Guantanamo Bay

• Oldest U.S. Overseas Naval Base: Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, often called "GTMO," is the oldest overseas U.S. Naval Base, established in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. • Unique Lease Agreement: The United States has had a perpetual lease on the land since 1903, paying Cuba just $4,085 annually in rent—checks that the Cuban government has refused to cash since the 1960s. • Strategic Location: Guantanamo Bay is located on the southeastern tip of Cuba, granting the U.S. military a strategic foothold in the Caribbean Sea. • Historic Battle: During the Spanish-American War, U.S. Marines landed at Guantanamo Bay in June 1898 and fought the first U.S. ground action of the war on Cuban soil. • Marine Barracks: The base has been continuously garrisoned by U.S. Marines since 1903, making it one of their longest-standing overseas postings. • Guantanamo Detention Camp: Since 2002, the base has hosted a controversial detention facility for individuals captured during the War on Terror, drawing international attention and debate. • “Cactus Curtain”: In the 1960s, Cuban troops planted dense cactus barriers and set up minefields along the base’s perimeter, a divide known as the “Cactus Curtain.” • Unique Wildlife: The base is home to several species of iguanas and other wildlife, some of which are protected and have become unofficial mascots. • Self-Contained Community: Guantanamo Bay is a self-contained community with its own schools, hospital, McDonald’s, and even a radio station, serving U.S. personnel and their families. • Humanitarian Operations: The base has played a role in humanitarian missions, including housing Haitian and Cuban refugees during migration crises in the 1990s.