Guantánamo Bay facts for kids
Guantánamo Bay (which is Bahía de Guantánamo in Spanish) is a large bay in the Guantánamo province of Cuba. It is located at the southeastern tip of Cuba. This bay is the biggest harbor on the southern side of the island. It is surrounded by tall hills, which makes it a bit cut off from the land around it.
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History of Guantánamo Bay
The bay was first named Guantánamo by the Taíno people. These were the native people living there long ago. In 1494, Christopher Columbus landed at a spot called Fisherman's Point. He named it Puerto Grande. When Columbus's crew arrived, they saw Taíno fishermen getting ready for a feast.
When Spanish settlers took over Cuba, the bay became a very important harbor. It was useful for ships and trade.
Early Military Actions
Guantánamo Bay has been a place for military actions for a long time. During the colonial era, British soldiers tried to land there. This happened during the War of the Jenkin's Ear. This war was fought between England and Spain from 1739 to 1742.
The British troops landed in the bay and tried to capture the city of Santiago de Cuba. But they could not do it. So, they claimed the bay for themselves and called it Cumberland Harbour. Later, they left the island. Many of their soldiers had become sick and died from tropical diseases.
United States and Cuba
The United States once tried to buy the whole island of Cuba. In the Spanish–American War, US troops took control of the bay. This was because it had a good harbor. The Treaty of Paris ended this war between the United States and Spain. This treaty gave Cuba its freedom from Spain. Spain also gave other lands like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
However, Cuba then came under the strong influence of the United States. The US helped choose leaders for Cuba who would support American interests. In 1902, the Platt Amendment was added to Cuba's new Constitution. This amendment greatly limited Cuba's freedom. It also said that Cuba had to give some land in the south to the United States for a military base.
Because of this amendment, Cuba gave the US a 99-year lease for the territory. This agreement was made by Tomás Estrada Palma. He was an American citizen who became Cuba's first president.
Today, the Cuban government does not agree with this Cuban-American Treaty. They believe it goes against international law. Because of this, the Cuban government sees the US presence in Guantánamo as an illegal occupation.
The southern part of Guantánamo Bay is home to the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. This is a naval base that was set up in 1898.
The base is sometimes called "GTMO" or "Gitmo". It covers about 116 square kilometers (45 square miles) on both sides of the bay. The United States got a permanent lease for this land on February 23, 1903. This happened after the Spanish–American War.
Recently, the base has been used to hold people suspected of being involved in conflicts. These individuals were brought from places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of Guantánamo Bay
See also
In Spanish: Bahía de Guantánamo para niños
