Will authentic Cuba survive?

With the influx of tourists, all the old stuff in Cuba are prized antiques. Photos: APPLE WEST

Cuba, a colony of Spain for 387 years, was dubbed the "ever-faithful island" by the Spanish Empire. During the Spanish-American War in 1898, Cuba managed to escape from colonialism; later it gained independence in 1902.

Almost a century of political unrest, and the birth of a communist regime, had not helped Cuba flourish, however. In fact, the country remained isolated from the rest of the world for many decades.