Guantánamo Bay, Natural bay in southeastern Cuba.
Guantánamo Bay is a bay in southeastern Cuba that extends roughly 12 miles inland and measures about 6 miles at its widest point. The bay is ringed by hills that provide natural shelter for deep waters capable of accommodating large vessels.
The United States established a naval station in 1903 following the Spanish-American War through a lease covering roughly 45 square miles. The base remained after the 1959 revolution, even though the new government rejected its presence.
The bay has been a point of tension between two nations with sharply different political systems for over a century. Cuban families near Caimanera live in the shadow of an American base they cannot access.
The bay is not accessible to visitors, as most of the area is a military zone. The nearby town of Caimanera can be reached with permission and offers views across the water.
The United States pays an annual lease of 4,085 dollars for the territory, but Cuba has not cashed the checks since 1959. The uncashed payments have been accumulating for decades, documenting the long political divide.
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