US-Cuba: 10 Things To Know After Historic Deal

The historic deal between the US and Cuba capped 18 months of secret negotiations. Sky News takes a closer look at the deal.

:: WHY IT MATTERS

The deal , which restores diplomatic ties for the first time in half a century, removes one of the last relics of the Cold War.

The State Department is expected to declare that Cuba is no longer a "state sponsor of terrorism" and remove it from a list that includes Iran, Sudan and Syria.

For the US, the policy of isolating Cuba put Washington at odds with the rest of the world, especially Latin American nations.

The US was left out of investment potential in an island just 90 miles off its shores, while leaders of China, Russia and Brazil flocked to Havana, promising millions in investment.

:: MIXED REACTION

In Miami, home to America's largest population of Cuban exiles, reaction to the announcement was mixed: some responded with outrage, others with ecstasy.

In the city's Little Havana neighbourhood, some demonstrators screamed "Obama traitor" in Spanish, others "Obama communista".

But only a handful of protests were held. The diehard anti-Castro generation is ageing, and younger generations and more-recent arrivals from Cuba tend to be more open to exchange and dialogue.

About 80% of America's 1.5-million-strong Cuban exile community lives in Florida.

:: WHAT CHANGES

The two countries will try to reopen embassies in each other's capitals. While the economic embargo remains in place, many restrictions have been eased.

The deal eases travel for a dozen categories, including family visits, official business of the US government, journalistic activity, research, education, religious activities, public performances, athletic and other competitions, and humanitarian projects.

Tourist travel remains banned.

:: CUBAN CIGARS

Licenced American travellers to Cuba can return home with up to $400 worth of merchandise, including tobacco and alcohol products worth no more than $100 combined. Any Cuban cigars brought back to the US must be for personal use, not for resale.

:: INTERNET

The US will step up efforts to make the net more accessible on the island.

President Barack Obama said Cubans should have access to "technology that has empowered individuals around the globe".

About 27% of Cuba's population has access to the net, according to Internet Live Stats - behind countries such as Iran and Kenya but ahead of Syria and Sudan.

:: BASEBALL

Until now, a player who defected from Cuba has had to obtain a licence from the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control before they could sign with a major league organisation.

That often involved smugglers bringing the player out of the island nation for a price.

It is hard to foresee exactly how that will change in the short-term, but Major League Baseball (MLB) said it would "continue to track this significant issue".

:: BANKING

US institutions will be allowed to open accounts at Cuban financial institutions to help process authorised transactions. US credit and debit cards will be accepted in Cuba.

:: REMITTANCES

The amount of money anyone in the US will be allowed to send to Cuban nationals, except certain government or communist party officials, will increase from $500 to $2,000 per quarter, or every three months.

:: END OF US PLOTS?

America has a history of seeking to overthrow the Castro regime , including the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. More recently, the US tried to affect young Cubans by setting up a Cuban Twitter and infiltrate the hip-hop scene .

Some plans allegedly involved killing Fidel Castro, the leader of the revolution and the island's charismatic former leader, including a plan to poison Castro's cigars with a toxin, or to hire Mafia killers to do the job.

:: KEY NEGOTIATOR

Pope Francis, the first Latin American Pontiff in the history of the Catholic Church, is credited with having played a crucial role during months of secret negotiations.

Francis wrote to Mr Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro in recent months and invited them to resolve their differences over humanitarian issues, including prisoners. The Vatican hosted US and Cuban delegations in October.