File:Cuba (MODIS 2021-01-28).jpg

English: On January 27, 2021 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of Western Cuba.

The largest island in the Caribbean Sea, Cuba sits only 150 km (93 miles) south of Key West, Florida. The long and narrow island measures about 750 miles (1,207 km) from east to west, but only about 60 miles (97 km) wide in most places. With a land mass about the size of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, Cuba enjoys over 2,300 miles (3,700 km) of coastline. About two-thirds of the island are lowlands or plains but the rest of the landscape folds into rugged mountains, especially in the northeast.

The spectacular blue-and-green waters off the southern coast marks the Gulf of Batabano. A rich fishery and source of commercial sponge collection, the brilliant colors come from the shallow depth of the Gulf waters. Coral reefs in the Gulf draw tourists to the port of Batabano which sits on the southern coast almost due south of Havana.

The Isla de Juventud—the large island southwest of the Gulf of Batabano—is also popular with tourists, who come to enjoy such pleasures as snorkeling on the coral reefs or exploring a system of caves. One cave is said to have over 200 pictograms created by the island’s aboriginal people. Once a haven for pirates, the island has gone through many name changes since it was dubbed La Evangelista by Christopher Columbus in 1494. Some other names include Isla de Cotorras (Island of Parrots), Isla de Tesoros (Treasure Island), and Isla de Pinos (Pine Island) before Fidel Castro changed the name to Isla de Juventud (Island of Youth) in 1978.