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It is noted that the most impressive and largest island of the West Indies group (equal in location to Pennsylvania), Cuba is known to be also the westernmost-just west of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and 90 mi (145 km) south of Key West, Fla., at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. Did you know that the island is mountainous in the southeast and south-central location (Sierra Maestra). It is flat or rolling elsewhere. Cuba also includes numerous modester islands, islets, and cays.

Banished for the majority of from the community of the western world by the American boycott, Cuba is slowly coming back. And in fact there are and have always been the majority of good reasons to tourthe Island. Cuba offers not just many of the globe's finest beaches but also a rich cultural heritage and vibrant, passionate approach to life that has to this day been enticing visitors all over the ages. With a population of 11 million - the most impressive and largest in the Caribbean - 20% of Cubans live in Havana.

Christopher Columbus claimed Cuba in 1492 for the Kingdom of Spain, which was inhabited by the Taíno, a native Indian tribe. Less than twenty years later, the first settlement was established at Baracoa by the Spanish. Regretfully, over 100,000 Taino were enslaved by the Spanish for resisting conversion to the Christian religion, and less than a century later, most of the original inhabitants were dead, due to smallpox, measles, and other infectious diseases brought to the island by the Spanish settlers. For over 400 years, Spain maintained possession of Cuba, where the economy thrived on the export trades of sugar, tobacco, and coffee. After the Spanish-American War and the signing of the Treaty of Paris, Spain gave up the right to govern Cuba. Political turmoil in the early 20th century, culminating in a coup by Fulgencio Batista, who was branded a dictator and ruled until a revolutionary group, led by Fidel Castro, took control of the Cuban government. Branded a communist country, Cuba experienced protection from the U.S.S.R in the mid 20th century, which prompted the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 by the United States. Soon after, the U.S. Imposed an embargo, forbidding trade and diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S., and many Cubans fled to other countries to escape an oppressive regime. Cuba is currently under rule by Raul Castro, Fidel’s brother.

Cuba enjoys a mild, tropical climate, with temperatures varying from 70 to 80 degrees throughout the year. Due to its location in the entrance of the Gulf of Mexico, it experiences frequent hurricanes in September and October. The rainy season is found throughout the summer and fall months, with a drier season in the winter and spring.

At over 11 million residents, Cuba is the largest and most populous nation in the region. While more than 65% of the population is claimed to be white, there is some disagreement as to the racial statistics, with the University of Miami purporting the black population to be over 60%. Nonetheless, Cuba is home to a very diverse population, with a mixture of Taino, Spanish, and African ancestry.