Guantánamo Bay

Guantánamo Bay is a large bay located in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the biggest harbor on the south side of the island and is surrounded by steep hills that create a natural enclosure.

The United States gained control of the southern part of Guantánamo Bay under the 1903 Lease. The United States uses this area as the home of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, while Cuba still holds the ultimate sovereignty over the land.

Climate

Guantánamo Bay has a hot semi-arid climate, meaning it stays warm most of the year. The area gets only a little rain, making it one of the driest places in Cuba.

U.S. control of Guantánamo Bay

The United States first took control of Guantánamo Bay and set up a naval base there in 1898 during the Spanish–American War in the Battle of Guantánamo Bay. In 1903, the United States and Cuba signed an agreement allowing the United States to use the land as a place for ships and a naval station. This agreement met the needs of the Platt Amendment, which was passed by the United States Congress. The amendment said that having a naval base at certain places agreed upon by the President of the United States was important to help keep Cuba independent.

History

See also: Timeline of Guantánamo Bay

The original people of the bay, the Taínos, called it Guantánamo. Christopher Columbus landed there in 1494, naming it Puerto Grande. When Spanish settlers took control of Cuba, the bay became an important harbor on the island's south side.

The bay was briefly called "Cumberland Bay" when a British force captured it in 1741 during the War of Jenkins' Ear. However, local Spanish troops defeated them, and they had to leave.

During the Spanish–American War of 1898, the U.S. Navy chose Guantánamo Bay as a safe place for their ships during hurricane season. U.S. Marines landed there in June 1898. The bay's location made it important for the U.S. military, especially for protecting the Panama Canal and the southern U.S. coast.

The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base surrounds the southern part of the bay. The naval base, often called "GTMO" or "Gitmo," covers 116 square kilometres. It was set up in 1898 after the U.S. took control of Cuba from Spain. In 1903, Cuba agreed to let the U.S. use the area around Guantánamo Bay forever, as long as the U.S. wanted to.

After Cuba's revolution in the late 1950s, the U.S. kept the base operating. In the 1990s, the U.S. used the base to help people seeking safety and refugees.

Since 2002, the base has also been used to hold people the U.S. considered a threat to safety. In 2009, a U.S. president planned to close this part of the base, but it stayed open. In January 2025, another U.S. president said the base would be used again to hold migrants intercepted at sea.