The
Republic of Cuba is an island country in the
Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of
Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos.
Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital.
Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. To the north
of Cuba lies the United States and the Bahamas, Mexico is to the
west, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south, and Haiti
and the Dominican Republic are to the Southeast.
In 1492,
Christopher Columbus found and claimed the island now occupied
by Cuba, for the Kingdom of Spain. Cuba remained territory of
Spain until the Spanish–American War ended in 1898, and gained
formal independence from the U.S. in 1902. Between 1953-1959 the
Cuban Revolution occurred, removing the dictatorship of
Fulgencio Batista, and installing a government led by Fidel
Castro.