The House voted to ease trade and travel restrictions on Cuba.

For more than 40 years, the United States has had a very tense relationship with Cuba, one of its closest neighboring countries. The island nation of Cuba is just 90 miles from the Southern coast of Florida. But since 1962, the United States has banned trade with Cuba. This type of ban is called an embargo. Because of the embargo, old cars like those you see here are common in Cuba. The U.S. government also banned most Americans from traveling to Cuba. These restrictions had a lot to do with Cuba's leader, Fidel Castro, who ruled that country for 49 years. The embargo began after Castro took control of U.S.-owned businesses, and farms.

The United States was also upset by Cuba's partnership with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was led by Russia, and it was a powerful force in the world. It was also the enemy of the United States from the 1950s through the 1980s, a time known as the Cold War. During the Cold War, people were afraid that a big war, even a nuclear war, could break out between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Last year, Fidel Castro turned over power to his brother Raúl. Many people hope this is a sign that U.S. Cuba-relations will improve. Two weeks ago, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ease some of the restrictions on travel and trade with Cuba. But first it has to pass the Senate, where there is strong opposition to it. We'll learn more about what led up to the embargo, and then we'll ask you whether it should be lifted.