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Cuba is the
largest of the Caribbean islands. It is located only 145 km south of
Florida at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, with the Atlantic Ocean
to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Cuba is an archipelago
comprising the Island of Cuba, the Isle of Youth ('Isla de La Juventud'),
and a number of smaller keys and islets.
Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba on his
first voyage in 1492, but it was until 1515 that San Cristóbal de la
Habana was founded by the Spanish explorer Diego de Velázquez on Cuba's
southern coast. Havana was relocated to the northern coast of the port
of Carenas in 1519, which was a natural port of call for ships sailing
to and from the New World.
This was one of the main historic reasons
for the subsequent development of a city noted for its architectural
diversity, exceptional collection of buildings put up around public
squares and a system of forts that led UNESCO to declare it a part of
World Heritage in 1982. Today Havana, the capital city and chief seaport
of Cuba, is one of the oldest and most picturesque cities of the western
hemisphere.
The following links will guide you to
explore Cuba:
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