Angola. Critics charged the trip showed tacit approval of Cuba's involvement in that conflict.

No Canadian leader would visit Cuba again until former Prime Minister Chrétien did so 22 years later.

Trudeau and Castro developed a close personal relationship and remained friends for years. Castro was among the world leaders at Trudeau's funeral in Montreal in 2000.

Latin ties strong

Castro has normally enjoyed close ties with most Latin neighbours – the exceptions being American-backed regimes such as Nicaragua under former President Anastasio Somosa and Chile under Augusto Pinochet.

His 50-year-old bond with the Mexican government became strained in April 2004, when Mexico and Peru voted with the United States in favour of a United Nations resolution condemning Cuba for jailing dozens of dissidents. Castro lashed out at both countries, accusing them of doing Washington's dirty work.

While Mexico City recalled its ambassador to Havana, thousands of Mexicans marched in support of Castro.

Cuba continues to have close ties with Venezuela (its chief oil supplier), Brazil and Ecuador.

Changing economy

While an American trade embargo couldn't shake Cuba from Castro's grip, the collapse of the Soviet Union forced changes in the way the country ran its economy. Almost overnight, the demand for Cuban sugar collapsed – and cheap oil became a thing of the past. Soviet subsidies – worth $4-6 billion a year – ended.

Cuba entered a severe recession. Jobs disappeared. Even with free housing and health care, most Cubans found it difficult to make ends meet. The government opened the door to free enterprise – but only slightly. It issued licences that would allow some to operate their own private businesses – from restaurants to repair shops and farmers' markets.

Some private economy workers could earn more in a day than the average state worker could earn in a month.

More than 200,000 people turned to the private economy. By 1999, the government had slowed to a trickle the issuing of new licences, after deciding that the Cuban economy was slowly emerging from its recession.

Still, the trade embargo remains – as does Castro's popularity on the island of Cuba.

Changing of the guard

In July 2006, Castro announced that he had undergone intestinal surgery and had temporarily relinquished power to his brother Raul. In the months that followed, Fidel Castro was not seen in public, appearing only sporadically in official photographs and videotapes.

The change in power became permanent in February 2008, when an 81-year-old Castro formally resigned, paving the way for Raul to take charge and ending the world's longest rule for a head of government.

During his time as temporary leader, Raul hinted that he wants to loosen the government's control on economic and social issues, CBC's Connie Watson reported after the resignation. Raul also acknowledged that government wages, averaging about $19 a month, do not satisfy basic needs.

"They say the revolution will continue, but they have to ease up on some of the things that are making people frustrated," Watson said.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]