Thursday, April 05, 2007  The color and complexity of Cuba's
cigars   POSTED: 1552 GMT (2352 HKT), April 5, 2007  By CNN's
Monita Rajpal  HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Synonymous with Cuba, just
like Castro and Che Guevara, cigars are revered by connoisseurs
and part of the country's political landscape.  Since the U.S.
trade embargo was imposed more than 40 years ago as part of
President Kennedy's stand against the communist government,
Americans have been banned from buying cigars from Cuba.
Despite this, cigars that come from fields like those in the
western province of Pinar del Rio are among the most sought-
after.  The soil in the western part of the country is
considered the best in the world for growing tobacco.  It's the
only region where all kinds of tobacco leaves are produced --
the wrapper, binder and smooth-smoking filler.  Habanos is the
arm of the Cuban state tobacco monopoly, Cubatabaco, which
controls the promotion, distribution, and exportation of Cuban
cigars and other tobacco products worldwide.