One of the largest bays in the world, Guantanamo Bay lies on the southestern end of
Cuba, 21 miles south of the city of
Guantanamo.
Christopher Columbus paid it a visit for a night in 1494, giving it the imaginative name Puerto Grande before departing.
In 1898, the Marines siezed the bay during the Spanish American War.
In 1903, the United States signed a treaty with the Republic of Cuba establishing a US naval reservation in the bay. In 1934, a treaty signed between the two countries established a permanent US presence in the bay. The reservation is approximately 45 square miles, and according to the terms of the treaty, the lease can only be terminated by the US abandoning the area, or by mutual agreement of the two countries.
Needless to say, Castro isn't a big fan. Since 1959, he has repeatedly threatened to overrun the facility.