A bit of history of Cuba Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean of 11 millions inhabitants. The nation of Cuba comprises the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the capital of Cuba and its largest city. The second largest city is Santiago de Cuba.To the north of Cuba lies the United States (150 km or 93 mi away) and the Bahamas are to the northeast, Mexico is to the west (210 km or 130 mi away), the Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south, and Haiti and the Dominican Republic are to the southeast. Cuba Arrival of Columbus The first sighting of a Spanish boat approaching the island was on 27 October 1492, probably at Baracoa on the eastern point of the island. Christopher Columbus, on his first voyage to the Americas,sailed south from what is now the Bahamas to explore the northeast coast of Cuba and the northern coast of Hispaniola. Columbus, who was searching for a route to India, believed the island to be a peni...